Motorhead all business in Vancouver
At the Vogue Theatre on Monday, February 7
I should have known that I’d run into Metal Ron—the long-time cohost of CiTR Radio’s popular heavy-metal show Powerchord—at Motí¶rhead on Monday. I should have also known that he’d still be reeling from the shocking news of Irish guitar hero Gary Moore’s death the day before. Metal Ron was as big a Moore fan as they come, second only to me, and we agreed that it would be apt if Motí¶rhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister acknowledged the passing of his fellow hard-rock road warrior at some point during the show.
That didn’t happen, proof perhaps that Kilmister isn’t the most sensitive soul on the planet. Instead, one of rock ’n’ roll’s most famous bad-asses was more concerned with getting directly down to business, as has been his way for the last 36 years or so. The metal legend just strolled out on-stage, proclaimed “We are Motí¶rhead, we play rock ’n’ roll,” and launched right into the first of roughly 20 rapid-fire blasts of punishing boogie-thrash. The trio also played one slower song.
To be honest—and when you’re reviewing a band as sacred as Motí¶rhead, you’d best not fuck with the truth—I don’t know the titles of all their songs. But I do know the ones that really count, like “Ace of Spades”, “Killed by Death”, and “Iron Fist”, two of which they saved for the end. Before that, Motí¶rhead rolled out some choice numbers as well, especially the scorching “Get Back in Line”, off the new The Wí¶rld Is Yours release.
After the raging “Metropolis”, a track from the band’s 1979 Overkill disc, guitarist Phil Campbell incited the sold-out crowd to scream as loud as possible, then Lemmy dedicated the next song to those who “made all the fucking noise,” which seemed only fair. “This one is from Motí¶rizer, our previous album,” croaked Kilmister. “It’s called ”˜Rock Out With Your Cock Out’.” It’s actually just called “Rock Out”, but Lemmy gets to call it what he wants.
They say that a rock band is only as great as its drummer—and if they don’t say that, they should. Motí¶rhead’s Mikkey Dee is the type of powerhouse skinbasher who gives his all on every song, and he pulled off an extended solo that could only be described as Peart-worthy. So what if Dee—to his own dismay—missed catching his flicked drumstick at the very end of it? Everything before that fuck-up was fine.
“This is a song from 1983, before you were born!” bellowed Lemmy while introducing “I Got Mine”, a track from arguably the best Motí¶rhead album, Another Perfect Day. That disc boasted the six-string talents of Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson, whose position was filled in ’84 by Campbell and co-guitarist Wí¼rzel, whose umlaut was added for heavy-metal effect at Lemmy’s insistence. (Man, that guy really gets his way!)
After the aforementioned showstoppers, 1984’s “Killed by Death” and 1980’s “Ace of Spades”, the trio was called back, and encored with their closing staple, “Overkill”. “Don’t forget us, all right?,” hollered Kilmister as the last strains of feedback faded away. “We are fucking Motí¶rhead!” Yes, yes, we know who you are Lemmy. We’re deaf now, thanks to you, not dumb.
Comments
16 Comments
Rohit
Feb 8, 2011 at 10:20am
Hi Steve. What an awesome band Motorhead is huh? They encored with "Overkill". I don't remember "Iron Fist" being played.
Notwen
Feb 8, 2011 at 10:34am
Newton, you gump, Motí¶rhead has ALWAYS encored with 'Overkill' - last night was no different. 'Iron Fist' was nowhere near that set list. Proving once again free tickets are wasted on the wrong people.
Gregg
Feb 8, 2011 at 10:59am
I don’t know the titles of all their songs. But I do know the ones that really count—like “Ace of Spades”, “Killed By Death”, and “Iron Fist”
So I must ask then, why were you reviewing this show? Seriously, shouldn't a music critic equip themselves with more than hearsay and tired cliches when they take it upon themselves to enlighten us with their opinion. So the highlight was when Mikkey Dee dropped his drum stick? That's riveting stuff dude. Did their amps actually go to 11?
Steve Newton
Feb 8, 2011 at 11:09am
Rohit, Notwen, Gregg: sorry dudes, I made a really dumb mistake about the encore. It's been fixed in the review. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, and also for the kind words. I've never been called a "gump" before, but Worsley was one of my fave netminders back in the day, so the compliment is much appreciated.
Mr.Happy
Feb 8, 2011 at 11:17am
Motorhead is great and everything, but Wasn't Clutch at that show too?
Gregg
Feb 8, 2011 at 11:52am
C'mon Newton....you can't 'fix" reviews. If you're lack of musical integrity is exposed by your own hand, than you should have to tough it out. Walk the walk my friend. You've built a career on criticizing bands for the exact same thing. I'm sure Mikkey Dee would have loved to have caught that drum stick, but he didn't get to erase the blunder from history now did he?
R2
Feb 8, 2011 at 11:57am
Man being a concert reviewer for the Straight is almost as tough a gig as being the owner of Outdoor Adventures right now.....lighten up Fans....it is just a concert.....By the way where's my Toasters review?
Notwen
Feb 8, 2011 at 12:12pm
Haha, Gregg is on fire with his comments. No do-overs. Walk the walk, Steve - or take a walk.
Steve, time and again you make these bush-league comments on your live reviews of metal bands (remember last year when Maiden opened with 'Your Time Will Come'! *guffaw*) and it's obvious you're only in it for the free ticket.
The Straight needs to find at proper metalheads to cover these shows. Someone who at least knows an Overkill from an Iron Fist. Vancouver's got loads of 'em who'd KILL for a free ticket to a sold-out Motí¶rhead show.
And yes, Clutch killed it.
By all accounts, so did the openers, Valient Thorr.
Mike Usinger
Feb 8, 2011 at 1:02pm
@Gregg.
Gregg--or should I call you Notwen?
Actually, you can "fix" reviews when you're talking about the Web. Have you ever sat up till 4 a.m. sweating out a concert review on a school night, knowing full well that you have to get up and go to work in about three hours? It's funny how the mind starts to work: you make mistakes, mostly because you start losing the ability to see straight.
Next time you head out to a show, please, by all means, feel free to come home, flick on your Commodore 64, and type out your detailed critique. We'll happily print it on the Web. Along with your mistakes, which we won't, as per your argument above, "fix".
Gregg
Feb 8, 2011 at 2:08pm
Nope, you can call me Gregg, Mike. Are you some kind of lame internet sleuth as well as an editor? How chivalrous of you to come to your writer's rescue though. May I suggest fact checking his work once in a while too?