Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons - Exeter Review

Following an extremely busy February, which included eight concerts, March has been quite a bit slower. I have to say, though, that the break following those last couple of weeks in February was welcome - but I was ready to rock again following the rest, and headed up to Exeter last night to catch the ever-excellent Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons on their latest UK tour at the Phoenix. I will be getting to two more shows this month, which seems quiet but is still likely significantly more than most people's average, and 2025 in general is another extremely busy year when it comes to live concerts. I am sure I will slow down one day, but 2025 is clearly not the time for such - and it shows just how much of a staple on the UK touring circuit Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons have become, as last night was my ninth show of theirs. That does include festival appearances and support slots, but it nevertheless shows how often the band come around - and those of us in the South West are lucky that they seem to always come down this way on their tours, and the Phoenix in Exeter has become their South West venue of choice in recent years. I last saw the band live, also in Exeter, in 2023 - as part of their tour to support their third album Kings of the Asylum (which I reviewed here). As much as I enjoyed that show, as I always enjoy the band's shows, I remember that it came at the end of a very busy month of gigs, so I was very tired, and that the journey up to Exeter from Plymouth was uncharacteristically fraught - so it has not stuck in my brain as a particular standout. They delivered as always so it was more me than them I think, but I was keen to catch them live again right that slight wrong. The band's 2025 UK promised to be different to the norm, too, which made it an exciting prospect. Phil Campbell (guitar/vocals) is, of course known for being the guitarist of Motörhead between 1984 and the band's demise in 2015 following the death of founder Lemmy. Whilst Phil was not in the band from the beginning, he was the second-longest servant of Motörhead behind only Lemmy himself - and contributed to 16 of the band's 23 studio albums, alongside numerous live releases. Motörhead have not existed for a decade at this point and, sadly, not many of the band's key alumni are still alive. All three of the 'classic' line-up are sadly no longer with us - along with Würzel who was Phil's guitar partner in the band between 1984 and 1995. With the exception of long-time final drummer Mikkey Dee, who now plays with the Scorpions, the only other living members of Motörhead were only briefly associated with the band - which leaves Phil and Dee as the de facto keepers of the band's legacy. Dee occasionally gets up and plays Motörhead songs with other bands, but Phil always includes a few Motörhead favourites in his sets with The Bastard Sons - so is the only Motörhead member that still regularly plays the band's songs live. Given that Motörhead formed back in 1975, then, 2025 is the band's 50th anniversary - so Phil and the band decided to drop all of their originals this year and give the fans a full set of Motörhead songs from throughout the years. The band have occasionally done such sets at festivals, but this is their first full UK tour of this nature - and each show was sure to be a nostalgic night for long-time Motörhead fans.

It was announced earlier in the day that there were only 10 tickets for the show left. Even if those 10 tickets did not sell, the venue was essentially sold out - and there were plenty packed into the Phoenix by the time that the evening's sole support act King Creature took to the stage. I had seen the Cornish four-piece live a couple of times before, with my last rendezvous with the band coming back in 2021 when they opened for Orange Goblin in London. I also saw them with Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons in 2019, too, so this show was something of a repeat of that night - with the grungy metal of King Creature soon filling the room. I have always enjoyed seeing the band live, but their albums never seem to grab me when I listen to them at home. They seem to be one of those bands that have not managed to yet capture their live power on record, then, but their set last night was another enjoyable affair. Mixing bluesy, Zakk Wylde-esque riffs with barked vocals and Alice in Chains-esque vocal harmonies, King Creature have an easily identifiable sound - which is anthemic and powerful at its best and still enjoyable at other times. There were a few strong choruses throughout, some of which managed to whip up a bit of excitement in the crowd, whilst the riffing throughout from Matt Vincent (guitar/vocals) and Mike Stennett (guitar) was generally powerful - with the contrasting soloing styles of the two guitarists ensuring for a varied approach throughout. Dave Kellaway (vocals/bass guitar) has an engaging voice, too. He might not be the most unique or dynamic of vocalists, but his powerful, barked style generally suits the band's riffy material - whilst the crooning harmonies of Vincent help to give the band something of a USP. I recognised a couple of the songs played from the album of theirs I picked up a number of years ago, but a few songs in the set were new ones. I assume that means that a third album is on the horizon at some point - and the new tracks in particular stood out, with one opening with some excellent twin lead guitar melodies which was something a bit different for the band. It was nice to catch up with the band again after a few years and if there is indeed a new album on the way then perhaps it will be the one to finally draw me in properly.

It did not seem too long following King Creature's set that the lights went down again and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons took to the stage. As set out before, this set was very different to others I have seen from the band before - and it was packed full of treats from Motörhead's past. I did see Motörhead a couple of times before they ended, so I had seen some of the songs done live before - but there were a few which I had not, and, in any case, it was great to hear Phil and the band run through so many classics. Joined as always by his sons: guitarist Todd Campbell, bassist Tyler Campbell, and drummer Dane Campbell; alongside singer Joel Peters; Phil ensured that the Motörhead legacy was kept alive in the right way - with two golden oldies in the form of Iron Fist and Damage Case kicking off the 19-song set. Given that many of Motörhead's songs are short, the set really flew by. Many of the songs were real fan-favourites, but there were a few deeper cuts played, too, and there was a good mix of material from throughout the years - both before and after Phil's 1984 arrival. Given Motörhead's high-energy sound, too, there was little standing on ceremony. Both Phil and Peters addressed the crowd throughout the night, but the introductions were generally kept to a minimum - with the songs doing the talking. Songs like Going to Brazil and Rock Out are ones which Phil and his band tend to play quite a lot anyway, so have been granted new leases of life as a result, so things like the more grinding Orgasmatron felt more special - with the slow-burning yet heavy track hitting the spot nicely early on. Peters did a great job throughout, but sounded particularly venomous during Orgasmatron - with the bluesier Metropolis later on being another slightly more restrained track which allowed his vocals more of a chance to breathe. A genuine deep cut in the form of Smiling Like a Killer was certainly later a treat for the long-time fans, and it was sandwiched in between two real anthems in Born to Raise Hell and the perennial classic (We Are) the Road Crew whilst still feeling at home. The former is another regular in Phil's setlists and it always gets the crowd going - with plenty of chanting heard during the big chorus. The latter part of the main set was much more classics-filled, though, with the exception of the slower Lost Woman Blues. Early 1980s anthems like The Chase Is Better Than the Catch and the ever-present Ace of Spades saw plenty of movement from the crowd, before another more mid-paced anthem Killed by Death also saw plenty of chanting during the big chorus. The main set was then rounded out by Motörhead's take on David Bowie's "Heroes" - a song I never need to hear again in truth. The band briefly left the stage following it, but were soon back for a four-song encore. The acoustic-based Whorehouse Blues was a real change of pace, with Todd adding plenty of harmonica throughout, whilst the three songs which followed were bona fide classics - with Bomber and Motörhead returning to a faster overall sound. A stretched-out rendition of Overkill was left to round out the night - which brought the best out of Dane and saw plenty of soloing from Phil and Todd. The setlist was (N.B. all of the songs below, unless otherwise noted, are Motörhead songs):

Iron Fist

Damage Case

Going to Brazil

Orgasmatron

Rock Out

Metropolis

Born to Raise Hell

Smiling Like a Killer

(We Are) the Road Crew

Lost Woman Blues

R.A.M.O.N.E.S.

The Chase Is Better Than the Catch

Ace of Spades

Killed by Death

"Heroes" [David Bowie cover]

-

Whorehouse Blues

Bomber

Motörhead

Overkill

I always enjoy seeing Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons live, so it was great seeing them do something a bit different by fully paying tribute to the legacy of Motörhead. Phil helps to keep Lemmy's songs alive, and this large UK tour is surely a treat for the legions of Motörhead fans across the country who really miss being able to see the band live. I am sure that Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons will be back again in the South West before too long, maybe even with a new album in tow, and I will surely be there when they do.