Motorhead & Saxon – Sheffield Academy – 8th November

Arrived at 7:00 just as the doors opened for this one to make sure I didn’t miss any of the Saxon set. I got the shock of my life when I saw the queue to get in. When I joined the end of it I think I was nearly in Hillsborough. I didn’t get in the venue until after half past seven and Danko Jones was well through his set. Seemed okay, but I found the song about what he could do with his tongue all a bit churlish.

Just after 8:00 and the Jerusalem intro music starts lots of smoke and Motorcycle Man starts I assume that Saxon are on stage because I can’t see anything through the smoke from my balcony vantage point. The smoke eventually clears and it is Biff and the boys making a triumphant return to South Yorkshire. Obviously a much shortened set from when I saw them the week before. Newer songs were Can you feel the Power, Witch Finder General, Ashes to Ashes, Hellcat and Live to Rock. From the classic back catalogue we had Bands Played On, Denim & Leather, Heavy Metal Thunder, Never Surrender, Princes of the Night and the brilliant 747 to end with at around 9:00, and Biff had the crowd eating out his hand from the beginning to the end – Fantastic.

No flash entrance for Lemmy and crew. “We are Motorhead and we play Rock ‘n’ Roll” then straight into Iron Fist. A great collection of Motorhead’s finest tracks followed, Stay Clean, Going to Brazil, Dancing on your Grave and the likes, the only surprise was the small of material from the new CD, which I think is really strong. Anyway they played my favourite “Rock Out” so I was happy. The main set closed with Ace of Spades. The encore (first of the night) opened with the acoustic Whore House Blues (which was surprisingly good) the set closed with Overkill. Motorhead were on for just over 90 minutes, so I think the evening was good value for money, and not a set of rugby posts in sight!!!

No Wheels of Steel or Bomber my only criticism. NH