40 years of the loudest rock n roll band known as Motörhead made its presence felt as despite recent rumors of frontman Lemmy Kilminster’s health dilemmas, they still powered through a somewhat up and down performance that lacked the magic of their legacy.
Following a classic Lemmy opening greeting, they opened with ‘Damage Case’ and ‘Stay Clean,’ (both from their 1979 Overkill album), which brought out the classic Motörhead feel that fans have grown to love. While guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee were on fire and lit up the room with their larger than life performances, Kilminster’s vibrant stage personality took a back seat and was not quite as electric as usual. Regardless of the reasons, Dee still blew the crowd away with his dynamic drum solo and Campbell brought out his guitar solos that fans have grown to love.
The highlights of the evening included their well known tunes ‘Going to Brazil’ and ‘Ace of Spades’ to close the main part of their set list, and Kilminster’s son Paul Inder joining the band on stage for ‘Overkill,’ which Dee once again lit up the room with his lightning feet pounding away on the drums.
Motörhead set list:
Damage Case
Stay Clean
We Are Motörhead
Metropolis
Over the Top
Guitar Solo
The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
Rock It
Lost Woman Blues
Doctor Rock
(With drum solo)
Just ‘Cos You Got the Power
Going to Brazil
Ace of Spades
Encore:
Overkill
(Lemmy’s son, Paul Inder, joins on guitar)
Veteran UK metallers Saxon are celebrating 35 years as a band and coming out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, they showed the crowd despite their semi-cult status in the US, they are a force to reckon with elsewhere and still have quite a bit left in the tank. Frontman Biff Byford was on fire and belted through a strong cross section of classic tunes fans have grown to love. Favorites such as ‘This Town Rocks’ and ‘Power and the Glory’ got the crowd going, and rarely was the room quiet while they performed. Campbell joined the band during ‘Denim and Leather,’ closing out a strong set that hopefully will bring them back to US shores again in the near future.
Saxon set list
Battering Ram
This Town Rocks
Sacrifice
Power and the Glory
Heavy Metal Thunder
Wheels of Steel
The Eagle Has Landed
20,000 Ft
Crusader
Princess of the Night
Denim and Leather
(with Phil Campbell)
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WORDS BY REI NISHIMOTO