CALIFORNIA ROCK NEWS

Motley Crue, a name synonymous with rock n’roll debauchery, has been around for over three decades. There is probably not a single fan of rock and metal who doesn’t know who Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, Vince Neil and Tommy Lee are. With all the ups and downs that shook up the band’s existence over 34 years, these four rockers leave with a very successful and lucrative final tour and only good memories from the fans.   If someone tries to deny that, the five final shows in Southern California that packed arenas in the last two weeks of 2015 are proof that Motley Crue is not only relevant right now, but will stay relevant for years to come… despite the fact the band members will never again play together under the Motley Crue moniker.

The biggest ‘wow’ of the night was unquestionably the malfunctioning of Tommy Lee’s Cruecifly.  Lee’s drum solo roller-coaster stunt might be one of the biggest lures in the show and it attracts thousands of people mainly because today some of us are wondering ‘How is he doing it after all these years?’

Now things seemed to go haywire on New Year’ Eve shortly before midnight. When Lee was about to complete the first loop, the platform with the drum set got stuck in the air, which required some technical assistance.  Now, whether it was the biggest prank of the year, sort of a calculated indication of Lee finally giving up Cruecifly, or if it was a real malfunction, it was hard to say at the moment. Many fans left the show still under impression it was all part of the final show.

However, to describe the Cruecifly incident as the main happening of the night would be unfair!  We sure all know things can go south, north or even down in any show of that caliber, and perhaps Motley Crue is not an exception.  Still, for the band, that has been setting up standards for many musicians since the 80s, it would be quite easy to entertain up to twenty thousand people since the set list was fully-on packed with classics.  Here we have the show starters “Girls, Girls, Girls”, “Wild Side” and “Primal Scream.”  Those who know Tommy Lee as the stuntman may need to reconsider – he has not lost his groovy touch.

A few songs into the show, Vince Neil almost dropped a tear as he spoke to the crowd; surely it was an emotional moment for everyone in the house.  New Years Eve marked an end of an era not only for the band, but the fans as well.

Going into 2016 to the sound of iconic “Dr. Feelgood” could only indicate one thing for those who gathered at Staples Center – each and one of those people were going to ‘feel good” for the rest of 2016 because this is how Motley Crue wants you to feel!

The culmination of the show during “Kickstart My Heart” with balloons and confetti flying through the arena, was sure worth the wait. As a tradition, Motley Crue relocated to the center of the arena for the encore “Home Sweet Home.”