Anthrax and Motorhead in Mickeyland

Motorhead, Anthrax and Crobot each brought their own brand of moshing to Mickeyland at the House of Blues in Orlando on Friday night. Over 2,000 people packed the sold out venue and stood shoulder to shoulder, unless they were smashing shoulders, as the pit was straight outta old school.

Crobot started the show at 8 p.m. sharp with a set that was electric with their signature sound that incorporates dirty groove rock that moves your feet and your soul. I know it may sound silly, but if you’ve experienced Crobot in a live setting, you understand what I mean. Each one of the members of Crobot catches your attention as an individual, but they leave a lasting impression as a cohesive group.

Crobot’s frontman Brandon Yeagley, guitarist, Chris Bishop, and the Figuroa brothers, (Jake on bass and Paul on drums), have been road warriors the past two years playing tracks off their 2014 release, Something Supernatural. Highlights from Crobot’s set included: “Welcome to Fat City,””Fly on the Wall,” and the single, “Legend of the Spaceborne Killer.”

It’s easy to see that Crobot has fun on stage, and I believe that they are a band that will continue to evolve, while gaining even more fans through touring with a variety of different bands. Even though Anthrax and Motorhead bring an aggressive fan base, they are also mature and appreciate the sound, style and substance that Crobot provides during their live show. It also helps when the band hangs out with the fans after their show, as Crobot did tonight at the House of Blues.

While a quick set change was taking place, and fans were scurrying to the bar, I couldn’t help but notice the attire of the attendees. I had a flashback to metal shows of the past. Fully patched jean jackets that haven’t seen the outside of a closet in years were everywhere and people were talking about getting in the pit for the first time in a long time.

As the lights went down and “The Mob Rules” played over the loud speaker, Anthrax opened with a fan favorite off of Spreading the Disease, with “Madhouse.” It was a perfect start to their nine-song set, consisting of classics and new songs off of their 2011 release, Worship Music. I’d really like to say that Anthrax was in rare form, but I just can’t. Why? Because Anthrax always brings their A-game and have since their inception in 1981. The three staples of their lineup in drummer Charlie Benante, guitarist Scott Ian, and the highly underrated bassist, Frank Bello, have never let their fans down with a subpar performance.

The next three songs, “Caught in a Mosh,” “Got The Time,” and “Anti-Social,” have been consistent in Anthrax’s sets for years and each has a special effect on the crowd. “Caught in a Mosh” will drive you into the pit, “Got The Time” has one of the most recognizable opening bass lines in metal, and “Anti-Social” is the definition of a rock anthem.

Vocalist Joey Belladonna introduced the first of two songs from Worship Music in “Fight ‘Em Til You Can’t.” He got a huge round of applause from the crowd and rewarded them with a stellar vocal performance throughout the set. Belladonna hasn’t lost any of his range and he doesn’t need back-up tracks to assist him but the crowd insisted on helping him out during the verses and especially the chorus during “Efilnikufsin.”

The next two songs would pay tribute to Black Sabbath and Ronnie James Dio specifically, as “Neon Knights” from Sabbath’s Mob Rules album was next. Anthrax would follow that up with their tribute to the late and great Ronnie James Dio and Dimebag Darrell with the second track from Worship Music in “The End.”

As their set was reaching a fever pitch, Anthrax took the crowd and the pit to another level when drummer Charlie Benante slammed his drums with the opening notes from the Among the Living classic, “Indians.” Security had their hands full and they did a great job while controlled chaos ensued, which included circling bodies and chants of “war dance!” bouncing throughout the House of Blues.

Belladonna chanted the chorus of Rainbow’s “Long Live Rock n Roll” and after the band took a bow, guitarist Scott Ian addressed the crowd and thanked them for all of the years of their support. He also announced that the follow up to Worship Music would be released in February of 2016.

After their set, some fans stated that they wished that Anthrax would change up or extend their set as it has been pretty stagnate over the past few years. Stagnate set list or not, Anthrax always leaves their fans wanting more and thankfully they will supply that to them with a new release next year and another upcoming tour. I hope that Anthrax is included in a few of the musical festival lineups during the World’s Loudest Month starting in April. It would be a great way to introduce Anthrax to a whole new generation of metal fans as Testament, Slayer and Exodus did this past spring and summer.

During the break, fans flocked to the merchandise table as a special item was for sale: an autographed drum head signed by all the members of Motorhead for an affordable price of $40 dollars, and they were selling like hotcakes.

The discussions throughout the night seemed to revolve around the health of Lemmy, many speculating that this may very well be Lemmy’s last ride as the frontman of Motorhead. Lemmy has been the man behind the bass and the microphone for over 40 years and is a true musical legend. Lemmy has also created a brand by using the Snaggletooth image that was created by Joe Petagno and used for Motorhead’s debut album cover in 1977. Other metal bands like Iron Maiden with Eddie, Megadeth with Vic Rattlehead, and of course Anthrax with their Not Man, would follow Motorhead’s lead.

Another topic of conversation was how, if at all, Lemmy’s deteriorating health would affect his performance. But that was answered as soon Motorhead took the stage and opened the show with “Bomber” and continued with “Stay Clean.” Vocally, Lemmy was, well, Lemmy: with his growly, greasy delivery that was spot-on throughout the set and the encore. But Lemmy’s movement on stage was pretty much nonexistent, as Lemmy stayed behind the microphone for the duration of the show. But, guitarist Phil Campbell brought the energy as he strolled the edge of the stage and engaged with the fans. Campbell got so close to the fans that he was literally looking the crowd surfers right in the eye as they went over the rail and into the arms of the security guards in the photo pit.

Motorhead’s set consisted of songs predominantly from their releases in the late 70’s and mid 80’s, but it should be noted: Motorhead didn’t even play one song from their 2015 release, Bad Magic. This was surprising to me because Bad Magic has placed in the number one spot on the charts in several countries, including Germany and Finland. Bad Magic has also sold over 10,000 units in the United States, which is a strong number these days, especially considering that it’s been out less than a month.

After “Stay Clean,” Motorhead continued with “Metropolis” from their 1979 album Overkill and followed it with “Over The Top,” which sparked another moshing frenzy. Phil Campbell slowed things down a bit with a guitar solo, which gave the crowd a breather. Later on in the set, Drummer Mikkey Dee pulled off a memorable drum solo, which was violent nature, as Dee “attacked” the skins and the bombastic tones that they delivered.

Motorhead segued perfectly from “Dr. Rock” and the drum solo into what many consider their biggest hit, “Ace of Spades.”  I was surprised that they didn’t save this one for the encore. I was also surprised that Motorhead didn’t play more songs that have been played recently in the U.S., like “Eat The Rich” or even “Hellraiser.” Both of these are on regular rotation on Ozzy’s Boneyard on SiriusXM.

They finished their set with “Overkill” and Lemmy addressed the crowd with his favorite tag line, “We Are Motorhead and We Play Rock n Roll.”  As the fans made their way to the exits their faces and bodies were drained of energy, but their smiles remained, (and ears rang).

Friday night at the House of Blues in Orlando with Motorhead, Anthrax and Crobot was truly a memorable night of hard rock and metal. The music spanned three generations of fans, with each band having a distinct look, musical style, and sound. But they all had one thing in common though, and that was an energy and spirit that they instilled in their fans throughout the night, and in turn, their fans released. This has always  been at the heart of the metal community, and its one of the contributing factors that continues to bring us metalheads together.

If this is the last tour for Lemmy and Motorhead, they can look back on their careers and know that they did it their way, and as long as there are metal fans and bands like Cobot and Anthrax, the legacy of Motorhead will live on forever.

More Photos by Travis Failey:

 

Setlists:

Anthrax:

Madhouse

Caught in a Mosh

Got the Time

Antisocial

Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t

Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)

Neon Knights

In the End

Indians

Motorhead:

Bomber

Stay Clean

Metropolis

Over the Top

Guitar Solo

The Chase Is Better Than the Catch

Rock It

Lost Woman Blues

Doctor Rock

(with Drum Solo)

Ace of Spades

Just ‘Cos You Got the Power

No Class

Encore:

Overkill