You can trust Louder
While awaiting the 40th anniversary mega-package of No Sleep ’Til Hammersmith’, here’s Motorhead’s final, longest-serving line-up captured serenading 12,000 Motörheadbangers at Berlin’s Velodrom during 2012’s Kings Of The Road tour.
Long settled into a career-spanning set reaching back to Metropolis, Lemmy, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell add essential roots homages, including Muddy Waters-style blues (You Better Run) and high-octane 50s rock‘n’roll (Going To Brazil), along with Campbell’s String Theory guitar fanfare and Dee’s drum solo in The One To Sing The Blues.
Despite being only three years before Berlin was the scene of Motorhead’s final show, Lemmy’s growl, bass rumble and announcements are on good form fronting this well-oiled mean machine.
“We are Motörhead, and we are rock‘n’roll,” he declares after the traditional double-headed home stretch of Ace Of Spades and Overkill. Fresh evidence is always welcome, and this was a scorcher.
Kris Needs is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. Previously secretary of the Mott The Hoople fan club, he became editor of ZigZag in 1977 and has written biographies of stars including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer and Keith Richards. He's also written for MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig!