Review: Motley Crue, Poison

Vince Neil of Motley Crue. Photos by Michael Ransdell/The Star

Defiantly dumb yet brilliantly entertaining, Tuesday's glam metal concert at Sprint Center was a celebration of sleaze and moral vacuousness.   Motley Crue and Poison, two cartoonish bands with roots in the '80s, created a decadent spectacle.  The New York Dolls, an influential band indirectly responsible for the evening's trashy aesthetic, served as the opening act.  

An irony-free homage to old-fashioned arena rock concerts, the event emphasized elements that have fallen out of favor in recent years.  Big hair, drum solos, catwalks, pyrotechnics and body-rattling volume thrilled a nostalgic audience of approximately 8,000. 

In spite of its thirty-year career, Motley Crue doesn't have enough solid material to effectively round out a ninety-minute set.  It didn't matter.  Even when the music was lacking during the quartet's ninety-minute performance, a constant barrage of special effects maintained interest.  And during a handful of memorable songs- most notably "Shout at the Devil," "Looks That Kill" and "Home Sweet Home"- the sensory overload was genuinely astounding.  

Motley Crue's set resembled a post-apocalyptic gentlemen's club that featured two athletic female dancers and vocalists.  Their frequently lascivious routines were upstaged by an even more impressive sight.  Drummer Tommy Lee was mounted on a circular track that allowed him to perform upside down.  The display was as impressive as it was ridiculous.

Bret Michaels

Just as Lee's non-musical endeavors have made him a subject of tabloid fodder, Poison's Bret Michaels has achieved a similar sort of celebrity status.  A reality show icon, Michaels seems to have completely overcome the severe health problems that resulted in a recent hospitalization.  The relentless energy and contagious good cheer he displayed in his saccharine metal band's 50-minute set delighted the audience. 

While Michaels and his band mates are barely serviceable musicians, they're outstanding showman.  Michaels even referred to a minor miscue in the introduction to the power ballad smash "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" as "a Spinal Tap moment," a refreshing indication that he's willing to laugh at himself.  

David Johansen

David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain, the two surviving original members of the New York Dolls, also smiled through much of their forty-minute set.  Few in the early-arriving audience returned the gesture.  With the addition of seasoned musicians including guitarist Earl Slick, songs from the band's 1973 debut album like "Trash" sounded surprisingly polished.  Hearing the New York Dolls cement their legacy as punk innovators, however, didn't appeal to the baffled audience.

This unfortunate miscue aside, the concert, as the title of a Poison hit succinctly suggests, was "Nothin' but a Good Time."

| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star

Comments

[NEW]

Sorry. I meant "fact" checking.

[PE#1]

Did The Star actually cut the reviewer a check for this blantantly biased "review". You bet they did! As of my post, he's garnered over 50 posts/traffic on this site. All in days work media, all in a days work.

The reviewer obviously doesn't like this genre of music which is fine by me but can you as a "professional" set aside your boundaries in music and provide an actual review? Good call "Bob" on the lack of setlist. BTW - they also played "Too Fast For Love".

Everyone in our group had a BLAST from start to finish. No question we'd do it again. If you can't say the same, well perhaps your live performance expectations for 30-year old metal bands needs some adjusting. All things considered, live Motley can still smoke a majority of the new rock bands that 98.9 plays over, and over, and over.......

[Gary]

You are writing like a tool-- CC is a very precise and practiced guitarist.

[Kurt]

I saw an online newspaper review of their show in Minneapolis at the Target Center and 12,000 were in attendance. Glad that this tour is doing good business in some cities. The Twin Cities has 3.2 million and KC has 2 million in it. A larger metro would likely draw more to a show also. I saw online reviews of Motley Crue in Milwaukee and Cincinnati and no numbers were given. I like facts.

[Jess]

Motley Crue is awesome! Going to their concert July 5th @ Hard Rock Cafe Ft. Laud FL. Cant wait….I’m a big fan but 1st time seeing them live. I’ve heard its the best time ever. Great tickets @ Totaltickets.com