 The band Motörhead was founded in 1975 by already experienced musicians . Their leader Ian " Lemmy " Kilmister was a former member of the space rock band Hawkwind , Larry Wallis had played with Pink Fairies , and Eddie Clarke had been a member of Curtis Knight 's Zeus . Their previous experience is one element which divides critics and fans over whether the band belongs to the new wave of British heavy metal . Some believe that the band should be considered an inspiration for the movement but not part of it , because they had signed recording contracts , toured the country , and had chart success before any NWOBHM band had stepped out of their local club scene . Motörhead were also the only metal band of the period recording songs with veteran BBC radio DJ John Peel for his Peel Sessions program and the first to reach No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart with the live album No Sleep ' til Hammersmith in June 1981 . Lemmy himself said , " the NWOBHM ... didn 't do us much good " , because Motörhead " came along a bit too early for it " . 
