The wild hair? Gone. The crazy make-up? No more. Although the 80s have come and passed, one thing is for certain: Motley Crue can still rock a crowd of thousands.
The Crue showed their “Wild Side” on Aug. 20 in Hartford, Conn., playing for a capacity crowd at the New England Dodge Music Center (formerly known as The Meadows).
The most pleasing aspect of the show was the extremely diverse set list ranging from their 1982 debut “Too Fast For Love” to their most recent release “Red, White and Crue.” Opening with “Shout At the Devil” and more pyrotechnics than God, the audience knew it would be a night full of unforgettable hits and insane stage stunts. Singer Vince Neil worked the stage like a pro, hurtling himself back and forth across the stage, working the crowd to their extreme, letting neither his nor the audience’s energy fade.
After a killer opening followed a longtime fan favorite “Ten Seconds To Love.” Without a moment to spare they jumped into other 80’s classics such as “Dr. Feelgood,” “Girls Girls Girls,” “Live Wire” and one all-around amazing and virtually exhilarating show.
Perhaps the most crowd-pleasing song of the set, “On With the Show,” was played mid-show. Yet another track off of the band’s debut, the song was just what The Crue needed to please their long-time loyal friends. In the same frame of mind, “Louder Than Hell,” off of their “Theatre of Pain” record, served the same purpose.
The intensity could be seen and felt in the actions and on faces of the audience. It had been quite a long time to make the fans wait. However, for not having played together in eight years, the band was right on target with Neil, nailing song after song. Drummer Tommy Lee, guitarist Mick Mars and bassist Nikki Sixx were sensational. The guitar exuding from the frail Mars was phenomenal given he underwent two surgeries simply to be able to tour. Vince’s voice held no error either.
For his solo, Tommy flew back and forth across the rafters, switching drum sets for a hefty, solid solo. Lee’s attempts to pursuade girls to lift up their shirts shortly after his solo only took away from the show musically, giving the band a more unprofessional look as the drummer endlessly talked. (He must think he is still on his obnoxious and unneccesary reality show). Beer run anyone?
Despite this, my one other wish would be that the Dodge Center’s crew be as crafty and alert. Cameras were constantly off focus and blurry, proving difficult for us lawn seat-ers. Sometimes, it simply seemed rather chaotic. The Crue could not be blamed, however.
Also, their managers should have paired the group with a better touring mate as well. Sum 41 are hardly worthy enough to play with a group such as this, who have such a long history. What is Poison or Warrant up to these days?
As the set list winded down, the Crue left the stage with a literally explosive “Kickstart My Heart” as fireworks lit up the stage and the night. Set wise, the only upright disappointment was the encore, ending with their cover of the Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy in the UK?” I would have rather been “Smoking in the Boys Room.”
Leave a Reply