I woke up this morning with one of my worst hangovers in recent memory. My ears were buzzing. My body ached. My throat was sore and dry. I hit my alarm five times before I found the energy to sit up in bed to search my disheveled brain for the mistakes I probably made last night. Then I remembered. I didn’t drink last night! What the hell is this? As I looked down at my brand new black Motorhead T-shirt I realized I had what many (maybe only me) refer to as a Motorhead hangover.

The night started with Reverend Horton Heat. Unfortunately, I believed Roseland when they said doors at 7:30—too bad the show was already underway long before that. I missed the Episodes and Nashville Pussy, but heard a guy in a Motorhead shirt say, “That chick had huge tits,” referring to Nashville Pussy. Her rack was an obvious hit with the Motorhead crowd. Luckily, I got there for the Heat’s great set of fast-ass pycho-billy. The Reverend’s guitar playing was very impressive, but J-I-M-B-O’s stand up bass mixed with Paul Simmons’ double bass was the highlight for me. “Psychobilly Freakout” was, as it probably usually is, the best song of their set.

Even though the three dudes from Dallas got a booming applause, everyone was there to see Motorhead, who’s shield was looming behind as the openers played. After the Reverend walked off, I talked about how hard it must be to open for Motorhead, especially since any punk or metal band would seem tame in comparison to Lemmy. Reverend Horton Heat was a good fit. Both bands play sped up rock 'n' roll and both bands appeal to both the punk crowd and metal crowd, which is what makes up a Motorhead show. Anyone not wearing a Motorhead T-shirt was wearing either an early '80s hardcore shirt (Black Flag, Bad Brains, etc.) or a metal shirt (ranging from Celtic Frost to Iron Maiden). It’s probably one of the only shows you can go to and see the punks and metalheads nod together because Motorhead isn't metal or punk, they play rock.

At 9:30, Lemmy marched on stage with his black cowboy hat and boots looking like a civil war general ready for battle. He readied his bass and growled into the mic, “We are Motorhead, and we play rock 'n’ roll!” What followed was 90 great minutes of Motorhead, the loudest band on the planet. A band so loud, your brain fills with fuzz, the only sane thing to do is to nod your head and smack your hands against your thighs with every snare hit. Unfortunately, behind the snare smashing wasn’t the usual Mickey Dee, but Matt Sorum of Guns n' Roses filling in decently for a fast, loud and relentless set led by the wart faced God himself Lemmy Kilmister. Long-time Motorhead vet Phil Campbell shredded at his side.

During “Just Cos’ You Got the Power,” a bonus track from 1987’s Rock n’ Roll, Lemmy bellowed “Just 'cos you got the power, that don't mean you got the right” I thought about how true that statement actually is. He’s singing about politicians, but I thought in terms of music. Too many punk and metal bands have the equipment to play loud and fast, but that don’t mean they got the right. Every band in every genre pales in comparison to the awesome power of Motorhead. I heard a rumor they can only play a handful of venues in NYC because most places say they are too loud. And the power doesn’t come directly from the amp levels or sound system, you can tell the 63-year old Lemmy is still making every note count. Unlike a lot of the elder statesmen of the rock world, he’s not just showing up. He’s there to tear your head off.

After a series of songs from all over the Motorhead catalogue, including the new Motorizer, Lemmy finally took a break to walk backstage and probably drink a fifth of whiskey to prepare for an encore. The band came back for an encore starting with the great acoustic closer to 2004’s Inferno, “Whorehouse Blues.” Most people didn’t know what to do, even Lemmy himself, so we continued to headbang, only slower. The old dudes quickly switched electric and played the all time classic, “Ace of Spades” into my all time favorite closer of any band of all time, “Overkill.” Fucking amazing.