Motorhead. The name alone almost defines metal. For years they have entertained, conquered, and kicked ass. Lemmy has achieved god-like status among the metal minions, becoming an enigma among the fans of heavy music. And tonight the opportunity to witness this legendary band is made even more special by the venue: London's Hammersmith Apollo. For those who require explanation, imagine the Ashes at Lord's or the tennis at Wimbledon. Imagine what it would have been like to see Sinatra at the Sands in Las Vegas in the 1960's. For the Hammersmith Apollo has long been Motorhead's domain, and toninght they shall own it once again.

Before that happens though there's two other bands on the bill tonight. First up were Class of Zero. Coming from somewhere in America, they sounded like every other middle-of-the-road American band. No doubt the mega U.S. marketing machine in their native land will ship millions of copies of their average uninspired slop to scores of pimply, teenaged so called "metal" fans, but I for one don't buy the hype. Whilst not doing anything particularly wrong, there was little right with their performance. Sure they know how to play their instruments, and even churned out one or two decent riffs. Overall however, their songs were boring, as was their stage presence. Possibly their lowest moment came when their frontman announed "This one goes out to all the tough bastards out there!" Cliched and horrible.

The mighty Sepultura were a welcome beath of fresh air following this. Sure the quality of their recorded work in recent years hasn't been up to the standard of much of their Max-era output (with the exception of 2003's impressive "Roorback") however live they are still a force to be reckoned with. Whilst only on for about 40 minutes, they wasted no time getting to the good stuff, with "Territory", "Arise", "Slave New World", "Roots Bloody Roots" and "Desperate Cry" all getting a dust-off. My favourite of the set was "Escape to the Void", which was as crushing to hear live as it was unexpected. Overall the Seps played a tight, furious set which reminded everyone that in the current metal climate there is still an important place for Sepultura.

Which brings us to Motorhead. The roar of the crowd was deafening as Lemmy and Co. took to the stage. And may I say Lemmy is a great man. For all the adoration and worship, he still one hundred percent humble and modest. His first words to the crowd were "We are Motorhead, and this is rock n' roll". And rock n' roll it was. Loud guitars, simple yet ass-kicking riffs, and that all important rock attitude. Playing a great cross-section of hits from throughout their career, the band kept the crowd fired up and jumping. We were even treated to a fantastic drum solo from Mickey Dee! By the time the band returned for their encore with "Ace of Spades", not one fan in the Apollo was left standing still. As the band left the stage for the final time leaving their amps on full and feedback reverberating through the venue, everyone knew they had just witnessed something special.

Long live Motorhead!

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