September 25 At The House Of Blues

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On their way to the play the cruises that go out of Miami, many bands make a stop in Orlando to play a show. This was the case Friday night, as MOTORHEAD, ANTHRAX and CROBOT were heading down to the Motorboat Cruise. Fans were shoehorned into a sold out, filled-to-the-walls House of Blues in Downtown Disney.

The opening band of the evening was Pennsylvania-based CROBOT. They played an explosive 30-minute set of songs from their debut album Something Supernatural. The crowd reacted very positively to their retro-sounding rock ‘n’ roll groove. Favorites in their set included “Legend Of The Spaceborne Killer”, “Skull Of Geronimo” and “Fly On The Wall”. The amount of energy coming out of this band is impressive; let me just say these guys bring it live! I’m a fan of the debut album, and now I’m a fan of their live performances.

Next up was ANTHRAX, a band that I last saw play at this venue in 2013. At that particular show, guitarist Scott Ian had to sit out with an intestinal bug. (Jonathan Donais played all guitar that night). Addressing the audience, Scott acknowledged his absence at that show and even apologized for it, saying he hoped he was making up for it tonight before dedicating their cover of BLACK SABBATH’s “Neon Knights” to MOTORHEAD. This is probably the best version of this song I’ve ever heard. Believe me, he (and the rest of the band) most certainly did make up for it. This 45-minute set of perfectly selected songs was the most blazing, kick-ass performance I have ever seen ANTHRAX perform. They were firing on all cylinders, and the sold out audience went into absolute bedlam- moshing, headbanging and singing along with every song. The setlist included “Madhouse”, “Caught In A Mosh”, “Got The Time”, “Antisocial”, “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t”, “N.F.L.”, “In The End” and “Indians”. ANTHRAX have always been the best of the ‘Big 4’ bands, and they completely stole the show tonight. This is one of the best live performances I have seen in years. Inspiring!

MOTORHEAD finished the night with an hour-long set of some of their best songs, including “Bomber”, “Metropolis”, “Stay Clean”, “Over The Top”, The Chase Is Better Than The Catch”, “Rock It”, “Lost Woman Blues”, “Doctor Rock”, “Just ‘Cos You Got The Power”, “No Class”, “Ace Of Spades” and “Overkill”. While Lemmy’s voice was not at full power, his playing was full of energy, and he was ornery as ever. Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell played their asses off, including some amazing solos that showcase how great they really are. They make playing these songs look so easy.

This was definitely a great show at a cool venue. A night of true heavy metal, one that I’m glad I didn’t miss!