GIGANTOUR 2012: Megadeth, Motorhead, Lacuna Coil and Volbeat, Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre, Monday, Feb. 20.
"PACK your bags and find your designated driver, because kids, we're going to see Motorhead!"
That was essentially the whirlwind of excitement that swept me out of my apartment and to the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre in the dreary rain last week.
GIGANTOUR is a four-course meal of metal that was re-launched this year for the first time since 2008. Starting with a taste of Lacuna Coil, on to Volbeat, Motorhead and ending with a sweet set from Megadeth, the acclaimed festival delivered a well-rounded show with some definite highlights.
The 6: 30 p.m. start time was an unfortunate shock to the attendance for Lacuna Coil and Volbeat, as most Vancouver fans were still stuck in traffic somewhere on the Port Mann Bridge having just left work, myself included. Forced to miss the appetizers for the evening, my metal-clad posse and myself grabbed some drive-through and trekked onward, making it to the stadium just in time to have a drink (or four) and experience the magic that is Motorhead. I'd spent the better half of the day watching documentaries on the English rock'n'rollers. By the time I got to the show, I'd realize that Lemmy is, in fact, God. Or the Godfather of metal at the very least.
Overlooking stage right as Lemmy Kilmister, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell emerged on to the stage, with an ominous black banner reading, "The World is Yours," hung just beneath Dee's kick pedal. The name refers to the 2011 album and is an ode to the late Ronnie James Dio, former frontman of metal contemporaries Black Sabbath. Motorhead, the "loudest band in the world," as confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records, began the night with their 1979 track, "Bomber," making it quite clear they intended to steal the show. Lemmy, adorned in all black and rocking his custom leather boots, purred out and up to the microphone, placed at nose level, as he plucked his signature Rickenbacker bass backed by Marshall stacks. This combination produces his signature sound and gave him idol status with successors like Dave Grohl and Megadeth's Dave Mustaine.
Drummer Mikkey Dee's fresh platinum locks shone beneath the lights as the stage trembled beneath him. Guitarist Campbell, who is less for theatrics, balanced the trio out throughout the set with a steady cool. The boys, or rather, men, gave us a killer show playing staples like, "Killed by Death," and "Ace of Spades," conducting the audience into a metal-tinged hymn. Finishing the night with "Overkill," the performance was anything but that - it was clear the audience could have blasted through another two hours.
Lemmy, whose rasp and accent combined make stage banter almost inaudible, was able to articulate just clearly enough in the end, "Don't forget us, we are Motorhead, and we play rock'n'roll!" Not a chance.
Headlining the night was Megadeth, one of the quintessential thrash-metal bands, known for their intricate guitar mastery and trade-off solos. Motorhead set the bar high and Megadeth had a hard task at hand. As they opened up with their 1997 song "Trust," the attention of much of the crowd sagged with an equal parts lackluster performance and too-drunk-to-pay-attention because-I've-had-ten-beers demeanour.
For anyone who missed Lacuna Coil, frontwoman Andrea Ferro joined Mustaine in a duet for "A Tout le Monde." I overheard someone nearby in the crowd go as far as to say, "This is like all the worst parts of the last three decades pulled into one." Not the most gleaming review. I love cheese, don't get me wrong, but the level of tackiness was almost unbearable at times, like a bunch of kids screaming, "Look at me! Look what I can do!" The were few redeeming moments, though "Five Magics," was a clear highlight for Megadeth followers.
Mustaine, whose luscious locks and bell bottoms gave him the air of a mystical Gothic prince, is almost too easy to hate, most justifiably for his known endorsement of right-wing conservative, Rick Santorum. Perhaps Mustaine is simply trying to assert that heavy metal is not evil after all, although backing a man known for homosexual intolerance seems like a strange route for the cause. So how does one tie in politics to a rock review? The night did, after all, end with "Peace Sells . . . But Whose Buying?" Leave peace and Christian philanthropy for Bono, Mustaine, and maybe let Motorhead headline next time.
