“We are Motorhead, we play Rock’n Roll” started things off just right. Motorhead took the stage 1st and plowed through their set. They kicked off a little early at around 6:20. Their set included some early favorites and a lot of well known tracks of the first two albums. They didn't play much off the newer releases, maybe two tracks. As with the rest of this review, I won’t name tracks played. For those who’ve yet to see them on this still running tour, and want to know the set list you’ll have to look elsewhere. Mickey Dee was in fine form and did a drum solo that was pretty cool. The crowd was still pretty thin and quiet at the beginning, but by the end of Motorhead’s 35-40 minute set they were all eating from the palm of Lemmy and co.’s hand and grown considerably. Lemmy needs to lose the boots though IMO, or at least tuck them in under the pant leg…you could see them from a mile away. Good set.

Dio came on a good twenty minutes later. They played for fifty minutes or so. Did I mention that beer was going for $6-7 a piece? They were 16 ouncers and it pretty much limited my consumption to one per band, which was about what I planned on drinking since I had to drive. But $7 for a barely cold Coors fucking sucks IMO. Okay, so Ronnie, Jimmy, Simon and the gay looking dramatic keyboardist hit the stage with a tune off the new album. It wasn’t Throw Away Children, which has become my favorite off that album, but it was a good one. A few tracks off each of the first albums, one or two being only half songs were sprinkled throughout the set’s material. A few more songs from some of Dio’s other projects of involvement, very cool. A single track off Dream Evil, again very cool, but nothing off Sacred Heart Dio was very energetic and entertaining, he worked the crowd like a pro. The solos sounded pretty good and close. Another drum solo, some Beethoven, spin maneuvers by the decked in leather dramatic keyboardist. The place was filled to nearly 2/3rds capacity and lots of people singing along to some classics, horns everywhere. It was great to see Dio finally \m/ I liked Dio’s set more than Motorhead’s. I’m actually a pretty big Dio fan from days of past more so than Motorhead. Of Dream Evil and earlier material, they are all albums I can sing along with from verse to chorus, as for Motorhead it’s a lot more spotty and Dio is a band I liked a lot more when all is said and done. Great set.

It was pretty much dark by the end of Dio’s set. Fiddler’s Green is an outdoor amphitheater. It is shaped like a fan. We were sitting at the bottom, front and center at about 60 feet back. There is a vending area(s) off through the side(s) exits, away from the amphitheater area. They had lots of beer and food stands. The shirts were running about $35 a piece and as much as I wanted one, I just couldn’t justify being able to spend that kind of money on a t-shirt. Sorry. So time for another beer, my girlfriend, a couple friends and me all had a Hefen-fusion or something like that because the Heineken was sold out and the beer man didn’t know as much about beer as he should.. Man, it was funky tasting…nobody but me liked it and everyone said “you would like it” because I’m a weird dude Seen John from Colorado and the CM board, nice Emperor shirt man. I was wearing a Macabre shirt which a chick with a pierced septum said “Is that a Macabre shirt?” “Cool”. They even had a little stage out there were a local band (that I’ve seen in Milwaukee) Throcult was playing before Motorhead when we first arrived. Pretty cool, but no Redrocks IMO.

Maiden are one of the best live bands I have ever witnessed. They blew me away last time I saw them, and they did it again. Their stage setup was really cool. Full crowd, packed assembly of people by the time Maiden hit the stage. Eddie was all over with a backdrop that changed to match the particular song they were playing. Janick is a fucking fruit loop! As anyone who’s seen them knows But, he plays a mean guitar and was doing some of Daves and Adrian’s solos even Lots of classics, a track or two off BNW, Wildest Dreams, and Eddie surmises their set. I will say they opened with a track that flashed a huge 666 on the backdrop…the christians would be freaking to have witnessed it cause we all knew the words and you could hear 15,000 plus screaming “666 The number of the beast!”. Maybe Maiden does have a contract with Satan? Bruce and Janick were flying all over the place! Bruce went off before playing Wildest Dreams and ranted about the Music industry and said the fucks only cared about the money and were overcharging for CDs and signing crappy bands and have themselves to blame for lost sales and being in the predicament they are in, not us. Right on Bruce, I hear you man \m/ This review is getting too long. I’ll wrap it up. Go see this tour. Awesome set.