“I opened my guitar case and nearly fainted – I thought there was a human hand in there”: Motörhead and Girlschool were leading the charge for British heavy metal in the ’80s – guitarist Kim McAuliffe reveals what touring with Lemmy was really like

Portrait of British Heavy Metal group Girlschool as they pose in a studio, Chicago, Illinois, mid April, 1982. Pictured are, from left, Gil Weston, Kim McAuliffe, Denise Dufort, and Kelly Johnson.

British heavy metal powerhouse Girlschool have been active for nearly five decades – no mean feat – and released their latest album, WTFortyfive?, in 2023.

Back in the ’80s, their unique brand of punk-tinged metal cemented them as a band leading the charge of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) scene – capturing the imagination of audiences and none other than Lemmy.