Let’s face it, when Mötley Crüe congregated at Beachers Madhouse in Hollywood in 2014 to announce their intention to quit touring, they were fooling no-one.
The charade which was beamed live around the saw the band sit side by side behind headstones bearing each members name and then signed contracts which apparently prevented them from touring as Mötley Crüe after their upcoming World Tour had finished.
Motley Crue – The End Live in Los Angeles (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Release Date: 20 November 2020
Words: Brian Boyle
It was a piece of Rock ‘n’ Roll theatre like no other. It was arrogant. It was classless. It was tacky as f**k and about as sincere as a get well soon card from Donald Trump. But it was pure Mötley Crüe.
But low and behold five years later while riding on the back of the massive success of their superb biopic ‘The Dirt’, the band who pretty much defined 80’s Glam Metal were back.
A massive co-headline US stadium tour with Def Leppard, supported by Poison and Joan Jett ,was announced and in turn making the media circus at Beachers Madhouse an even bigger giggle. But if you temporarily ignore the inevitable comeback, cast your mind back to 31 December, 2015 at the Staples Center, Los Angeles.
Crüe were making their ‘last’ live appearance in their hometown. You can read MetalTalk’s report of the evening here.
And this beautifully presented package is a luxurious keepsake of an electric night in LA. If double live albums are your drug , then this is a sumptuous shot in the arm.
Spun on two yellow vinyl discs that are tucked into a fabulous gatefold sleeve, it features an all action pic of Tommy Lee about to take flight on his custom made drum roller-coaster.
As far as the music goes, well as you would expect, it is a career spanning setlist that truly does not disappoint. The ultra non-pc ‘Girls Girls Girls’ followed by ‘Wild Side’ get you in that hedonistic 80’s zone early doors. Two of their more polite moments follow with ‘Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)’ and’ Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)’, still exuding timeless quality.
But as much as we love the Crüe cranking out of our turntable speakers, when you add the visuals to the audio it is a much more rounded experience. So the DVD included of that memorable New Year’s Eve is without doubt the USP of this splendid offering.
And it goes without saying that it is box office Mötley Crüe. There are enough lights to illuminate planet earth and the pyro is ramped up to eleven, which can distract from some of Vince Neil’s vocal deficiencies. However backing singers/dancers Allison Kyler and Sofia Toufa steal the limelight when slinging shapes around on curtain raiser ‘Girls Girls Girls’.
Although they may have been young anarchic whippersnappers when ‘Smokin In The Boys Room’ and ‘Looks That Kill’ landed 30 odd years ago, they still deliver them with that cheeky snarl and get the masses eating out of their hands.
With the stage burning up like a Guy Fawkes barbecue in Hell, coupled with Nikki Sixx’s fire spitting Gibson Thunderbird, ‘Shout At The Devil’ singes the eyebrows off 20,000 Los Angelenos.
If they were handing out awards for gimmickry then Tommy Lee’s drum roller-coaster would win every time , as brave as it is completely nuts, but it sums up this magnificent Rock N Roll drummer. The pyrotechnics come to the rescue on ‘Live Wire’ which is a bit harsh vocally ,but still delights the eyes.
‘Dr Feelgood’ and ‘Kickstart My Heart’ are just as blinding with the latter seeing Sixx and Neil hovering over the crowd in cherry pickers, as you do. The band relocate to a small stage in the middle of the auditorium for an emotional version of ‘Home Sweet Home’ and with Lee sat at the piano to tickle those famous notes, many a tear is shed by those who thought that was that from Sunset Strip’s bad boys.
It may have turned out to have been a false ending, but Mötley Crüe have always done what the hell they have wanted with a big extended finger in your face. That is why we love them.
Setlist:
Girls Girls Girls
Wild Side
Primal Scream
Same Ol’ Situation(S.O.S.)
Don’t Go Away Mad(Just Go Away)
Rock ‘n’ Roll Part 2/Smokln In The Boys Room
Looks That Kill
Mutherfucker Of The Year
In The Beginning /Shout At The Devil
Louder Than Hell
Drum Solo
Guitar Solo
Saints Of Los Angeles
Live Wire
T. N. T. (Terror ‘N’ Tinseltown) /Dr Feelgood
Kickstart My Heart
Home Sweet Home.
