We booked tickets for this mainly to see Michael Monroe and got in just in time for the last song of the first act on, something Siskin. The last song was like some 70's arena rock relic that went on forever with several false endings and left us glad we missed the rest of it, even if the girl singing sounded like Joan Jett. I would have preferred to have heard three songs in the time they played one!
Soon enough Michael Monroe was on with his current all star solo band comprising of Sami Yaffa, Steve Conte, Ginger and Karl Rockfist and promoting the new Another Night in the Sun live album ahead of next year's new album. They opened with a new song and then Michael exploded all over the stage with a great version of Hammersmith Palais followed by Nothing's Alright and a great Not Faking It. He also explained that Hanoi Rocks had shot a couple of videos at the Academy back in the 80's and that it was nicer to play there when it was full rather than empty. That's good to know.
It was also a good intro to Malibu Beach Nightmare, wherein he was all over the stage and climbing the lighting rig for Ain't Nothing To Do, followed by and a furious version of The Damned's Machine Gun Etiquette that saw Ginger giving us a great solo while trying to move around with his leg in a cast. There was nothing wrong with the set apart from the need for it to be longer and the fact that they didn't play Motorheaded for a fall.
Still soon enough Lemmy was onstage and just as loud as you'd want Motorhead to be. The drum riser was so high off the stage that the bass drums made my shoulders and arms vibrate as well as my stomach. Damn it was loud and well exactly as you'd expect from Motorhead: a rock solid set and as Lemmy said at the start: "We are Motorhead and we play Rock & Roll it really is that simple."
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Motorhead opened the show and they did all the hits and more and so many of the songs are about how our politicians lie to us, that we knew that Dead Men Tell No Tales and that Lemmy wasn't about to Shoot You In The Back. Yes, the songs all sound similar and at least 4 tunes have opening bars that sound like Ace Of Spades, but they do what they do so well it doesn't matter as towering riff is followed by towering riff.
The only really off note they struck all night was when Lemmy brought on the singer from Siskin and three scantily dressed dancers for Killed By Death. Yes Lemmy is growling on about how someone was killed by death and the three women are writhing around him in their underwear. It was very odd indeed and somehow very wrong as well. I shouldn't be looking down the cleavage of the dancers as Lemmy and Siskin Girl sing Killed by Death repeatedly.
Obviously the encore started with Ace of Spades as no Motorhead show would be complete without it and I wish I could remember the name of the song Michael Monroe joined them for to finish the show as it was a corker. It finished off a pretty damn great show and as ever Lemmy knows how to put together a good bill. After 35 years Motorhead are well worth seeing and yes it isn't the original line up but they do what Motorhead has always done - play extremely loud rock and roll! They don't disappoint.
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