Hellfest 2023 – Mötley Crüe. As darkness finally settles on Friday night and the heat sits at a cosy 26 °C, every single pair of eyes is turned towards the main stage for the Kings Of Los Angeles to make their arrival.
As the intro video rolls, the anticipation goes overboard, and as the drums kick into Wildside, the crowd goes wild. Even the most sceptical heart began racing as the feeling of seeing Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx onstage again, and Mötley Crüe did not disappoint.
With perfect sound and a setlist to die for, The Crüe ripped through Looks That Kill, Too Fast For Love, and Don’t Go Away Mad – it would be impossible to watch this band live in 2023 and not grin from ear to ear.
Vince Neil is arguably sounding and looking better than on the band’s “farewell” tour, and it can’t be denied that he is trying his best. The true revelation is the addition of guitar virtuoso John 5. While Mick Mars will always remain inimitable, John 5 succeeds by bringing his very own style to the band along with heaps of energy. His tone, style and fanatical attention to the details on the album tracks is stunning.
Machine Gun Kelly makes another Hellfest appearance by coming out to perform his rap section on The Dirt before Nikki Sixx takes the mic to thank all the fans for being here with them. “Mötley Crüe truly loves you – you are us, and we are you!”
A cover medley that begins with Gary Glitter’s Rock And Roll PT 2 before going into Smoking In The Boys Room, Helter Skelter, with Charles Manson as the backdrop, and ending with Anarchy in the U.K and The Ramones Blitzkrieg Bop is so brazenly done it’s absolutely brilliant.
The Crüe end with a one-two blast of Primal Scream and Kickstart My Heart. The band take a very well-deserved bow and thunderous applause. It’s fabulous, silly, over the top, bombastic, brazen and absolutely brilliant—an iconic moment at the most iconic of festivals.
Take Part: Are you at Hellfest this year? Who are you looking forward to see? Want to get in touch and tell us how it’s going? Email MetalTalk Editor Steve Ritchie to tell us how it’s going for you. Hellfest@MetalTalk.net
Hellfest 2023
MetalTalk Hellfest 2023 coverage can be found at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2023
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