1076. Motörhead / Live at Brixton Academy: The Complete Concert. 2003. 5/5

There are moments in a band’s career that are worthy of celebrating a milestone. Having toured and recorded for 25 years is one of those milestones worth remembering. This is what faced Motörhead as they approached the new millennium, and a celebratory concert which not only had a terrific set list but the addition of some special guests is not a bad way to do it. Recorded for posterity, this is what we have with Live at Brixton Academy: The Complete Concert.

For anyone who picked up a copy of the band’s previous live album, Everything Louder Than Everyone Else, there is not a lot new for you. The setlist is slightly changed to incorporate some songs from the We Are Motörhead album which is what they were touring behind at the time. It took three years for this to be released for various reasons, but it is worth it. The performances are just as strong as the other live release, and of course there are a few added surprises.
You can take your pick as to what is the best addition to the line-up, and everyone will have their own opinion. On “Born to Raise Hell” the band are joined by Doro Pesch and Whitfield Crane. While Doro’s appearance could be construed as ‘convenient’, Whitfield of course sang on the version of this song that was released on the soundtrack of the movie Airheads alongside Ice T. Nothing much to write home about here to be honest. Slightly more interesting is the appearance of two songs on “Killed by Death”, with Todd Campbell – son of Phil – and Paul Inder – son of Lemmy – appearing on stage and joining in on guitars and some vocals. This was a nice moment for all involved. For me the best moment is the re-appearance of “Fast” Eddie Clarke, who comes on stage and struts his stuff on “The Chase is Better Than the Catch” as well as the closing “Overkill”. Hearing Clarke play his classic solo in “Overkill” again is worth listening to this album by itself. However, along with those that have already appeared coming back for the final song, it also includes Ace from Skunk Anansie and the legendary Brian May from Queen also coming out and adding their guitars to the mix, making it a real celebration to complete the night.

While the album of this gig is terrific, I recommend trying to find a copy of 25 & Alive: Boneshaker if you can, which is the video of the gig. It is exactly the same as this CD but being able to see the band playing it does add to the experience.

Rating: “We are Motörhead… and we’re here to clean your clock”. 5/5