That time I asked “Fast” Eddie Clarke what he thought of Motörhead’s new guitarist Brian Robertson

Robertson (left) in Motörhead

By Steve Newton

Back in June of 1983 I interviewed guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke when his band, Fastway, opened for Iron Maiden in Vancouver, along with Saxon.

Clarke had quit his previous group, Motörhead, the year before, so I asked him what he thought of his replacement, former Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson.

“I thought that when he left Thin Lizzy they took a terrible knock,” he told me. “I think they threw him out, I don’t know, but he is a real loony. I knock about with him once in a while.

“He’s a great player, and he played some of the greatest guitar for Thin Lizzy. He was a feel player, and I felt Scott Gorham was more the precise one. When Robbo left I thought the band lost its identity.

“The same thing happened to Motörhead,” Clarke added. “When a member leaves the kids get a bit confused, and I think it affects their outlook on the band.”

To read my full interview with “Fast” Eddie Clarke from 1983, go here.