Motley Crue and KISS light up Lakewood Amphitheatre
[As of this week, I'll be on with my rock 'n' roll pal Kaedy Kiely at 97.1 The River every Wednesday at 6:50 and 7:50 a.m. to talk about the latest rock news. Tune in to see what's up!]
Look, a roller coaster loop! Oh, and a girl hanging from it. Taken at Motley Crue's July 20 show in Virginia. Photo credit: Riccardo S. Savi/Getty Images
It’s another blandly named tour (see: Summer Music Festival) that is the antithesis of dull.
“The Tour” is Motley Crue and KISS, sharing a bill and seeing who can light up the stage with the most pyro and rattle your chest the hardest.
It’s a draw, really, between these two titans of tinnitus-causing rawk and if you’re a fan of both bands’ fist-thrusting, innuendo-filled pop-metal, then you couldn’t have left Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood disappointed Tuesday night.
The show setup has Motley Crue performing first (you think Gene Simmons will ever “open” for anyone again?) and there was something fundamentally wrong with watching the Crue perform at dusk.
This is a band that should only be heard in the dark, where their snaky rhythms and primal metal riffs thrive. Even Tommy Lee could feel something seemed flat, as he several times asked fans if they were feeling all right.
The Crue spared no expense on a wicked cool stage setup – sort of a burned out industrial warehouse decorated with metal fans, platforms for fire to settle for songs at a time and a roller coaster loop for Lee’s drum solo (more on that later) – and designed a light show that escalated in awesomeness with every song.
But considering this was only the fourth night of a tour that winds through the end of September, you couldn’t help but wonder how Vince Neil’s voice will hold up for almost 40 more shows.
The scruffy blond frontman huffed to catch his breath after the second song of the set, the visceral “Wild Side.” Then his voice shrieked painfully during “Shout at the Devil” and he half-yelped, half-spoke the words to “Dr. Feelgood,” a distraction that yanked away the enjoyment of the song’s sinewy groove.
Musically, though, the band sounded tight, especially the hulking rhythm section of Lee and bassist Nikki Sixx. Even Mick Mars, the scary-cartoon Crypt Keeper perched on spindly legs, ripped through solos with more velocity than he has in years, most noticeably on the punky rush of “Livewire” and the set-closing “Kickstart My Heart.”
The star of the show, though, as is often the case with Crue, was Lee. The toothpick-thin drummer – one of the most underrated in rock – trotted to the front of the stage to first spray the crowd with a bottle of champagne and then slide behind a mirrored grand piano for the inevitable “Home Sweet Home.”
Nikki Sixx hangs out with a fan in Virginia. Photo credit: Riccardo S. Savi/Getty Images
Lee dedicated the song to his recently deceased mother, Mars added some mournful guitar to the opening melody and most of the 12,000-plus people in the amphitheater were whisked back to 1985, when the power ballad was MTV’s most requested video ever and we all wished we could have that pink scarf Neil sported in it.
Motley Crue is one of the rare bands where the drum solo is anticipated and Lee’s creativity and flair get high marks. After getting strapped in – as he always seems to be for his solos – Lee performed an array of drum patterns, many incorporating his affection for electronica, while his drum riser slowly spun around and upside down on the roller coaster track. He repeated the trick, playing along to “Love Rollercoaster,” with a fan on board.
It might be gimmicky, but no more so than singing about “Girls, Girls, Girls” (the Atlanta shoutout given special emphasis by Neil) or, for that matter, the entire career of KISS.
Tuesday’s crowd was stocked with members of the KISS Army, and for nearly 90 minutes, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer gave their best because the crowd wanted the best. Right?
KISS’ setup was the opposite of Motley Crue’s, all open spaces with stacks of amplifiers, some lighted stairs and the HD screen behind Singer’s raised drum kit offering frequent close-ups of the band.
What's that on your left hand, Gene? KISS performed in London on July 4, but interestingly, their costumes were the same in Atlanta. Photo credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images
And from the opening “Detroit Rock City” to the platform-boot-stomp of “Shout it Out Loud” and “I Love it Loud,” flash pots exploded with every cymbal crash and punctuated every song ending, sending fans into a devil horn-throwing frenzy.
Stanley, who looked as if he was wearing the remains of a black ostrich around his shoulders, and Simmons, who had a noticeable new accessory to his bat wings and frizzy topknot – a wedding band – appeared gleeful as they dug into their familiar bag of razzle-dazzle tricks.
Simmons grabbed his flaming sword and turned it into a whooshing fireball with one spit of accelerant during “Firehouse” and later dribbled blood during his bass solo/ “God of Thunder” routine – which of course never gets old if you love the band’s brand of theater rock.
KISS has always been more about entertainment than musicality – and relax, KISS fans, there’s nothing wrong with that – and at Tuesday’s show, Stanley was determined to either woo the crowd or talk them to death in his Edith Bunker honk.
“It’s good to be back in a city that knows how to rock.” “I remember when we played on Peachtree, in a place called the Electric Ballroom.” “I want to come out and see y’all in the back…I want to hear my name from here to Augusta.” “We have a new album coming out in October, called ‘Monster.’”
Being interactive with the crowd is commendable, but his constant chatter got a bit tiresome after about the sixth song.
Stanely did, in fact, go to see the people in the back, ziplining to a rotating makeshift stage for “Love Gun.” He also engaged in his patented sideways wiggle as Thayer and Singer handled the heavy lifting on “Shock Me” and ended the song with a lengthy whiz-bam jam.
Simmons says hello in London. Photo credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images
At the turn of the century, KISS embarked on what they dubbed a “farewell” tour. Obviously, they changed their minds. And why not? As long as there are venues full of fans eager to fist-pump along to “Lick it Up” and “Rock and Roll All Nite” and the band looks and sounds this sharp, they might as well follow the money.
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65 comments Add your comment
Kevin
July 25th, 2012
3:24 pm
Guys, please, get over the Ace and Peter thing. I wish the original lineup was still together too, but it’s not possible. Sure Ace is clean now and I’m glad of it. Saw him in Milwaukee last fall and he was great. He caused a ton of headaches with his issues, he even admits it. Peter, well he’s just a bitch and always has been. Tommy is a great player and so is Eric. Enjoy the lineup as it is or don’t go to their shows or buy their merch. Its your choice. I do wish they would change up the set list and drop the solos to fit more songs into this set.
Bullwinkle J. Moose
July 25th, 2012
5:24 pm
Were old ladies throwing their Depends on stage?
MrD
July 25th, 2012
5:24 pm
Only white people complain about white people still rockin out at age 60. last time I looked the age for retirement was 62-65. But I guess it is OK for B.B. King to still tour at age 88 right? KISS is KISS. They rock! Interesting that haters would spend there time posting comments on a site about KISS. Maybe the haters should be the ones to retire from here and go spend time listening to their weak ass pop lip-syncing bitches? If you don’t like KISS? DON’T LISTEN TO IT!
Absurd Spider
July 25th, 2012
5:39 pm
@Boywonder I seen Motley Crue & Def Leppard in Manchester (U.K) last year it was the second time I seen the Crue & I will see them again & again.
As for Def Leppard yes I like there music & they sounded good live but it was just full of there Ballads & their Stage was bigger but Motley had a bigger sound & got the crowed going more.
So out of all the bands I have seen Live which is not many…
Aerosmith – Yes I whould see again!
Motley Crue – Yes I whould see them for a 3rd time!
Kiss – Yes I whould also see them for a 3rd time to!
Enuff Z’enuff – Yes I see them for a second time!
Ozzy – Seen him once he was O.K so will not see him again!
Def Leppard – Seen them once will not go out of my way to see them again musically good but to many ballads in there set to want to see them again I like to be rocked at a Rock gig!
Type O Negative – I wish I could of see them again but sadly that is not possible but at least I got a chance to see them!
Rick James
July 25th, 2012
6:02 pm
Its amazing to think that when Kiss was opening for Blue Oster Cult in the early days Eric Bloom referred to them as the new Monkees of rock and roll.It wasnt long before B.O.C. was opening for Kiss and they would probably give anything to be opening for them now.You have to admire the way they have indured. Rock on..
Anthem
July 25th, 2012
8:06 pm
Dude…….A Crue show IS A KISS SHOW. Didn’t Kiss do the “circus” concept back in ‘98 and the ‘dancing girl” thing back in ‘93? And as far as i could remember….back when Kiss “opened” for Aerosmith, i remember seeing half the crowd leave during Aerosmith’s second song. Yeah,let the music do the talking Mr. Jagger….umm i mean Steven ‘o’ Idol. Peace out>
tim ward
July 25th, 2012
11:03 pm
two ironclad bands,outstanding shows. i wish i could see them for every single show on THE TOUR.
Pete
July 26th, 2012
3:21 am
I see so many comments and alot are from people who did not even go to the show.Yes they are getting old etc,but so are you and I…Why do people feel the need to comment when they didn’t go and just seem to like to stir up b.s….Is this the sad lonely lives we lead and have nothing better to do!..I know I wanted to go and in a wheelchair my friend who always wanted to see Kiss already had a family vacation planned or I’d/we would have went..Maybe they love what they do and don’t want to retire,even if you think their day has past…For me I’ve seen the Crue a few times and loved it,but I only went through a short couple year phase of Kiss,but even though I got over them years ago I still can listen to all those songs that drew me in and I wanted to go just to be able to say I seen them once…I was raised with the theory if you have nothing nice to say,say nothing at all..For those who went and want to gripe you got somewhat of a right,for those who just want to sit bored online and did not go or want to,why bother?…Remember Rock-n-Roll is about fun,enviroment and having a good time and listening to music and maybe making new friends…Gripe and it’s your choice,but whats pathetic is people who make negative remarks like these bands need to retire etc and did not go to the show or even want to,then go type positive stuff on bands you want to see…Peace and to come here and write I’d never see Kiss or they will never be good without Ace Frehley is a waste of typing,because it changed notta!
Stephen David Calhoun
July 26th, 2012
9:57 am
I’ve been asked several times today what I thought about the KISS/Motley Crue concert. I have been a fan of KISS since their inception in 1973. I have all of their albums (minus their numerous greatest hits albums). I have seen them in concert now 7 or 8 times. It is with a sad heart that I have to say that I was disappointed with the show. Motley Crue was fine. Great energy. But that same energy was missing with the members of KISS. They just seemed to “be there”, for lack of a better term. Going through the paces. It was almost a carbon copy of the 2010 concert except shorter. The thing that got got me was that they sang maybe 11 or 12 songs. They combined the Eric Singer drum solo with the Tommy Thayer guitar solo. I’ve never seen that done before. And to be honest… Paul sounded rough. I know that he has recently had throat surgery, but wow. He simply cannot hit the notes that he used to hit seemingly without effort. They only played one song from the upcoming album “Monster”. That shows me that they perhaps do not have a great deal of confidence in the product that they will be releasing in October. Granted… as a fan… I will still get the album. If “Monster” turns out anything like “Psycho Circus” or “Sonic Boom”, I will be happy and I will be extra happy to be proven wrong. Please guys… PROVE ME WRONG. Inasmuch as I am a HUGE KISS fan (and anyone who went to high school with me knows that I am), I think that it’s time to turn in the “concert shoes”. Keep the studio albums coming. But if you’re only going to sing 11 or 12 songs, you need to cut the ticket prices in half… if not more.
Skjohn
July 26th, 2012
10:57 am
The show of the year was Iron Maiden (Cooper was great too). I agree that Kiss is good entertainment and I give credit to Paul and Gene for their focus on the fans. I love the Crue but I agree that Vince is losing his ability to sing and the reality is that with so many of these bands, the singer is critical. You have no Crue without Vince. Going back to Maiden….that was a better show than any other band can put on. The sound. The spectacle. The music (Harris and the boys are the best at their craft that there is, like Mozart with a battering ram).
DILBERT WRINKLESAK
July 26th, 2012
2:49 pm
LOVE EM, HATE EM, WHATEVER!!!!! WE ARE ALL ON HERE BITCHIN ABOUT THEM, CRYING ABOUT THEM, COMPLEMENTING THEM WHILE THEY GO TO THE NEXT SOLD OUT SHOW AND THE NEXT SOLD OUT SHOW AND THE NEXT SOLD OUT SHOW. AND HERE WE ARE, STILL TALKING ABOUT THEM.
ISN’T THAT KINDA THE DEFINITION OF “RELIVENT” ???????
BUT YOU WILL NEVER FULLY UNDERSTAND UNTIL YOU SIT 2ND ROW FOR THIS SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fair (and funny) review, Melissa
July 26th, 2012
7:31 pm
I thought “The Tour” show was a better one than the 2010 gig I caught from KISS, despite the shortened set. Performance wise, energy wise, and the new stage production is pretty jaw dropping to witness live. The inclusion of “War Machine” in this year’s set was a great addition. Yes, I wanted a longer set…but none of us felt ripped off in the aftermath. When you add the Crue’s set (who I also thought were better than the last time I saw them) it made for an amazing, memorable evening. Great vibes all around.
To Stephen David Calhoun…the reason KISS isn’t playing any album cuts from the Monster album during their limited 12 song set isn’t a lack of of confidence in it…it’s because it’s not released yet!! That’s why the put out the advance single in time for this Summer tour, which they DID play.
What a summer of concerts for old school fans. KISS/Crue, Maiden/Cooper (that was a great gig too), Aerosmith/Cheap Trick. Throw in the Van Halen show, the upcoming Rush gig, and catching Motorhead, Slayer and Anthrax on the Mayhem Tour…and it’s been one hell of a stretch of shows for me.
Back to Aerosmith for a moment, I’ve seen them four times over the years…including the Chicago date this summer. Their setlist this year is the best they’ve toured behind in quite some time. Cheap Trick were fantastic (per usual) in their too brief opening set. That said…not a one of the ‘Smith shows I’ve been to rose to the level of the best KISS concerts I’ve seen. But that’s me. For you ‘Smith fans going tonight…enjoy!! Trust me, you will.
SHOWMEN
July 26th, 2012
9:50 pm
IT WAS MY 42 BIRTHDAY PRESENT I THINK THE SHOW WAS AWESOME MONTLEY CRUE WAS VERY GOOD BUT IN MY HEART KISS TOOK THE SHOW PAUL AND GENE ARE JUST GREAT SHOWMEN BUTT ALL AND ALL BESIDES THE 11 DOLLER BEERS AND 5 DOLLER COKES 45 DOLLER TSHIRTS THE SHOW WAS VERY GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!CANT WAIT TILL NEXT YEARS TOUR.
Dug
July 27th, 2012
2:01 am
Ive been a Crue fan for 25 years, since I was 8. Vince has always sounded the same. He never sings all the words, and loves getting the crowd to sing the chorus. Trust me, he hasnt lost it. Check out a youtube clip from the 80s. Always rapped through Shout, always skipped words on Dr Feelgood etc. but he still lets it rip, works the stage, and always has the crowd singing. Top frontman!
Tim Grubaugh
July 31st, 2012
1:20 pm
My take on the show is that The KISS set was too short. The time that “The Treatment”(opening band from the U.K.) played, cut into what the paying public came to see. I missed hearing “Too Young To Fall In Love” and “If I Die Tomorrow”,by Motley and about 8 to 10 more songs that we should have been able to get from KISS. As far as Motley goes I hadn’t seen them since 1987 when GN’R’s opened for them in Savannah and I feel like they put on a great show! As for KISS I bought KISS Alive! in 1975 when it came out and I have now seen my third KISS show(Phillip’s 10/09 and Aaron’s(Lakewood)08/10) and this one left me wanting more. Paul sounded better than in the other shows and the lighting and stage set were great, but the set was too short!!!!!! Now what I’d love to see is “Shock Me” retired for good(weak song, just my opinion). Always play Duece and Strutter!!!! My bucket list of songs that we havn’t heard in Atl. in my 3 KISS shows would be C’mon and Love Me, Psycho Circus, Kissin’ Time, Nothin’ to Lose, Sure Know Something, I Stole Your Love, Strange Ways, and Hard Luck Woman. As far as Peter and Ace, they are near and dear to all that were KISS fans from the beginning, however I am glad that others have stepped in and carried the torch to keep the flashpots lit. Ace and Peter did come back and have a time to relive KISS. Eric Singer is a great drummer and has a lot of heart!!! Tommy has, like a good soldier, carried on the “Spaceman” and KISS traditions, but I would rather see him change his approach and do his own thing. Just my opinion I still love these guys, just to add an final tidbit when my shift ended at 7am the morning of the show, I drove to Savannah and picked up my 19 y/o daughter and brought her to this, her first KISS concert. I had grattus lawn seats but for her bought section 102 row S. …….She loved the show!!!!!!!!!! By the way Aerosmith was awesome on Thursday as well, of the four, Cheap Trick was very good but, I rate them as giving a fourth place performance.