Motorhead
imotorhead.com
Also: Clutch
Thursday Nov. 19, 2006
Rock City
Nottingham, UK

“WE ARE MOTORHEAD – AND WE PLAY ROCK AND ROLL!�

I’d waited a long time to see these guys although I can’t explain why. My mate Dan has been a big fan for a long time, and so I should have tripped over a gig with him long ago. The guy even has a Motorhead tattoo, for heaven’s sake!

Having bought tickets for this gig some months ago, I was a bit disappointed when it looked like we might not be able to go. See, Dan went and got his missus pregnant, and guess when her due date was? Not only that, but she was having twins, and they generally make an appearance early. Going to a gig and leaving her home alone was clearly a bad move, so we had to hatch a plan. Eventually it was agreed that my girlfriend would keep Juliet company, whilst Dan and I went to Nottingham Rock City. Sorted, so long as Juliet kept her legs crossed.

The support band, Clutch, was damn good, and I’ll be checking out their stuff for sure. I particularly enjoyed “Sea of Destruction� and perhaps you will too. In the meantime here’s a link to their site so you can listen to them for yourself. http://www.pro-rock.com

I tried my poxy little camera to see if I would likely get any shots of the main act, but soon realised that it was about as useful as a fishnet condom. I managed to check it at the cloakroom but I was worried about letting it out of my sight. After all, Nottingham is the crime capital of the UK.

Getting back near the front turned into a mission as the place had filled up to capacity plus. I’ve been to Rock City many times before but never seen it this full. Indeed, we met a guy who had done the whole tour and it seems they had crammed much bigger venues to the rafters too. The stage security guys were handing out bottles of water before the gig had even started. As the natives became increasingly restless, I was glad when the lights dimmed to announce their arrival on stage:

“GOOD EVENING - WE ARE MOTORHEAD - AND WE PLAY ROCK AND ROLL!�

And boy did they! They kicked off with “Dr Rock,� a standard opener since the 80s, but the crowd still predictably went wild. There was beer and water all over the dance floor and people were landing on their arse left right and centre. Dan and I stood at the edge of the pit and waited for the kids to tire themselves out a bit and took the opportunity to watch the band. I wouldn’t have expected any different from Lemmy and Co, and to their credit the band seemed to be giving it some! We slurped our water through the next track, grinning at each other whilst deflecting flying bodies from the pit.

“Is it fuckin’ loud enough?� said Lemmy?

“NNNNNNNOOOOOOO,� said we.
“Shall we fuckin’ turn it up?� he replied.

“Yes!!!!!�

So he did.

And that was the last clear thing I heard anyone say until lat the next day. Rock City is a mid size venue with a 2000-plus capacity. They had enough volume to fill Wembley Stadium, if indeed it still stood. Even the banter in between songs was incomprehensible; probably a combination of the sheer volume, my perforated eardrums, and Lemmy’s pissed up slurring.

They banged out some tunes I knew from my wayward youth, such as “Killed By Death,� “Stay Clean,� and “I Got Mine.� “Sacrifice� still sounded awesome mid-set: Mikkey Dee’s drum solo has been slotted in here for some years now, but his brilliant playing never ceases to impress.

There were also a couple I recognised from the newer albums that Dan had played at dinner. “Killers� and “Sword of Glory� proved that the newer material is just as worthy as the early classics. Thin Lizzy’s “Rosalie,� played as a tribute to Phil Lynott, was also a welcome inclusion.

I particularly liked “Whorehouse Blues� from last year’s Inferno LP, as did the rest of the crowd. This stripped-down acoustic blues number provided a welcome respite from the full-on signature heavy rock and roll live fare. It did need to be heard live to be appreciated.

I was glad of the rest when the band left the stage before the encore. Dan and I congratulated ourselves on our performance in the pit, but we were well and truly knackered. I was sweating like Michael Jackson’s paperboy and smelt like the inside of a Slipknot mask. The second round of free water was much appreciated.

I realise it is a cliché and I realise that Motorhead have done some great stuff both before and since, but everyone wants to hear “Ace of Spades.� I wasn’t disappointed. Lemmy introduced it in what seemed to be a resigned fashion, but as soon as the riff kicked in all hell broke loose. They didn’t hold back and gave everyone what they wanted to hear. When it was over I felt like I should roll over, fart and light a cigarette. I was spent.

We listened to the first few minutes of “Overkill,� the perennial set-closer, before heading for the exit in an attempt to beat the rush. We knew the car parks were heaving and everyone would be headed for the M1, just like us. Two hours and 100 miles later I crawled into bed next to my girlfriend. As my head hit the pillow all I could hear was a high pitched EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

She muttered something that I made her repeat twice before I rolled over to try to sleep.

Next morning we expressed our disappointment, as Juliet had not given birth in the night. Spoilsport! That evening I lay in bed, a good 24 hours after the gig had finished. My girlfriend rolled over and said something in my ear, but all I could hear was

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

“Huh?� I grunted.

Bloody tinnitus!

Thanks to Dan for his input and to Juliet for her hospitality, not to mention the picture of her husband’s hairy breast.