Motley Crue – Madison Square Garden – October 28th 2014
It has taken me a week to digest what I saw at Madison Square Garden on October 28th.
Maybe a little back story will help……
A long time ago in a land far far far away…. oh wait thats a different story for a different time.
Back in the early 80s, I lived in Southern Illinois. A small town with a small cable company that hadnt heard of something I started watching back in Connecticut.
Something called Mtv.
On Friday and Saturday nights I got my video fix late at nite, watching Night Flight on USA.
One night they showed a video of this band from Los Angeles, all in leather hair all over the place, skulls blood and fire, playing a song called “Live Wire”.
That was all it took and over the next 3 or 4 years I lived and breathed Crue. Posters, records, tshirts, hats, banners. Listening to my mom complain about the pentagrams all over my room.
I didnt care.
I was 14 or so and I had found my music.
Fast forward 30 years or so……
Damn I am getting old.
Motley Crue’s final tour……
I dont have the posters on the walls anymore, a few autographed pictures and some cool collectibles. That the wife doesnt complain about, that much.
Normally I go to the Mohegan Sun Arena to see concerts with Scott (my bro in law and partner in concert crime) but unfortuntely he had a wedding to go and we ended up not going to see Crue that nite.
Scott then comes up with a brilliant plan…….
Lets see them at Madison Square Garden.
Seeing as I have never been there for a show I thought it was a great idea. We made the drive down into New York City.
The lure of the bright lights…..
Alice Cooper opening for the Crue……
I could not think of any reason not to go.
I have been a fan of Alice Cooper since the mid 80s, a friend gave me a copy of Alice Coopers Greatest Hits and I couldnt turn it off. What a summer that was…….
Alice’s set was my only real complaint of the evening, but it is a petty complaint from a fan. The set was WAYYYYYY to short. In hindsight, considering the 2 hour long onslaught I was about to endure was well worth the shortened set by the Master of Shock Rock.
They opened the night off with “Saints of Los Angeles” One of my favorites off the last album. Can you even call them albums anymore??? then moved into “Wild Side” always a crowd favorite, as “Primal Scream” started you could almost hear the crowd singing the words instead of Vince.
Then came “Same Old Situation” followed by some good old school Crue…… “Looks that Kill”, “On With The Show” and “To Fast For Love”. Screaming along to Vince and reliving those moments that I do remember from my teen years when those tunes were playing in the background…….. yes I said screaming, no one is singing at a Crue show, they scream lol.
I was in high school when those came out, and at basic training when “Smoking in The Boys Room” was released off of “Theater of Pain” what an interesting summer that was lol
“Without You” and “Mother Fucker of the Year” were next on the docket with a lil 10 minute history lesson thrown into the mix from Nikki.
Everything starts with a dream……..
These four guys have had it, lived it and now are reflecting on it. A lesson we can all learn from.
The night continued into a couple of my favorite songs…. “Anarchy in the UK” I am not sure which cover I like better, theirs or Megadeths. Not that they compare to the Sex Pistols. And the title track off their best album ever (in my humble opinion) “Dr Feelgood”. I saw them twice on that tour here in Connecticut, in Hartford where Warrant opened for them and then again in Bristol…. what a day that was. Johnny Crash, Tesla, Motley Crue….. there was one more band opening for them but I forget who it was LOL. I wouldve seen them a third time in New Haven but my first wife was pregnant with our first son and due at any point……. its a good thing to, they cut that show short when Tommy fell from his elevated drum kit during his solo and had to be rushed to the hospital.
The lights dropped down after “Dr Feelgood” and “In The Beginning” started playing, I dont know about anyone else at MSG but I was stoked! I have seen the Crue a few times over the years and I never heard them play this… then the flames and pyro and the flames… Nikki had this bass that shot flames! It was amazing!!!!
Forgive the pic it just doesnt do it justice….
Up to this point it was amazing, with all the pyro and the lights they were definitely going all out for this show.
After this Vince got to play a little guitar for the power ballad “Without You”
Then the real fun started……
Its called the “Cruecifier” Tommy Lee’s roller coaster set up for this tour. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! almost 10 minutes of it riding the track from the stage to the back of the floor and back all the while spinning…..
One moment upright, next moment upside down…… there is alot of video of it on YouTube from the MSG show look it on up.
Cant forget Mick Mars, after Tommys drum solo it was this guitarists turn to wow us with his playing…. and he did.
Then he took his guitar solo into another of my favorite old school tunes….
“Live Wire”
I dont know what is worse about going to these shows of my long time favorite bands. The sore neck and head the next day or the flood of youthful memories that come careening back.
The show continued with “To Young to Fall in Love” and the perennial strip club fave “Girls Girls Girls” The show was drawing to a close.
“Kickstart My Heart” finished the set, another gem from Dr Feelgood.
My heart sank…… I knew there would be an encore, but sitting there thinking, this is it, Crue’s final tour. To many good memories, so many great shows….. all about to come to an end.
From the front of the floor I could see spotlights, twirling around hitting all over the crowd, and people screaming and yelling….. The Crue were walking back towards the back of the floor were a small stage was set up at the base of the “Cruecifier”
It was encore time.
“Home Sweet Home”
This song has always brought back memories of a hurried race across Atlanta’s HUGE airport trying to catch a flight home from basic training at the end of the summer of 85 lol and now it will always also bring back memories of my first time at Madison Square Garden for Motley Crue’s last show there.
Thank you Nikki, Vince, Tommy and Mick for over 30 years of great music and times.