Audio-Visuals
MOTÖRHEAD: STAGE FRIGHT
Directed by Sven Offen
(Steamhammer/SPV)
So Motörhead has hit its 30th anniversary. I'm sure I won't be the first to say, "Holy shit!" On the one hand, it's not unusual for hard rock bands to slog on and on and on (and on) over so long a time—a musician's gotta keep his house payments up. On the other, Motörhead's brand of power rock & roll has always been louder, harder, more energized and just plain tougher than nearly anybody else's. While bandmates have come and gone (though it should be noted that current guitarist Phil Campbell recently celebrated his 20th year), Motörleader Lemmy Kilmister endures, never faltering or showing signs of tiring, no matter how punishing it must be to lead this band. Lemmy turned 60 around the same time as Motörhead turned 30, and hasn't slowed down a bit.
Motörhead: Stage Fright captures a concert from the trio's Inferno tour and it's, in Lemmy's frequent parlance, a stormer. The band blast through a killer selection of classics and obscurities, performing everything as if it's all brand new. It's always good to hear great versions of the staples—"Metropolis," "Stay Clean," "Going to Brazil," "Killed By Death," "Iron Fist," "No Class," etc. still smash and crash, no matter what. But what makes this show special is the inclusion of some surprises. The 'head pays tribute to the general excellence of its then-latest LP Inferno by playing three songs off it, the raging rockers "In the Name of Tragedy" and "Killers" and, most shockingly, the acoustic blues goof "Whorehouse Blues." "Dr. Rock" and "Just Cos You Got the Power," a couple of warhorses thought retired, rejoin the troops, while Lemmy and co. also add "Love Me Like a Reptile" and "Shoot You in the Back," a pair of absolutely kickass album tracks from the great Ace of Spades. A fantastic B-side, "Over the Top," reasserts itself as well. Most surprising of all, however, is the addition of two tracks from Another Perfect Day, the lone record Motörhead made with ex-Thin Lizzy axeman Brian Robertson. (Lemmy refers to it as "our most hated album.") "I Got Mine" and "Dancing On Your Grave" sound a bit different than the usual Motörmetal, and not just because Campbell uses a different guitar tone, but they hold up nicely, and the crowd seems to really dig them. Of course, the show closes out with the usual one-two punch of "Ace of Spades" and "Overkill," as all good Motörshows should. If you're a Motörfan, you have to have this. If you're a rock & roll fan, you have to have this. If you're unfamiliar with Motörhead, rent or buy this and you'll be a convert for life.
The concert disk is, for the most part, well-edited and directed. There aren't too many quick cuts, and Sven Offen captures the feel of a great Motörhead show as well as can be done on film. The occasional use of Matrix-style "bullet time," however, comes damn close to being an unforgivable offense. It may make Keanu Reeves look good, but it looks cheesy and ridiculous here. The band also provides occasionally enlightening commentary, though shrinking the film down to a tiny box and focusing on the band members sitting and watching when they have something to say is a bit puzzling.
The second disk has features on the trio's long-serving, and longer suffering, crew, from the soundmen to the instrument techs to the (extremely irascible) cook. (If you've ever wanted to know what Lemmy eats on tour, now you can find out.) There are also some testimonials, a look backstage at a show in L.A., some interviews with fans and the filmmakers (all in German, though subtitles are provided) and plenty of footage of the band itself offstage. This disk wouldn't hold up on its own, but it's a great supplement to the main package. Michael Toland [buy it]
