(Dimitris reporting... hours before the show)
Wednesday was not a good day for me. Work went a bit shit, it was bloody hot and I knew I had to climb a fucking hill for 20 minutes to see MOTÖRHEAD. It was one of those days you know. The ones you get off bed and a few seconds later you realize that it would be best if you stayed there, sleep like a stiff and wake up again 5-6 days later...
But it was MOTÖRHEAD day. So I had to get up.

To endure all the routine of a working day under 30-35 degrees is one thing. To endure it knowing that at the end of the day you'll see MOTÖRHEAD on stage is a whole different experience. Needless to say my mind could not stay focused on what I had to do not even for a minute. Had a few liters of coffee, smoked a full pack of Marlboros while strolling around the corridors at the office chatting about the gig at the end of the day.
7-8 hours later (that seemed like years), locked the PC, grabbed my few things and went directly to the concert. Well almost directly since I had to meet with a friend that came from Thessaloniki to see them one more time. George was on time. The girls we've been waiting for were not.

George is probably one of the biggest MOTÖRHEAD fans in Greece and he's not even 23. That's the 11th or 12th time I will see them, I am not sure. Lost the count you see. I saw them twice at Hammersmith man. He was not very happy from the Thessaloniki gig though. Well the band was great. It was the place. Awful sound. The organizers fucked up big time by choosing that venue, you couldn't hear a shit in there... At least we both knew that Lycabettus theatre has a good acoustic as a place.
Girls started coming one by one... took them half an hour for all three to gather. Women don't feel sometimes the agony of a man waiting to see one of their favourite bands, especially if they are very young. They think that it's like going on bar or something, they don't get the ritual of the whole thing.

Gig was starting at 9.30 but we reached the top of Lycabettus hill a bit before 7. Yet one more time I left my bloody lungs on the way while I coughed about 2-3 packs of Marlboros. But what the hell, it was MOTÖRHEAD's night. At least we had the chance to get in as soon as the doors opened. We got our space in the front line and the long waiting begun. Dimitris K. got his pass from me right before I went in. If we was a few more minutes late I don't know if I would go out to give it to him.
Day gave way to dusk and the hour was closing by... people started shouting MOTÖRHEAD at least half an hour before the gig was set to start. Energy was building up, adrenaline was already hitting red just because we saw the roadies doing their last check on the Marshal Amp walls.

The wonderful thing about this band is that their fans cover about 3-4 generations of rockers and metalheads. You could see them all around you. Kids that didn't even shave, with pimples on their face, young ones around 20-25 with t-shirts from the newest metal bands, leftover metalheads from the 80s and the 90s, bikers with Lemmy beards and large beer bellies, grown ups that used to have long hair, people with their kids, everyone was there.

Finally the lights went off and slowly, like walking in a bar, the band came on stage. Mikkey climbed on his set, Phil grabbed his guitar and went to the left and Lemmy came last, with a cigarette in his mouth and his Rickenbacker hanging from his neck and grabbed the mic.

Hello Athens. Nice seeing you again. We are MOTÖRHEAD and we play Rock n' Roll...
He spitted the butt and Snaggletooth kicked in...

(Dimitris K. reporting... Caught in the Mosh Pit)
MOTÖRHEAD with Lemmy Kilmister on the bass guitar and the trademark vocals recorded on the band's debut On Parole 31 years ago. From the very first moments it became obvious that this band would be best to be on stage instead of the studio. Of course Lemmy and co have produced in the studio, and hopefully will continue, some classic songs creating an original sound that many bands tried to follow. But really it is a unique experience to watch Lemmy, Phil and Mikkey performing old and new MOTÖRHEAD songs.

Lycabettus theater is almost the perfect place to watch a concert; first of all it is in the heart of Athens and is accessible by all of the means of public transport, secondly and probably the most important is the very good acoustics. The only and minor problems are the dust cloud that covers the arena as soon as the mosh pit gets active and the long walk to reach the venue.
The noisy trio took over the theatre stage on time performing the fast tempo track Snaggletooth and was welcomed by the Greek audience with great enthusiasm. Actually, this was the first MOTÖRHEAD gig where there were young metalheads among the classic old timers that probably have watched the band more than 4 times in Greece. So, the old and the young MOTÖRHEAD fans mixed together creating a hot and dusty atmosphere for the loudest and noisiest band of the world. Phil was in a top mood traveling up and on the stage while Lemmy, who might have lost some weight, was talkative and Mikkey was the classic relentless drummer we all love. After Be My Baby and Killers the temperature rose up as soon as Lemmy preambled Metropolis with the classic title change into Acropolis.

As a special treat the band performed a cover version of THIN LIZZY's Rosalie where Lemmy said some things about the legendary Irish bass player Phil Lynott (R.I.P. 1986). Sacrifice comprised the first break with Mikkey's drum solo while Going To Brazil raised some more dust over the arena. After the classics Killed By Death and Iron Fist it was time for the encore; the band surprised everyone performing Whorehouse Blues with Mikkey on the classic guitar and some percussion Phill on the lead classic guitar, of course, and Lemmy with a harmonica. Personally, I consider this as the highlight of the concert. The end of the gig was the classic one with Ace Of Spades and Overkill. Just before them, Lemmy said: We are MOTÖRHEAD and don't forget us. We definitely won't Mr. Lemmy and we are already waiting for the next MOTÖRHEAD concert in Greece.

Overall, this was a classic MOTÖRHEAD concert that learned the young and reminded the old how Rock n' Roll is supposed to be played. The set list could bit a little better but what the f**k with all these albums under their belt there always will be complaints. Until the next time if you like to gamble I tell you I am your man...

The complete set list is:

Snaggletooth
Stay Clean
Be My Baby
Killers
(Acro)polis
Over The Top
One Night Stand
I Got Mine
In The Name Of Tragedy
Sword Of Glory
Rosalie
Sacrifice
Just 'Cos You Got The Power
Going To Brazil
Killed By Death
Iron Fist
Whorehouse Blues
Ace Of Spades
Overkill