Ace of Spades Tribute to Motorhead at The Fleece - Bristol Live Music Review
Posted on: 2018-01-17
Our rating:
Ace of Spades perform spot-on tribute show, with respectful nod to the late Fast Eddie Clarke.
It was only fitting that Ace of Spades - the phenomenal Motorhead tribute band who played at The Fleece last Saturday, 13th January 2018 - should pay its own pre-gig, respectful tribute to Fast Eddie Clarke, guitarist supremo and last-surviving original member of the band who had passed away just a few days earlier. But their reverential prologue didn't dampen proceedings for too long. In fact, if anything, it galvanized the crowd to party harder and enjoy the hour-and-a-half set even more in honour of their icons as the band plundered Motorhead's classic back-catalogue with a mesmerizing slew of spot-on covers.
Bristol-based quartet Lord of Worms took to the stage to kickstart the evening with an interesting mix of songs, their progressive grunge stylings adroitly fusing, by turns, thundering drums, wailing guitars and venue-pounding bass, all layered by Zoie Green's frequently ethereal, haunting vocals. Having released a 4-track EP last year, this is definitely a local music-making foursome to keep a close eye on.
And then we were onto Ace of Spades, headliners par excellence and the real reason the Fleece's multitudes had amassed. (Many a Motorhead fan had popped into The 7 Stars pub next door for a pre-gig livener, proudly sporting shirts adorning images of their singer-songwriter, hard-living, heavy-drinking, bassist hero, Lemmy Kilmister.)
It's easy to see how the band was revered and endorsed by the big man himself to play Motorhead's songs, with bassist Alan 'Boomer' Davis (who also played on the Orgasmatron album), drummer Magpie and guitarist Neil Archer making up a terrific triptych of consummate professionals who clearly understood and palpably loved the material they were belting out. Performed with the passion, intensity and undeniable epoch-making magic of the originals, Ace of Spades had the crowd in the palm of their hand for the entire set.
Whether it was Damage Case, Dead Men Tell No Tales, Hellraiser or Fast and Loose, they worked the braying, anarchic crowd into an animated, high-spirited frenzy with first-rate renditions which showcased their mastery of their instruments and songs. Energy levels were pumped to the absolute max, so by the time they thrashed out Ace of Spades in all its gutsy, snarling, raging, heart-thumping glory, I swear a few folk in the crowd were on the verge of self-imposed coronaries.
Fiery, fantastic and faultless, Ace of Spades are the absolute masters of Motorhead covers, recreating songs practically indistinguishable from the originals, having a total blast on stage, and giving gig-goers an experience that would have had Lemmy himself raise an appreciative, celebratory glass of his favourite JD and Coke.
Article by:
Jamie is a writer, blogger, journalist, critic, film fan, soundtrack nerd and all-round Bristolian good egg. He loves the music of Philip Glass, the art of Salvador Dali, the writings of Charles Bukowksi and Hunter S Thompson, the irreverence of Harry Hill, and the timeless, straw-chomping exuberance of The Wurzels. You can sometimes find him railing against a surging tide of passing cyclists, or gorging himself senseless on the Oriental delights of a Cosmos all-you-can-eat buffet.
