Once in a while there comes a concert line up that piques the interest even more so than is normal. When the acts in question are some of the most well known names in rock from the last 25 years, then three squeezed onto one bill definitely counts as something special.
AltNation’s roving reporter skulks into the dimly lit SECC as
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are storming through their set. Arguably the weakest on the bill if only in terms of sheer back catalogue, they nonetheless deliver an energetic and enjoyable performance that sets the audience up nicely for a long night of classic rock and metal goodness.
Up next are UK stalwarts
Motorhead, fronted by the iconic figure of Lemmy. Motorhead have always been a no-nonsense kind of band, in their element when you need fast loud and aggressive heavy metal. This brand of ear bursting sonic assault has always served them well and makes them in some ways the perfect warm up act for this kind of occasion, where the audience needs to be pulled into the moment a little. Sadly, despite such a hard rocking pedigree, Motorhead fall a bit short in the Glasgow’s barn-like SECC arena and what is usually a tight and direct musical onslaught sounds more like five thousand wasps in the back of a blazing petrol tanker. Thankfully someone at the mixing desk salvages the situation in time for the band to redeem proceedings with blistering versions of
Killed By Death and
Overkill which have the hall bouncing along. The obligatory
Ace Of Spades papers over the previous cracks and Motorhead pull off another heavy metal swindle of sorts.
During the changeover break there’s a noticeable buzz about the place as
Alice Cooper prepares to take the stage. What is even more interesting to note is the broad spread of age ranges jostling for position in front of the barrier. Any doubters of this phenomenon are enlightened as the man himself sweeps onto the stage and launches straight into the classic
No More Mr Nice Guy, a statement of intent if ever there was one. It’s hard to deny that Cooper has a superb collection of hits spanning almost 40 years, but what is evident is the way he effortlessly combines heavy rock and theatre to provide a visual feast for the audience that is involving and satisfying. During the course of the show we see Cooper face the hangman’s noose, charge around the stage pushing a pram before perilously shaking the infant within and indulging in a spot of wife-beating. This is all stuff that would be tasteless in another context but works seamlessly with the rock and roll backdrop in this setting. The original “shock rocker” just keeps on mesmerising.
Not that Cooper is by any means a one trick showman who relies on visual set pieces to keep the show going. Every song is a classic from
I’m Eighteen to
Under My Wheels,
Elected and
School’s Out. I’m also delighted to note that the crowd of 11 year old kids standing to my right are belting out every word and cheering gleefully as Cooper prances about the stage like a menacing beast of the underworld. In an age where the latest stars of stage try hard to outdo one another in terms of the grotesque and shocking, it brings a smile to my face that the Daddy of them all can still delight and excite a fresh new generation.
The lights come up with the crowd cheering for more, the universal sign of a good night. Bar a few moments where the venue sound let the night down this was a smashing example of how old dogs can still turn in good tricks from time to time. A musical lesson to those who fancy themselves as entertainers … I go home with a huge grin on my face and wander off into the cold Glasgow night, warmed by the fact that I’ll be doing Alice Cooper impersonations in front of the mirror for weeks to come.
www.joanjett.com www.imotorhead.com/ www.alicecooper.com
