Review & photo by Andrew Bansal
March 11th 2015, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: Motor Sister, a salute to Los Angeles cult heroes Mother Superior, comprises Scott Ian on rhythm guitar, Joey Vera on bass, John Tempesta on drums, Pearl Aday on backing vocals, and Mother Superior’s Jim Wilson fronting the band himself on lead guitar and lead vocals. The group recently came together for a one-off gig at Scott Ian’s fiftieth birthday party, but decided to record a studio album full of Mother Superior covers and play shows in public. Their ‘Ride’ album came out on March 10th via Metal Blade Records, and they set out to celebrate its release with two California shows, March 11th at the Whisky in West Hollywood and the following night at Slim’s in San Francisco. Their hometown debut gig was a much anticipated event for longtime LA metalheads, and attracted a fairly good turnout at the Whisky.
Besides the headline act, the lineup for the show also included three local openers, and The Gitas were certainly the most and only noteworthy of the lot. They began with an excellent old-school rock ‘n roll jam, then delved into a more modern-sounding, grungy style, but revisited the classic hard rock elements later in the set, which were far more up my alley. The instrumental passages in these old-school tunes were compelling, as all members of the band played their instruments with much passion and energy. The drummer’s outfit was the most eye-catching aspect of the band, but considering their name and lyrical themes, they would do great with a stronger visual element in their live show. A largely likeable performance, and a good fit for this show without a doubt.
At 10:30, the five members of Motor Sister took their positions on stage, and for the next hour or so, indulged in a performance decorated by nothing other than no-nonsense rock ‘n roll. Not only bringing several decades of experience through each member’s numerous bands and projects past and ongoing, Motor Sister boasts of an unexplainable sense of chemistry within the group, which can only be felt upon watching them perform on stage. For these musicians the creation of this band was aimed at having fun, and while they were definitely doing so during this set, their effort and performance level was on par with that of any gig they would play for their main bands.
Jim Wilson strongly led the way with brilliant vocal delivery and masterful lead guitar play, Pearl Aday laid down some impressive backing vocals, while Scott Ian and Joey Vera went about doing what they do best. Interestingly, it was drummer John Tempesta’s first ever gig at the Whisky, and he dictated the rhythm and groove of these Mother Superior songs to perfection. Those in the crowd already familiar with and fans of Mother Superior could not have imagined a better manner of resurrecting that band’s material, and for those unfamiliar, this set was an educational masterclass in rock ‘n roll. Motor Sister quite simply played all the songs that feature on the ‘Ride’ album, with no fake exits or encores involved, thanked the crowd and swiftly left the stage.
Motor Sister is not going to be a prolific band and will not be playing a huge number of shows or recording new albums at regular intervals due to their members’ other commitments, but with performances such as this, each show of theirs will be an event and an occasion in the truest sense of the term.
Related – Interview: Joey Vera Talks About New Band Motor Sister
Set List:
01. A-Hole
02. Beg Borrow Steal
03. Get That Girl
04. This Song Reminds Me Of You
05. Fool Around
06. Head Hanging Low
07. Fork In The Road
08. Little Motor Sister
09. Pretty In The Morning
10. Doghouse
11. Whore
12. Devil Wind
13. Rolling Boy Blues