Motley Crue in Toronto

[DLR_EngineRoom]

The concert was 5 stars, IMO.

I was pleasantly reminded why I loved the Crue 20 yrs ago, why I continued to love 'em, and why I still love 'em.

4 things I didn't really like, though.

1) Tommy's drum solo was interesting, he was suspended a la Gene Simmons style above the stage, and 'flew' between 2 'electronica' type drumsets. Although that was really cool to watch, I (and I'm assuming most Crue fans) don't like electronica, and therefore prefer the GirlsGirlsGirls/Feelgood drum solo where he rotated over floors, sampling classic rock hits and drumming to them.

2) Vince's mike seemed to be drowned out by the music.

3) 2 1/2 hours wasn't enough.

4) The video screens must have been supplied by 'Toronto's Finest', Rogers Cable, 'cause they flat out sucked shit. Although it's unconfirmed, the video screens might as well be supplied by Rogers, 'cause everything else Rogers 'services' sucks too.

Here's a pretty good review from a local newspaper link, The Toronto Sun, as well as 2 pics of Tommy Lee from last night's show.

http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2005/02/24/940991.html

[DLR7884]

Tommy Lee looks like an AIDS patient in that pic on the left.

DLR7884
Scary.

[Panamark]

TORONTO -- Consider me a little closer to becoming a new recruit of the Red, White And Crue army.

After skepticism on my part about last night's "reunion" show by Motley Crue at the Air Canada Centre, the hard-living, hair-metal Gods from the '80s eventually won me over.

For the life of me, I just couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about going into the concert.

It's only been six years since singer Vince Neil, bassist Nikki Sixx, guitarist Mick Mars and drummer Tommy Lee -- all in their early to late '40s now -- last hit the road together.

And on that last tour, they played Massey Hall.

This time, Motley Crue are playing arenas -- the ACC's 13,000 available seats sold out in a couple of hours -- and there's even been campaigns in several North American cities to get them to make additional stops.


Hell, the band members -- who released a box set, Red, White & Crue earlier this month -- even have action figures on this trek. Maybe it's just that '80s acts are hot again.

Or maybe there's just a morbid curiosity factor to see these particular four musicians whose collective life soap operas, which involved sex, drugs, celebrity marriages, violence, jail time, near-death experiences, reality TV and tell-all books, would take pages just to write about.

Their latest roadtrip is called the Better Live Than Dead tour.

Whatever the case, Motley Crue's "travelling freak show" arrived in Toronto complete with a double-topped circus tent stage.

The first person to emerge from behind the red-and-white stripped cloth was a midget dressed as a demented-looking clown. He was joined by two female contortionists who touched and stroked each other.

Then the curtain was raised to reveal a wall of fire and plenty of pyro to accompany the opening song, the Crue classic Shout At The Devil.

Of the four band members, Mars -- who underwent hip replacement surgery in the fall of 2004 -- looked the creepiest in a black top hat with a skull and crossbones, a white mask and a long black coat.

The group, rounded out by a denim-clad Neil, a black-leather-wearing Sixx, and Lee in white clown makeup, was joined by three scantily clad women in shiny black high-heeled boots during the third song, 10 Seconds To Love.

The female trio's job was to writhe around on two ladders on either side of Lee's drum kit when they weren't crawling around on all fours on the stage or over Neil or each other.

The hot displays of fire and babes were followed by loud explosions during Red Hot and other set highlights like Looks That Kill and yet more pyro, strobe lights, and then -- would you believe it? -- a 10-minute break after a mere 40-minutes on stage. I suspect the frail-looking, if still mighty-sounding, Mars needed his down time.

When the Crue returned from their mini-break, a midget dressed in black leathers took a spin around the stage on a tiny motorcyle before Neil, Sixx and Lee appeared on their own custom-made bikes.

All that was missing from this show was someone being shot out of a cannon. (Give them time given the band is returning in the summer.)

Then those provocatively dressed three women reappeared again on trapezes for another Crue classic, Girls Girls Girls, which was followed by set highlights Wild Side, Don't Go Away Mad, Home Sweet Home, Dr. Feelgood -- with Neil decked out in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey -- Same Ol' Situation and encore covers of the Beatles' Helter Skelter and the Sex Pistols' Anarchy In The U.K.

But it was Lee who gained the most points for fearlessness.

He performed a stellar drum solo -- no easy feat in a show that ran about two hours and 15 minutes -- that began on the floor before he was rigged up to fly between two suspended drum kits high above the stage.

Too bad Lee ruined that impressive display by running around with a digital video camera afterwards demanding women in the audience expose their breasts.

"God bless the titties!" he screamed like a crazy man.

[loss of fools]

just saying 2 and 1/2 hours is pritty good for a gig these days.

[classicdude]

I'm curious to see how they sound these days. They were the shit, back in the day. Titties galore, Tommy Lee drumming upside-down above the crowd....un-fucking-believable. Guess I'll see in a couple weeks. I saw Vince Neil solo a couple years back and it was pretty sad. He was pretty sloshed, basically up on stage groping the gals in bikinis, holding the mike out to the audience to sing....this was a little before his meltdown where he got pissed because nobody recognized his solo songs, lol. :D

[Panamark]

The original band. I wish them every success !
Fuck these bands like Van Hagar.

[Vinnie Velvet]

I'll second that:

FUCK VAN HAGAR.

Seems like Motley's new show makes last year's Van Hagar show look like Disney on Ice.

[Full Bug]

Glad I saw them back on the Dr.Feelgood tour, not sure if I could be bothered now....

[DavidLeeNatra]

where have I seen that midget thing before... :confused: :confused: :confused:

still wannabes...

[academic punk]

Originally posted by DavidLeeNatra


still wannabes...

and never-ever gonna-be's...

[Chaz Rock City]

I saw Motley Crue in Cleveland last week. They FUCKING rocked!! They actually played On with the Show. Vince is keeping the weight off. Mick actuaaly walked around. The place went nuts when he took center stage and played the solo in looks that Kill. My only complaint is the t-shrits were lame. Bring back Allister Fiend.

I told a friend of mine that I saw Crue and the place was almost sold out. He thought they were at the House Of Blues. His jaw hit the ground when I told him they played Gund Arena.

[Panamark]

Awesome ! :D

[Terry]

Only time I saw the Crue was in Feb 1984, opening for Ozzy. They kicked some serious ass.

Not quite sure what the big deal about them reuniting this year is, though. As already pointed out on this thread, hasn't been all that long since they hit the road together. Even back in their heyday, they were always at the top of my B list of stuff I listened to in the 1980s.

Good to hear those that went dug the show, though. CVH should take a cue from the Crue, cuz those guys don't really care that much for each other's company either, but they are able to put all that shit aside, give people what they want and pick up a hefty paycheck for doing so.

[DLR_EngineRoom]

Originally posted by DavidLeeNatra
where have I seen that midget thing before... :confused: :confused: :confused:

still wannabes...


Originally posted by academic punk
and never-ever gonna-be's...

too bad you guys have no clue. Anyone...ANYONE with a passion for good ol' fashioned 80's metal and classic rock would have and will love this show. I don't understand how someone can dig CVH and not like the original crue - but that's just MO

[Panamark]

Originally posted by DLR_EngineRoom
too bad you guys have no clue. Anyone...ANYONE with a passion for good ol' fashioned 80's metal and classic rock would have and will love this show. I don't understand how someone can dig CVH and not like the original crue - but that's just MO


I totally agree, I think its awesome when the original lineups can
get it together. Motley Crue were never my favourite band in the 80's,
but I will give them my hard earned, should they visit OZ.

Agree with Terry's comments too, great example of a bunch of pricks
that hate each other, but can put aside differences for the show.
Motley Crue are better than Van Halen. (In this respect)

[Panamark]

Priest will be awesome ! Franky goes to hollywood ?? Natra, do you put those guys in the hard rock/metal genre ??

I put them in the gay synth genre.

[Terry]

Kinda got into Crue when Too Fast For Love and Shout At The Devil first came out. Saw 'em open for Ozzy, saw 'em kick some ass - this was when they were touring behind Shout At The Devil.

Then that Theater Of Pain with that Home Sweet Home power-ballad queerness pretty much soured me on the band, same as Van Hagar's gayness ruined Van Halen for me.

How can I like Classic Halen and not Motley Crue? Buncha reasons. Crue had really no musicianship to speak of. Tommy Lee was competent, but the rest were duds. Vince can't sing. Never could. Trite lyrics, and how they all run around telling everyone how badass they are, or were. To the point where I'm thinking if someone's gotta TELL you what a badass they are, well...then they're probably not.

Classic Van Halen are right up there for me with Led Zep, The Who, etc. But just because EVH's style and Roth's antics were a direct and heavy inspiration for a bunch of 1980s LA Hair bands who tried to copy them, it doesn't follow that I'm gonna like the substandard copies. Crue might think that because they sold some records and put out their own tell-all biography that they're in the same league of musicianship and depravity as c;assic Van Halen or Led Zeppelin, but they're not even fuckin' close.

All that said, for a Crue fan it must have been shit-hot to see the original lineup back together, well-rehearsed and live. Too bad CVH can't get their shit together.

[Seshmeister]

Call me an anal cunt but I'm not going to this show.

I've set ticketmaster to email me if there is a rock concert in the UK because in this day in age you need to just take what you can and usually it's a good night out remembering past glories, If you went to every gig possible in the genre that would be about 5 a year.

Fuck I bought a ticket for Twisted Sister show the other week.

Motley is a different thing, I'm probably cutting off my nose to spite my face on thsi but a vow is a vow.

Last time they toured here was Dr Feelgood. THey cancelled the first gig costing me money giving the excuse thay they were worried it might snow leaving snow on the roof which might endanger Tommy Lee's drum kit.

The real reason was obviously to do with heroin.

They rescheduled and with Skid Row supporting eventually turned up. I travelled 50 miles for the show and on the way in was offered $70 for my $20 ticket. I think this was more to do with the fact that Skid Row had taken off than MC.

Even though that was a huge amount of money to me at the time I refused and went to the gig. It was the last night of their world tour so we expected great things. Crue reduced their set to 1 hour so they could get their jet home early and 10 minutes of that was Mick Mars doing a Spinal Tap type solo.

I vowed on that day never ever would I give those cunts money again.

14 years later I'm still not doing it.

Cheers!

:gulp:

[Panamark]

Geez Sesh,

sounds like you need to go just to recoup your losses :D

[Terry]

Originally posted by DLR_EngineRoom
I don't see Crue being in the same class as Stryper, Loverboy or Franky......although I always did like Loverboy

I can maybe see the connection w/Stryper as they're both metal but...

Frankie Goes To Hollywood?? A gay band that wasn't even considered rock? I dungeddit...........



1) If you think 'Theatre Of Pain' was all about 'Home Sweet Home' you've obviously either never heard that album or you haven't heard that album in a looooong time, because it is motherfucking heavy!

There's not a weak track on that album, unless of course you consider 'Home Sweet Home' a weak track because it's slow. That album is nothing but classic metal, and it sure as hell ain't pop-metal like Dream Theatre or Danger Danger. Pure shred, IMO.

2) 'Musicianship'? Vince sounds good enough live but he puts on a great show. Mick is a pretty good guitarist, especially now having to shlep across the stage and still sound great, I don't know who you're comparing him to. Nikki is a decent bass-player with notable lyrics - nothing too amazing but so what? And Tommy? One of the finest known drummers today, just too bad his solo on this tour sucks.

The Crue as a group may not be the most talented 'musicians', but their vibe and synergy is nothing short of kick ass. Period.

3) Crue may not be up there with CVH, The Who and Zeppelin, but then we're talking classic rock, not the 'new breed of metal' that hit us in the early eighties. Although they're considered rock, they are more in the vein of classic metal than anything else, if you feel you have to pigeon-hole them into a 'type'.

Everyone's entitled to their opinions......yada yada and so forth.

They may not be up there with other classic rock artists, but who cares.

It's loud, it's melodic, it sounds great and it gives new meaning to the words 'dance music'. Ain't that what Rock n' Roll is all about, anyway?

Theater Of Pain - More on that album than Home Sweet Home. Agreed. Also has fodder like Raise Your Hands To Rock and Smoking In The Boys Room. Bout the only useful track on that album is Save Our Souls.

Mick, Vince and Nikki definitely prove that there's strength in numbers. Essence of the Crue was how well they went together. Vince never was a great singer, Mars was never a great guitarist and Sixx isn't much of a bass player (the man wrote a couple of grooves I dig), but they're solid enough as a unit. Tommy Lee I gave props to.

Don't get me wrong. I'll pop in Too Fast For Love or Shout At The Devil, listen from beginning to end and have no regrets, but after their second album for every good track they made there were several duds on subsequent releases. But like you said, everyone entitled to their opinion, etc...if you dig 'em, God Bless.

[Seshmeister]

I don't get the Theater of Pain thing. Very mediocre album.

And I'd rather listen to Frankie goes to Hollywood than Loverboy any day. Actually that's a bad example since I'd rather listen to the sound of my scrotum being hit with a claw hammer than Loverboy.

Rob Halford is gay so what's ass fucking got to do with it?