Motörboat 2015: An Unforgettable Rock ‘N Roll Vacation

By Andrew Bansal

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Over the past four decades, Motörhead have prolifically and consistently orchestrated a march towards achieving global rock royalty status, through legendary tunes that still dominate households and airwaves, and blissful eardrum-shattering live performances. But besides the musicianship on and off stage which has inspired and influenced countless musicians across several generations and captivated music lovers for all eternity, they’ve also carried a reputation for their iconic personalities, artwork, and the never-say-die rock ‘n roll attitude. Wherever they went, they kept receiving lifetime achievement awards, city council honors and such, but truly took themselves to the next level by launching their very own concert cruise in 2014, aptly titled ‘Motörhead’s Motörboat’, and justifiably branded ‘the loudest boat in the world’. After a successful inaugural edition, the cruise set sail once again from the port of Miami, Florida on September 28th 2015, for a four-day journey through the Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau, Bahamas. It featured an undeniably stellar and diverse lineup of popular as well as upcoming hard rock/heavy metal bands. Fans and bands alike had signed up in the expectation of an experience worth remembering for life. It turned out to be that and so much more, and traveling with rising Los Angeles rock ‘n roll quartet Others, yours truly was granted an opportunity to let you experience it vicariously through the following images and words.

Day 1 (09/28): Norwegian Cruise Line’s ‘Sky’, the ship chosen for the trip, started boarding as early as 11 AM, and with the process being handled smoothly and efficiently by the Miami port and NCL staff, everyone was comfortably on-board well before the 5 PM sail-off. For first-timers like myself who’d never been on a cruise ship before, this was a far easier and peaceful process in comparison to the ordeal of airports.

Before all the live music began, there was plenty of time to get familiarized with the layout of the ship, locate the four stages and other key areas. On the top was the outdoor deck stage on deck #11, where people could watch the show from the standing area, the chairs on the sides, the pools and the hot tubs, or from deck #12 which made for a balcony view. On deck #11 there was also a bar and buffet in the back, so this deck was densely populated and full of activity for the entirety of the cruise. For its sheer atmosphere, the deck stage was by far my favorite and every band should have been put on it at least once. Then there was the indoor Stardust stage in the theatre venue on deck #6 with a balcony on deck #7, where the headline acts performed. The two smaller indoor stages were Dazzles on deck #6, and the Outrigger lounge on deck #11. In addition to the stages set for live music, there were various other forms of entertainment and activities on the ship, including a merch booth, casino, tattoo parlor, photo booth, basketball courts, ping pong tables, golf driving nets, spa, fitness center, shops, and of course, a multitude of bars and dining rooms. Food, non-carbonated soft drinks and soft serve ice cream were complimentary, the alcohol was not, and paid WiFi internet packages were available but I found it best to stay disconnected from the rest of the world and experience the cruise in full. With everyone aboard, all was in readiness.

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Just exactly when the first band of the cruise Exodus started their set promptly at 5:15, the ship departed the port of Miami, and nearly all passengers were on deck #11 to witness the onset of the madness. One could not have imagined a better way to start proceedings for Motörboat 2015. People were packed in all sections of decks #11 and #12, and the sight of Exodus playing on the deck stage with the backdrop of the ocean and the Miami skyline still visible in the distance, was breathtaking. It was still bright out and the lighting rig hadn’t been called into action yet, but on first impression, the sound quality on this deck was commendably good. As indicated by the most recent Exodus reviews on here, it is no secret to regular readers of this site that I disagreed with the band’s decision to part ways with Rob Dukes and revert to their Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza fronted incarnation in 2014, but in all honesty I have to salute them for a tremendous performance to inaugurate this cruise, and specially to Zetro for putting in an effort so splendid that it may have compelled me to get closure from the Rob Dukes version of Exodus and finally accept them with Zetro. There were other so-called thrash bands on this cruise, but no one was more old-school thrash than Exodus. The crowd was still getting in the mood and settling in, so the mosh pits were limited to ‘The Toxic Waltz’, but the response Exodus received was unanimously positive. On a side note, guitarist Lee Altus deserves a mention for the best stage outfit with his Iron Maiden soccer jersey. At the end of this first evening, I ended up sharing an elevator ride with Zetro when I was heading to my room to call it a night, and I couldn’t help but tell him, “Hey man, awesome set.”

Exodus
Exodus

Exodus Set List (Show #1):
01. Bonded By Blood
02. And Then There Were None
03. Iconoclasm
04. Salt The Wound
05. Children Of A Worthless God
06. Blacklist
07. Metal Command
08. Piranha
09. War Is My Shepherd
10. The Toxic Waltz
11. Strike Of The Beast

Exodus photos:

It was then time to move down to deck #6 for Corrosion Of Conformity at the Stardust. It was my first time seeing them as a four-piece fronted by Pepper Keenan, and witnessing them returning to the stoner/sludge sound, having the time of their lives jamming out like there was no tomorrow, it was a privilege for any and every fan of real deal heavy music. With this incredibly smooth yet sonically monstrous set which utilized the Stardust’s sound system arguably better than any other band that took this stage, C.O.C. staked an early claim for the best band of the cruise. It was a surprise and relief that their heaviness did not sink this ship. While the ship was in motion, we could feel it a lot more on deck #6 than on #11. Drummer Reed Mullin told me later that he felt the stage moving at one point, forgot that he was on a ship, and simply thought that he was dosed. C.O.C have always influenced younger generations of musicians, at the same time earning respect and praise from their peers and seniors, and this trait of the band was none more evident than on this boat, as whenever I looked around, I spotted members of bands like Crobot, The Shrine, Huntress, Kyng, Fireball Ministry, Exodus and Anthrax enjoying C.O.C. just as much as anyone. C.O.C. certainly drew the largest number of members from fellow Motörboat bands, and deservingly so, as their on-stage exploits were nothing short of inspiring.

Corrosion Of Conformity
Corrosion Of Conformity

Corrosion Of Conformity Set List (Show #1):
01. These Shrouded Temples…
02. Broken Man
03. King Of The Rotten
04. Wiseblood
05. Heaven’s Not Overflowing
06. Seven Days
07. Paranoid Opioid
08. 13 Angels
09. Albatross
10. Goodbye Windows
11. My Grain
12. Stonebreaker
13. Vote With A Bullet
14. Clean My Wounds

Corrosion Of Conformity photos:

As C.O.C.’s set was about to end, Others were ready to begin theirs on the Outrigger stage on deck #11 at around 7:45. The cruise caption held his private party in this lounge before the Others set, and not only stayed to watch the band but also confessed to be a metalhead, which was a pleasant surprise. The stage presented spatial challenges and the sound and lighting system was very basic, but aside from momentary microphone cutouts, the dudes handled themselves well, got a decent crowd despite bigger bands playing elsewhere at the same time, and won some new fans. Others minus the singer stayed on stage to serve as the backing band for the talented voice of Gabbie Rae, playing some standard heavy metal covers with Scott Warren on keyboards.

Hatebreed
Hatebreed

Meanwhile back on the Stardust, Hatebreed were in the midst of their set by the time I made my way down, and were absolutely annihilating the stage in a  manner only they can. Frontman Jamey Jasta’s energy is infectious and spreads faster than cannabis smoke, and his band mates are underrated, competent players in their own right. Regardless of whether or not you were a Hatebreed fan, you enjoyed Hatebreed if you were on this cruise. The Stardust was bouncing, as the crowd did everything Jasta prompted them to. This boat definitely needed a band like Hatebreed on it and their wholehearted participation was vey much appreciated by one and all.

Phil Campbell's All Starr Band
Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band

But the biggest surprise of the evening was Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band out on the deck stage, as Phil and his three sons Dane, Todd and Tyla along with singer Neil Starr played a lengthy set comprising obscure Motörhead tunes and other classic covers which altogether made for a very fun rocking time by the pool. Starr’s vocal delivery was fantastic, the band’s energy and stage presense was examplary, and Phil looked like he was letting loose and expressing himself in this low-key environment. This band started doing shows in 2014, and judging by their sets here, they would be more than welcomed with open arms by rock ‘n roll fans worldwide, should they choose to do more shows on a regular basis. I personally found Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band to be far more than enjoyable than Motörhead themselves.

Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band photos:

Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band Set List (Show #1):
01. Children Of The Grave (Black Sabbath cover)
02. Cat Scratch Fever (Ted Nugent cover)
03. Nutbush City Limits (Tina Turner cover)
04. Born To Raise Hell (Motörhead cover)
05. Dog-Face Boy (Motörhead cover)
06. Over Your Shoulder (Motörhead cover)
07. Heroes (David Bowie cover)
08. Sweet Leaf (Black Sabbath cover)
09. Deaf Forever (Motörhead cover)
10. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Rolling Stones cover)
11. Rosalie (Bob Seger cover)
12. Moby Dick / Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin cover)

Slayer
Slayer

Following that, it was time for the headline act of day 1, Slayer. They played on the Stardust stage and did a set that included three tunes from their latest album ‘Repentless’, plus selections from other recent releases and some older classics. It was nothing beyond a typical Slayer set and honestly did not induce extraordinary levels of excitement in me, even though they sounded great and performed all the songs to perfection. Besides, seeing them in this part of the ship made it seem no different from doing so at a theatre like the Wiltern or a ballroom such as the Palladium in Los Angeles. But, Slayer being Slayer, metalheads were losing their minds for large portions of the set and engaging in mosh pits throughout. Tom Araya was in good spirits, talking to the crowd frequently, and as has been the case for the past four years, Gary Holt once again turned out to be the lifesblood of this Slayer performance, visually and sonically. The songs off of ‘Repentless’ sounded great, specially the title track. Solid set.

Slayer photos:

Slayer Set List (Show #1):
01. Repentless
02. Postmortem
03. Hate Worldwide
04. Jihad
05. Disciple
06. War Ensemble
07. When The Stillness Comes
08. Implode
09. Mandatory Suicide
10. Chemical Warfare
11. Dead Skin Mask
12. Hell Awaits
13. South Of Heaven
14. Raining Blood
15. Angel Of Death

Huntress
Huntress

Out on the deck stage, Huntress had the tough task of competing against Slayer, as their set started 30 minutes after Slayer’s. But they still succeeded in drawing a sizable crowd, and performed as well as I’ve ever seen them. Their classic heavy metal tunes were a good way to bring an end to the live music entertainment for day 1.

Huntress photos:

There was also a live band karaoke on the Dazzles stage at the end of every night, but it wouldn’t even start until 1 AM, and each time I was too exhausted to be able to take any interest in it. I did notice the bass player in the ‘house’ band, and could not comprehend why he was wearing ‘bass playing gloves’ as I’d never seen anything like that ever before.

By the end of day 1, I was already tired of hearing constant yells of ‘fuckin Slayer!’ everywhere I went, came to the conclusion that there is no such thing as too much soft serve icecream, and even though it had already been a good time, I knew this was only the beginning. I was sharing an interior cabin on deck #9 with Others bassist Jessie Sanchez, and got a great night’s sleep as I did not feel the movement of the ship whatsoever in my cabin.

IMG_0493Day 2 (09/29): The cruise made its first stop, on the Great Stirrup Cay island which is actually owned by NCL. The ship rested a short distance away from the shore, so starting in the morning, ferries were carrying passengers back and forth betwen the ship and the island. We were there for the entire day, as many took to the beach and jumped into the water which was at a perfect temperature but extremely salty. Some bands met the fans in ‘beach and greets’, and lunch was served by NCL. The Dead Deads and Dark Before Dawn performed on the beach bandstand, but the main event here was the ‘Beach Wars’ series of games, with four teams recruited from among Motörboaters and led very energetically by the members of Crobot competing against each other. Hilarity ensued, and people were having a great time.

Great Stirrup Cay / Beach Wars photos:

Back on the boat, Corrosion Of Conformity were the sail-off band that started the live music for day 2 at 4:45 PM, braving the sun directly facing them and delivering a righteously heavy set on the deck stage. They appropriately changed the set around from what they had played at Stardust the day before, opening with ‘Señor Lempo’, and adding ‘Who’s Got The Fire’ which was one of the highlights of the set as the crowd sang along the chorus lines loud. C.O.C. succeeded in bringing the same level of mastery to two vastly different stages, and will undoubtedly be remembered as the best-sounding band on this entire cruise. All four members Pepper Keean on guitar and vocals, Mike Dean on bass, Reed Mullin on drums and Woody Weatherman on guitar carried out their task professionally but were more than easily accessible to talk, take photos and sign autographs off-stage and were seen all over the ship throughout the four days. I ended up doing an interview with Reed Mullin which will be posted soon. C.O.C. absolutely ruled this cruise.

Corrosion Of Conformity
Corrosion Of Conformity

Corrosion Of Conformity Set List (Show #2):
01. Señor Limpio
02. King Of The Rotten
03. Long Whip / Big America
04. Wiseblood
05. Seven Days
06. Paranoid Opioid
07. Albatross / Sabbath
08. My Grain
09. Stonebreaker
10. Vote With A Bullet
11. Who’s Got The Fire
12. Clean My Wounds

Corrosion Of Conformity photos:

After the end of C.O.C.’s set, the deck stage was readied for a live Slayer Q&A, as Kerry King and Paul Bostaph came out to sit on stage and answer questions from the audience. Unlike all other bands, Slayer did not do any meet ‘n greets and this Q&A was their only interactive public appearance on the cruise. It is perhaps fair to say that it could have been avoided altogether and they should have just stayed in their cabins, because it was as painful to witness as it must have been for Kerry King and Bostaph to endure, as King was probably hating life when a fan yelled ‘fucking Slayer!’ loudly into the off-stage microphone before proceeding on to ask his question. Plus, the session was also rendered pointless by the fact that only half the band showed up for it. This Q&A could not end soon enough, and there were no demands for an encore.

Slayer Q&A
Slayer Q&A

It was time to get a first taste of the Dazzles stage in the cabaret room on deck #6, and proudly representing Venice Beach, The Shrine played a supreme set and presented some brand new jams along with older rippers such as ‘Tripping Corpse’ and ‘Worship’, and a cover of the Wicked Lady song which they’ve made their own, ‘Run The Night’. The Shrine found themselves in challenging time slots, doing this set at 7:30 with Suicidal Tendencies scheduled to go on at 8 and a lot of people choosing to line up for them instead of watching The Shrine. This is a band that should have had larger audiences for their sets, but completely floored the first-timers that did choose to give them the time of day, and vindicated the support of their legion of longtime fans with neck-breaking yet soul-southing jams. They closed with an extended and seemingly endless version of ‘Nothing Forever’, as guitarist/vocalist Josh Landau kept playing different solos over repeats of the main riff, and even with Suicidal Tendencies’ set well under way on the main stage nearby, the power of The Shrine compelled me to stay till the end of their set.

The Shrine
The Shrine

The Shrine Set List (Show #1):
01. Tripping Corpse
02. Worship
03. The Vulture
04. Run The Night (Wicked Lady cover)
05. What’s Left Of Me
06. Seven Stars And Nomads
07. Nothing Forever

The Shrine photos:

Meanwhile on the Stardust stage, Suicidal Tendencies were doing what they do best, frontman Mike Muir provoking the audience into a wild frenzy, and even though I could not stay for more than a couple of songs because Exodus started at the same exact time on the deck stage and I wanted to catch at least some of their set, a lot of people that saw the entire S.T. set reportedly rated it as one of the craziest performances of the cruise. As it turned out, I did end up watching the full S.T. set on the last day and was blown away, but more on that later.

Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies

Suicidal Tendencies photos:

By the time I got up on deck #11 for Exodus, they were half-way through their set and it looked like it had rained a few minutes ago, as the stage was completely wet. But rain or shine, Exodus brought their A-game on this cruise, switching up the set list quite a bit from day 1 and adding ‘Pleasures Of The Flesh’ and ‘Fabulous Disaster’ while closing with ‘Bonded’ instead of opening. Even though they didn’t get as big of a crowd this time due to clashes with other bands, the atmosphere was electric and the mosh pits were far more active. Just like C.O.C., Exodus were done with their performance duties for this cruise but enjoyed hanging out for the rest of the journey and gladly mingled with fans.

Exodus
Exodus

Exodus Set List (Show #2):
01. Black 13
02. Blood In, Blood Out
03. Pleasures Of The Flesh
04. Fabulous Disaster
05. Children Of A Worthless God
06. A Lesson In Violence
07. Salt The Wound
08. Blacklist
09. The Toxic Waltz
10. Bonded By Blood

Exodus photos:

Los Angeles-based hard rock/heavy metal trio Kyng were next on the Dazzles stage, and brought the house down with an immensely enjoyable set   majorly comprising heavy stoner rock tunes but also infusing a punk thrash element with a couple of songs towards the end, and as always, a flawless rendition of Van Halen’s ‘Hot For Teacher’ with bassist Tony Castaneda brilliantly pullng off the DLR vocals. They must be bored playing this song by now but didn’t let that be reflected in their body language. I for one would not complain if they dropped it from the set forever because they’ve got something relevant and noteworthy going on in their original compositions.  The musicianship and stage presence is beyond excellent, and the vocal harmonies between Castaneda and guitarist/vocalist Eddie Veliz leave a longlasting impact on audiences. Kyng has all it takes to become the biggest band in the world sooner than later.

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Kyng

Kyng Set List (Show #1 & #2):
01. Burn The Serum
02. Pushing & Pulling
03. Sunday Smile
04. Trails In Veins
05. I Don’t Believe
06. Electric Halo
07. In The Land Of Pigs
08. Used As A Fool
09. Hot For Teacher (Van Halen cover)
10. Falling Down
11. Shoreline

Phil Campbell's All Starr Band
Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band

On the deck stage, Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band played yet another highly entertaining set with a few changes from day 1, although this time I could not watch the whole thing because of bands scheduled to start soon on the other stages.

On Dazzles, Crobot started at the same time as Slayer did on Stardust, but played such a captivating set that they kept me drawn to the Dazzles stage and made me miss almost all of Slayer, for which I have no regrets whatsoever because Crobot’s smooth heavy rock tunes and boundless energy was a perfect fit for this small stage. Songs like ‘Le Mano De Lucifer’ and ‘Legend Of The Spaceborne Killer’ had the crowd losing their minds, and the entirety of the set was a treat to witness.

Crobot
Crobot

This performance was deemed all the more commendable given the fact that they expended huge amounts of energy for ‘Beach Wars’ earlier in the day. They played a 45-minute set and garnered a fantastic response from the crowd. To compete against Slayer is an unenviable position to be in, but Crobot emerged unarguably triumphant, and by the end of this cruise they were everyone’s favorite new band.

Crobot photos:

I walked into the Stardust as Slayer were in the midst of ‘Raining Blood’ and I was able to catch the last four songs of their set. They did change the set list appreciably from day 1, opening with ‘World Painted Blood’ and playing ‘Black Magic’ after ‘Raining Blood’. A very Slayer-like set from Slayer, nothing more, nothing less.

Slayer
Slayer

Slayer Set List (Show #2):
01. World Painted Blood
02. Postmortem
03. Hate Worldwide
04. Mandatory Suicide
05. Repentless
06. War Ensemble
07. When The Stillness Comes
08. Implode
09. Seasons In The Abyss
10. Hell Awaits
11. Dead Skin Mask
12. Raining Blood
13. Black Magic
14. South Of Heaven
15. Angel Of Death

Slayer photos:

Bringing an end to day 2 on the deck stage was Motor Sister, starting their set at midnight. This is an LA-based supergroup led by Jim Wilson, who fronted LA rock ‘n roll band Mother Superior, and features Scott Ian, Pearl Aday, Joey Vera and John Tempesta in a backing band that plays Mother Superior covers with Wilson. They put on a great show in front of hometown fans at the Whisky-A-Go-Go earlier in 2015, and delivered the goods just as well here for a largely new audience that seemed to like what they were seeing. The bands playing last on this stage every night actually were in good stead because people would migrate to deck #11 for food, drinks and pool time after watching the headliner on Stardust.

Motor Sister
Motor Sister

Day 2 brought forth a lot more music and activity. The chants of ‘fucking Slayer!’ were still echoing around the elevators and lobbies, although shouts of ‘S.T.!’ were giving them a run for their money. This ship had been rocked, literally and figuratively, and was about to be rocked even more the following day.

Towards the end of the evening, Lemmy walked out of the elevator next to my cabin, but he had his bodyguards with him and seemed like he needed to be somewhere, so I moved out of his way without saying a word. Quite a few Motörboaters have posted stories of how some musicians were ‘assholes’ to them, and on the other side of the token, musicians always whine about being bothered by fans all the time. To play devil’s advocate for both sides, I’d just simply say that if you’re a fan, focus on watching the bands play the music you love them for rather than chasing to meet them, and if you’re a musician, you should know what you’re signing up for, and this is a paid gig, not a vacation. This shirt depicting Scott Ian saying ‘I hate fans’ got a lot of attention, but when Scott himself noticed it, he took a picture of it, called it the ‘best shirt ever’, and told the guy wearing it that he’s ‘gueslisted for life’.

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Day 3 (09/30): The ship docked in Nassau, Bahamas and we were allowed to spend the whole day there. It was typical Caribbean climate, with bouts of torrential downpours followed by periods of sunshine. At first I was hesitant to step out in the rain but was extremely glad I did so, because it turned out to a very metal adventure as I visited the Pirates Of Nassau Museum and the cemetery in The Parish Of St. Mary The Virgin with my cabin mate, and had some epic food and drinks at a beach side open-air restaurant called Fat Tuesday. I found this to be far more of an experience than the deserted island we went to on day 2, and enjoyed walking on level ground, albeit for just a few hours.

View of Nassau, Bahamas from the ship
View of Nassau, Bahamas from the ship

I got back on the ship at around 4 PM. Due to forecasts of inclement weather, some of the sets had been moved, and instead of being the first band on the deck stage at 6 PM, Hatebreed were moved to 9 PM which meant that there was an unexpectedly long wait before the first main band of the day. We decided to venture into the dining room directly below the Stardust as opposed to the buffet for dinner, arriving there at 6:45. We told the waiter than we had to be at a show by 7:30, and it was ridiculous how fast he brought our food. This fancy dining room would normally have a dress code and it would be the kind of place where people sit for hours through a multi-course meal, but we walked in there in black t-shirts, had a two-course meal and walked out within 25 minutes. What’s more, we could hear the soundcheck as the bass was thumping the ceiling.

At 7:30, Anthrax started their set on the Stardust stage and delivered a flawlessly perfect 11-song set through a tremendous performance at a level fans have grown accustomed to seeing the band reach in all the shows they’ve done since the release of the 2011 album ‘Worship Music’. They made some great selections for this set including ‘A.I.R.’, ‘Lone Justice’ and ‘Medusa’ along with some of the staples, but pulled one out of the bag with the rarely played cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Neon Knights’. ‘Indians’ was just about the best way to end the set. Joey Belladonna was at the very peak of his powers on vocals and his band mates supported him well. It is also worth mentioning that Belladonna exuded a very humble and personable vibe off-stage as he was out and about on the ship. He was even seen watching Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band from side stage on day 1. Keeping up with their habit of stealing the show from bands higher than them on the bill, Anthrax outdid the efforts of the two headline acts Slayer and Motörhead by quite a huge margin, and along with C.O.C. and Exodus, were the best big-name band of the cruise.

Anthrax
Anthrax

Anthrax Set List (Show #1):
01. A.I.R.
02. Lone Justice
03. Madhouse
04. Caught In A Mosh
05. Got The Time
06. Antisocial
07. Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t
08. Medusa
09. In The End
10. Neon Knights (Black Sabbath cover)
11. Indians

On the deck stage, Hatebreed started at 9 PM and played an even better set than day 1 and utilized the atmosphere on the deck to the fullest, as the pool was highly active during their set, some jumping in it fully clothed, following Jamey Jasta’s prompts. They also got the crowd to bang their heads and this was not only one of the more high-octane, violent sets on the deck stage, but on the entire cruise.

While Hatebreed were still playing on the deck, Fireball Ministry started their set on Dazzles at 10 o’ clock, moved from their originally scheduled set on the deck stage at 9:15. Frontman Jim Rota sarcastially thanked Brian Posehn for sending everyone to the deck for Hatebreed after ending his stand-up comedy set which preceded Fireball Ministry’s set on Dazzles. Fireball Ministry undoubtedly got the worst possible slot, as half the crowd was watching Hatebreed and the other half was lined up for Motörhead. But I’m grateful I decided to watch them because they were beyond incredible, as the vocal melodies orchestrated by Jim Rota and guitarist Emily Burton are still echoing in my head even though I haven’t listened to those songs since. The guitar tones and playing of the duo was second to none, and the rhythm section of the mighty Scott Reeder on bass and John Oreshnick on drums reigned supreme. Members of Huntress, Kyng and Crobot were seen rocking out in the crowd, and Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza from Exodus was in the front row singing every word. I missed most of Motörhead’s set because I simply could not walk away from the sonic perfection of Fireball Ministry.

Fireball Ministry
Fireball Ministry

Fireball Ministry Set List (Show #1):
01. Save The Saved
02. Flatline
03. He Who Kills
04. Choker
05. The Broken
06. Daughter Of The Damned
07. Guts
08. Rollin’ On
09. Death Dealer
10. Trick Of The Light
11. Sundown
12. King

In complete contrast, I made it to Stardust for Motörhead when they were on their sixth song, stayed to watch two songs after that, and decided to leave because it was just that painful and downright heartbreaking to see and hear Lemmy struggle through his own songs to this extent. I love Motörhead as much as anyone but this is not how I want to remember them. I also love the concept of the Motörboat and truly feel that its lineup, although lesser in the number of bands as compared to the other concert cruises, offers more diversity for people like myself that can appreciate a variety of sub-genres of heavy music. I dearly want there to be a Motörboat next year, but for the sake of the great man’s health and the morale of their fans, Motörhead should not perform on it themselves.

Motörhead Set List (Show #1 & #2):
01. Bomber
02. Stay Clean
03. Metropolis
04. Over the Top
05. Guitar Solo
06. The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
07. Rock It
08. Lost Woman Blues
09. Doctor Rock / Drum Solo
10. Ace of Spades
11. Just ‘Cos You Got the Power
12. No Class
13. Overkill

Huntress had begun their second set on the deck stage at 11:15, and as I left the Motörhead show early, I was able to catch most of Huntress’ set. I enjoyed Huntress much more than Motörhead. I never, ever thought I would say that.

There was a hurricane headed our way and this ship was definitely rocking, but the folks in charge hauled us rapidly out of the danger zone. When I learned later than friends back home were freaking out over reports on the news, I realized that it’s sometimes best to not be in the know about certain things. No one on the ship was overly worried, and as it turned out, there was no reason to be.

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Day 4 (10/01): With no stoppages and a full day in the middle of vast open sea, it was going to be mostly about the music. At 9:30 AM on days 2, 3 and 4, Tim Ripper Owens played the ‘Java Monster Mornings’  set in the back of deck #11, but following such exhausting days full of activity, I was in no position to wake up in time to catch any of his sets. The set list from day 4 (show #3) was posted online, and gives you an idea of what he did on this cruise.

Tim Ripper Owens Set List (Show #3):
01. I’m Eighteen (Alice Cooper cover)
02. United (Judas Priest cover)
03. Metal Gods (Judas Priest cover)
04. Don’t Talk to Strangers (Dio cover)
05. T.N.T. (AC/DC cover)
06. Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie cover)
07. Death Row (Judas Priest cover)
08. The Last In Line (Dio cover)
09. Heaven And Hell (Black Sabbath cover)
10. Living After Midnight (Judas Priest cover)
11. Neon Knights (Black Sabbath cover)

On Dazzles at noon, Gabbie Rae did her second set with the Others guys and Scott Warren, and was joined by Tim Ripper Owens for a rendition of ‘Neon Knights’. Meanwhile on the deck stage, New York City quintet Martyrd, whom I missed on day 3, were presenting their brand of dark, technical, melodic metal. The band has been around since 2003, has two full-length albums to their name and will soon release their third album ‘Endless’. I caught some of their set and was impressed by what I heard as their sound was dominated by great clean vocals and skilled instrumentation. Not many on this cruise got a chance to see this band but they are definitely worth checking out.

Another band I missed on day 3 was Finnish glam metal band Santa Cruz but did not regret catching their second set on Dazzles as they put on quite a show. They instantly reminded me of the Canadian glam/shred/thrash band Skull Fist with the way they dressed and carried themselves on stage. They did not get a huge crowd either but turned first-timers into instant fans. The vocal melodies sounded undeniably catchy, and the song ‘Wasted & Wounded’ was the highlight of the set. With so many different types of heavy music represented on this cruise, there had to be at least one glam metal band and Santa Cruz were worthy flagbearers of the sub-genre.

From glam it was immediately onto power metal, with Death Dealer taking the deck stage. Featuring Ross The Boss of Manowar fame, Death Dealer braved the heat and showed true dedication to their craft as they stuck to wearing their usual leather-heavy attires. As always, their 8-song set included a cover of the Manowar classic ‘Hail And Kill’, but they also did some tunes from their brand new full-length album ‘Hallowed Ground’.

Death Dealer Set List (Show #2):
01. Never To Kneel
02. War Master
03. Curse Of The Heretic
04. I Am The Revolution
05. Triumph And Victory
06. Hammer Down
07. Hail And Kill (Manowar cover)
08. Death Dealer

The next band I saw was new Los Angeles-based rock ‘n roll group Budderside on Dazzles, and even though I feel like I’d need to see them for a full set to make any informed judgement, it was clear even from the little I saw of them that in Patrick Stone they have an intriguing and talented frontman, and their first set of tunes that constitute the self-titled debut album is interesting. It was produced by Paul Inder Kilmister and features a solo by Phil Campbell, so Budderside are very much a part of the Motörhead family and much more would be expected from them in the future.

Back on the deck stage, Kyng played yet another monstrous set and expanded their fan base further. One band that I missed out both times was The Dead Deads, and although I cannot say anything about their music or show as a result, this all-female group from Nashville TN was easily recognizable everywhere they went, because of the distinct eye makeup they were wearing the entire time. I noticed them rocking out to the same bands I was seeing, and I have to give them credit for being an active part of the Motörboat community.

Anthrax
Anthrax

At 5 PM Anthrax began their second set, quite different from the first, and once again showed their class as a live band with a glorious slab of their celebrated discography. I was not able to stay for the whole set this time but overall I was extremely psyched to see that Anthrax was a part of this lineup because they certainly enriched the Motörboat in every aspect and without them it just wouldn’t be the same.

Anthrax Set List (Show #2):
01. Among The Living
02. Caught In A Mosh
03. I Am The Law
04. Antisocial
05. Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t
06. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
07. In The End
08. I’m The Man
09. Indians

After competing with Slayer on day 2, Crobot were pitted directly against Anthrax for their second set on the deck stage, but pulled an even bigger crowd and won everyone over with their unabatedly energetic exhibition of all things heavy. I had to leave half-way through their set but frontman Brandon Yeagley reportedly climbed up the lighting rig and pulled off a major stunt, described by those in attendance as the ‘craziest moment’ of the entire cruise. I wish I witnessed it firsthand, but knowing Crobot, I wasn’t surprised to hear about it. Here’s video footage of the moment.

Crobot stunt (photo credit unknown)
Crobot stunt (photo credit unknown)

On Dazzles, Others played their second set and sounded far better on this stage than the Outrigger. People leaving the Stardust after the end of Anthrax’ set had to walk past Dazzles to go anywhere else, and many of them stayed to watch Others which worked out well for the band. Before the set, one of the NCL waitresses was asking us how old ‘the cute singer’ is, and it was hilarious to note that she was checking him out with great interest during the set.

As you can tell, a lot of music had already hit my ears up till this point, but the best was yet to come. Suicidal Tendencies played on the deck stage, and not a soul can argue with the fact that this S.T. set garnered the best crowd response across the four days of this cruise. There were mosh pits in the standing area close to the stage, people were constantly and repeatedly diving into the pool fully clothed, complete with shoes on, there were mosh pits and walls of death inside the pool, and Mike Muir invited the audience to join the band on stage. There was an insane number of people on that deck stage, so much so that the security staff were worried about the stage collapsing under the weight and started moving people evenly around the stage for that reason. Songs like ‘War Inside My Head’, ‘You Can’t Bring Me Down’, ‘I Saw Your Mommy’ and ‘Possessed To Skate’ and ‘Cyco Vision’ were sung along loud by the entire crowd. Chants of ‘S.T.!’ echoed all around the deck. This performance made such an impact on us that my cabin mate and I went up on stage and lost our minds. While I always respected Suicidal Tendencies for being too punk for both the punk and metal communities, I was personally never a huge fan. But this S.T. set has turned me into a fan. As far as popular chants go, ‘S.T.!’ should definitely be more of a thing than ‘fucking Slayer!’.

I missed most of Motörhead‘s set because of S.T. and did not regret it whatsoever because I dared to step inside the Stardust just in time for the encore of ‘Overkill’, and couldn’t even force myself to stay past the first stop-start in the song. So I quickly exited the theatre and moved over to Dazzles to let my mind be blown by Fireball Ministry for the second time, as they played a slightly different set. Aside from Kyng and The Shrine, Fireball Ministry was the only band that made me watch both of their sets in full.

Fireball Ministry Set List (Show #2):
01. Flatline
02. The Broken
03. Rollin On’
04. Choker
05. Spill The Demons
06. Fallen Believers
07. Daughter Of The Damned
08. Two Tears
09. Sundown
10. King
11. Movin’ Out
12. VIM

Talking of The Shrine, they played on the deck stage immediately after Fireball Ministry’s set, and satiated heavy music purists with those sweet jams that fit this stage and its surrouding atmosphere excellently. These three dudes were the unsung heroes of this cruise, and everyone who was or wasn’t on this cruise needs to immerse themselves deep in The Shrine’s music.

The Shrine Set List (Show #2):
01. Tripping Corpse
02. Worship
03. The Vulture
04. Run The Night (Wicked Lady cover)
05. On The Grind
06. Nothing Forever

After The Shrine’s set, the 40th anniversary celebration of Motörhead took place on the stage as Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee came out on the deck stage. A giant Motörcake was brought out, and after the band took pictures with it, the cake was put out on deck #6 for everyone to consume. I ate large chunks of it and it was delicious. After the Motörcake photo, Brian Posehn did a roast on the deck stage which I was too exhausted to care for after The Shrine bangover, so I left to get food and came back to see a little bit of Motor Sister, who played the very last set of live music on this edition of the Motörboat cruise.

Motorcake
Motörcake

Aside from the live music and the various amenities around the ship, there were also contests like the ‘Belly Flop’, Beer Pong, Drunk Spelling Bee, Motörbingo, the Mother Rukers Endurance event, and the ‘Motörboating’ contest, which was exactly what it sounds like. Most of the bands (except Slayer) did meet-n-greets every morning and through the days. But I simply focused my attention on the music (and the food) and did not get time for any of these other activities. I caught nearly all of the bands at least once but ended up missing five bands completely, The Dead Deads, No Words, Dark Before Dawn, Mad Old Lady and Sonia Harley. I also skipped the stand-up comedy sets by Big Kay Oakerson and Brian Posehn. The diversity of the band lineup, ranging from old-school thrash giants Exodus, Anthrax and Slayer, to the punk/hardcore element of Hatebreed and Suicidal Tendencies, the stoner rock/riff worshipping Corrosion Of Conformity, Fireball Ministry, Kyng, Crobot, The Shrine, the melodic/power/classic metal of Huntress, Death Dealer and Martyrd, the glam metal antics of Santa Cruz and the vintage rock ‘n roll of Motörhead, Motor Sister, Others, Gabbie Rae and Budderside, was in itself sufficient to hold my undivided attention, and deemed Motörboat 2015 more than worth the trip.

Of course, there are always one or two destructive, vandalistic characters in a crowd such as this, and unfortunately Motörboat 2015 wasn’t devoid of it. There was this guy, now popularly known as ‘Bad Decisions Billy’, who was drunk the entire time and caused so much trouble that he ended up in custody on a daily basis. He even climbed over his balcony to escape custody. Then there were people who ripped off and stole the Motörhead decals from the elevator doors. I also saw a dude pull down his pants by the pool on the top deck, and couldn’t tell whether he was just showing his butt or taking a shit in the pool. There were a few other such instances, but for the most part it was a civilzed, friendly crowd that had spent top dollar to be here simply to have a good time.

Motörboat 2015 certainly lived up to the ‘loudest boat in the world’ tag. I liked that there were only 26 bands on the lineup and not an insane number, and that everybody got to perform twice which allows each band to make more of a long-lasting impact and gives them a full opportunity to shine. I for one hope that the organizers made enough money from it to continue doing it next year, because many Motörboaters on this cruise were repeat attendees from 2014, and cruises of this nature easily become annual traditions for those that partake. This Motörboat experience made for a rock ‘n roll vacation worth remembering for a lifetime.

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