Flying to the peninsula I have met a lot of friends who I did not see for a long time and that were coming from the most disparate parts of Italy. You cannot imagine how much amused me to hear all the various ways in which Italian is pronounced, we all have spent most of the time to mock each other for our way to speak! However, I want to mention at least Miki Demichelis here, who decided to follow Motorhead with me along the boot.

Me and Miki have gone to the place of the concert the morning when the truck has arrived and it was begun to set up the equipment. While I was there I have seen people showing the medium finger and heard a varied assortment of fuck and fucking, it was clear I was close to Motorhead. Typically Anglo-Saxon to put fuck and fucking everywhere and to show fingers, all it seems fucked when I hear them speaking: the fucking stage, the fucking guitar, the fucking sound, the fucking aeroplane, the fucking hotel and so on. It’s quite funny to me.

The first one we meet is Phil who walked away escaping from us, then we see Mikkey who tells us: "I’m sorry for the loss, the golden the goal is so brutal." What? Ah, I have understood that he was referring about to the match Italy vs Korea that he was watching until few minutes before. Ma, I have answered him that I was not really thinking to football as 1/3 of Motorhead was in front of me! :-)

I give a look at the showtimes of the day, Motorhead will play the soundcheck the 4:30, but only Damage Case was chosen. At 7:00 play the first support band: Hardcore Superstar from Sweden, is an excellent band, play a kind of vintage rock’n’roll. I suggest you all to listen to something of them because they deserve attention. I had already seen them last year supporting AC/DC but I did not remember they are so good. The second band, at 8:30, were Gamma Ray from Germany, they deserve respect but they do not meet my tastes. Motorhead are at 10:00, then there is the curfew (what ?!) at 12:00. The flyer indicates also All Ages Show., what?! Yeah right! I remember that in the USA the rock concerts are prohibit to the younger!! This is something that for me is inconceivable. I find it ridiculous. I will never understand.

The concert begins and we hear the sound is lower than normal. The truck driver before has explained me that there was a limit of 95 dB, absolutely ridiculous for a Motorhead show. Motorhead average sound is 140 dB but June the 12th in Oberhausen (Germany) has reached 160 dB, terrible! They have played in an old factory there was nobody around who could be disturbed for such a loud sound! Thought I have read somewhere that an airlplane to takeoff develops 130 dB of noise and the Space Shuttle to take off develops 130 of dB!! However, 95 dB is too low and in fact Tim, after the concert, has said me that Dave increased the sound approximately up to 125/130 dB! This time I have appreciated a lot the set list, finally some songs that I have heard too many times have been replaced by others that we haven’t heard a lot in past. I relate to Love For Sale, Ramones, Shoot You In The Back, Doctor Rock and Just ‘cos You Got The Power (two days later).

Finally Over Your Shoulder and I’m So Bad have taken a deserved rest. I was a bit tired to hear especially I’m So Bad, it was in the set list since April 1989 with to Going To Brazil (another song that should has a rest with Civil War), 12 years in the set list!! There are other rock’n’roll tunes that could replace Going To Brazil. Mine All Mine could be one of those. Anyway, the best for me was Doctor Rock, finally I’ve heard it at last, I think there was no hope. Brave New World has been the only song from the new album Hammered, its cover was showed in an enormous banner that made the background. The video (the Pope appears in it) was aired since three weeks from MTV here in Italy, along with Serial Killer. Ramones was dedicated to Joey and Dee Dee Ramone. Lemmy didn’t like the roar so repeats: "No, no, you don’t understand. Joey and Dee Dee fucking Ramone!" The crowd answered louder.

About in the middle of the concert I have had a surprise. I felt somebody tipping my shoulder, I have recognized Flecha who has traveled from Almeria (Spain) until Rome with his girlfriend Rosa. I met him the 1st time in London for the 25th anniversary. He doesn’t speak English yet which, being a superfan, I think it’s a record. I have friendly blamed him for this: "you do not know what you loose not to speak with your favourite band." The concert ends and then, me and Miki, about after one hour, were in the backstage with Lemmy, Mikkey and Phil. Finally we spoken also with Phil, Motorhead’s half Italian guitar player. I have said that they were nearly two years that I waited to speak with him… (me and Miki had no success in all the afternoon) Phil was quite sorry for this, was complaining for a flu.

I have given to all three something, even a collection of their TV appearances in Italy since 1996. I give it Phil and I say: "Hey Phil, you had the mad cow disease!" He watches astonished to me while I say again: "the mad cow disease!" So he remembers himself about a TV show in ‘97 where he showed up dressed like a cow. He was therefore happy for receiving a copy finally. The flu has been forgotten! Mikkey next to him asks me if he got the same recording. Sure!

Time to go, tomorrow we have 800 km to cover in order to arrive to Turin. I only approach Lemmy for a moment again to give him my compliments for the concert and tell I found him in a very good shape.

Set list: We Are Motorhead | No Class | Bomber | Civil War | Damage Case | Love For Sale | God Save The Queen | Brave New World | Metropolis | Nothing Up My Sleeve | Doctor Rock | Ramones | Shoot You In The Back | Sacrifice plus drum solo | Orgasmatron | Going To Brazil | Killed By Death | Iron Fist | Ace Of Spades | Overkill

Not a lot to say, as me and Miki have arrived Mikkey says us the concert is cancelled. Incredible but true, the Supermarket did not have enough power for Motorhead! Lemmy and Phil remained in the bus while Mikkey is outside meeting the fans and giving away promo black and white photos.

We had a beautiful surprise on the motorway to Venice, 80 km before Marcon. We were going fast because we had fear not to find the place or not to arrive in time. However, it was approximately 1:00 when we have caught up the Motorhead bus! We were comfortably following them but, before to reach the venue, shrewed that we were going altogether to the wrong way!

Me and Phil.

In Marcon was hotter than Rome, at 4:00 nobody was able to stay with the T-shirt on but Mikkey, incredible! Not only, he also wanted to play football in a field next. Then I see Freddie who goes towards the bus with two bottles of Jack Daniels, one of Jim Beam and one of vodka. Easy to understand that Lemmy has been waked up from rests afternoon! At 6:00 the soundcheck begins and, with our big surprise, they performed Rockaway Beach by the Ramones, song that will appear in a tribute. Then parts of Rosalie, Just ‘cos You Got The Power and Cat Scratch Fever find room also. Mikkey then approached the microphone in order to say us all how much he likes CSF: "I hate this fucking song! It’s a shit! Fuck! Fuck!" (!) The concert begins and I was downstage to take photos, Phil has been therefore kind to me, posing for two seconds during the second song. Lemmy kicks off the show shouting: "We are Motorhead and we’re gonna fuck your head up." He kept the promise After the first minutes I notice the sound was veeery loud.

I was not able to know how much dB we had but on ending I have felt pain in my left ear. Probably we have reached the 160 dB. The only thing I am sure is that it has been the loudest Motorhead show I have ever seen. The ears have ended to ring after six days!! The set list is the same of Rome, except for Orgasmatron that has been replaced by Just 'cos You Got The Power, excellent!

Time to go and to say goodbye to all. To my friends who I have met everywhere, thanks for having help me not being exactly near home. I could not have made nothing without your invaluable help! I love you! Ha! Ha!

Hello also to my friend from Moscow Artyom fucking Golew who hasn’t come in Italy for bureaucratic problems. And hello also to all the people I know who, for big impediments, couldn’t go to see Motorhead. Better you than me! Ha! Ha!