Previously having co-headlined with Black Sabbath, Lemmy and his
road crew were back with top billing at Lulu's. It was a pleasant
surprise to see a decent turnout for such a heavy act which had, in
fact, already played at the establishment a mere six months earlier.
The opening acts provided limited entertainment. Speedball, with
their derivative punk 'n roll, had a lukewarm reception, but were at
least tight, fun, and fitting appetizers for Motorhead's main course.
Belladonna, featuring ex-Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna, played a
set of uninspiring 80's speed metal with a 4-song interlude of
Anthrax hits thrown in for good measure. While the Anthrax material
went over extremely well, their original compositions were less than
well-received. For a metal veteran such as Joey Belladonna, it was
sad to see them blown off the stage by Speedball.
Of course, there was no love lost once the openers stepped off
to make way for Phil "Zoom" Campbell (guitar), Mickey Dee (drums),
and the inimitable Lemmy Kilmister, Rickenbacker strapped firmly
around his neck. There's not a whole lot that can be said about a
Motorhead gig that hasn't been said many times before, and likely far
more eloquently. Motorhead seems to consistently deliver a good,
solid show with few surprises. Hell, they opened their set with "Ace
of Spades"; if that's not predictable I don't know what is. A few of
their better known songs were noticeably dropped from the set in
favour of newer material, which is to be expected from a band which
consistently releases such fine, heavy albums. Motorhead were
pioneers of metal and still command the attention they rightfully
deserve. As long as they keep writing and touring, there will be fans
clamouring for tickets at the box office. Next time Lemmy and company
roll into your town, cancel your plans, get off your ass, and brace
yourself for the onslaught.