Post by Jesse on May 16, 2004 20:50:35 GMT -5
I saw a Motley Crue tribute band last night called Theatre Of Pain and I thought I'd give my review:
Let me preface this by saying that I was never really into Motley Crue. I have all of one album of theirs (Live) and never really listen to it much anymore. In other words: maybe I'm not the best one to review these guys. But, I was there and you were not so here goes.
I normally wouldn't be going out to see a Motley Crue tribute band, especially when they were over an hour away, but a friend of a friend called and told me about it and said they were really good and that she could get me in without paying the cover. I didn't have anything else planned and she's a hottie, so, what the hell
. I met up with her in the parking lot of the place along with the band's singer (George) and drummer (Bill). Uh....if these guys want to pass themselves off as Vince Neil and Tommy Lee, I think they gotta take some lessons on being ignorant and obnoxious 
. They were real class act people and by the end of our conversations, I was actually looking forward to a night of Motley Crue music.
I guess they didn't go on 'til about 11, but they came out guns-a-blazin' and got the crowd into it with....a song I didn't know! In fact, I only knew 3 songs that entire first set (Home Sweet Home, Smokin' In The Boys Room and......ok, maybe I only knew 2 songs
). Didn't really matter though, they chose some really rockin', even if lesser known, songs for their first set and, as far as I could tell, played them flawlessly. Not only that, but they look the part as well. George looks and sounds more like Vince Neil than Vince Neil does anymore and struts around the stage and banters with the audience as if he really were Neil, they really were Motley Crue and they were playing a sold out arena instead of a 1/2 full bar. What else can I say? The guy's a great frontman. Jim (Bassist), doesn't look as much like Nikki Sixx as George looks like Neil, but he's close and plays great while doing all the rock-star poses you'd expect from the real Nikki Sixx. Bill (Drummer) doesn't look much like Tommy Lee even with the wig and spandex, but he's a hell of a drummer. As I said, I was never much into the Crue, but I had heard from people that Tommy Lee isn't all that great as a drummer. Well, unless this guy is embellishing the shit out of the drum parts to these songs, I'd say Tommy Lee is pretty darned good, as is Theatre Of Pain's Bill Shores 
! Okay, George (singer) looks the most like his character (Vince Neil) and his polar opposite was guitarist Rusty. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Mick Mars a little shit? About a head shorter than the rest of Motley Crue? Well, Rusty is a BIG guy, taller than the other members and he's got a big ol' beer gut that he rests his Flying V guitar on. I was looking at him thinking that if he wore a blonde wig instead of a black one, he could pass for Molly Hatchet's Phil McCormick 
! I make fun of him, but the guy could play! I thought he seemed to be a better player than I ever thought Mick Mars was. He didn't seem to be the showman that the other guys were, but I don't know that the real Mick Mars was much of a showman either. the guy shreds though .
Back to the music, I didn't know much of the first set, so I won't comment any further on that. Their second set started off with "Dr Feelgood" (my favorite Crue song) and pretty much followed suit with the rest of the Crue songs I knew. Stuff like "Same Old Situation", "Too Fast For Love", "Shout At The Devil", "Girls, Girls, Girls", etc. Not sure if they started the second set early or what, but they seemed to want to elongate the set so they started taking requests halfway through. I was impressed as they played whatever rare Crue song the audience asked for, before ending the set with "Looks That Kill" and "Kickstart My Heart" (I think they were the last 2, night's a bit hazy). The crowd wouldn't let up and it wasn't quite 2am yet, so they went back on for "Helter Skelter" and finally "Anarchy In The UK".
Everyone in the place seemed to love it, so I guess Theatre Of Pain WAS as good as I thought. I know I said it at least twice already, but I'll say it again. I'm NOT a Motley Crue fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed their show and plan to see them again when they come around in August (I think that's when they said they were returning). I heard that the REAL Motley Crue was reforming and doing a reunion tour this summer. Well, any Crue fans in New York, New Jersey or PA, I'd recommend that you save your money and go see Theatre Of Pain instead as I doubt the real Crue (Currently in their late 40's, I'm guessing, and burned out from years of drug abuses) will be as good in their 2004 incarnation.
Let me preface this by saying that I was never really into Motley Crue. I have all of one album of theirs (Live) and never really listen to it much anymore. In other words: maybe I'm not the best one to review these guys. But, I was there and you were not so here goes.
I normally wouldn't be going out to see a Motley Crue tribute band, especially when they were over an hour away, but a friend of a friend called and told me about it and said they were really good and that she could get me in without paying the cover. I didn't have anything else planned and she's a hottie, so, what the hell
. I met up with her in the parking lot of the place along with the band's singer (George) and drummer (Bill). Uh....if these guys want to pass themselves off as Vince Neil and Tommy Lee, I think they gotta take some lessons on being ignorant and obnoxious . They were real class act people and by the end of our conversations, I was actually looking forward to a night of Motley Crue music.I guess they didn't go on 'til about 11, but they came out guns-a-blazin' and got the crowd into it with....a song I didn't know! In fact, I only knew 3 songs that entire first set (Home Sweet Home, Smokin' In The Boys Room and......ok, maybe I only knew 2 songs
). Didn't really matter though, they chose some really rockin', even if lesser known, songs for their first set and, as far as I could tell, played them flawlessly. Not only that, but they look the part as well. George looks and sounds more like Vince Neil than Vince Neil does anymore and struts around the stage and banters with the audience as if he really were Neil, they really were Motley Crue and they were playing a sold out arena instead of a 1/2 full bar. What else can I say? The guy's a great frontman. Jim (Bassist), doesn't look as much like Nikki Sixx as George looks like Neil, but he's close and plays great while doing all the rock-star poses you'd expect from the real Nikki Sixx. Bill (Drummer) doesn't look much like Tommy Lee even with the wig and spandex, but he's a hell of a drummer. As I said, I was never much into the Crue, but I had heard from people that Tommy Lee isn't all that great as a drummer. Well, unless this guy is embellishing the shit out of the drum parts to these songs, I'd say Tommy Lee is pretty darned good, as is Theatre Of Pain's Bill Shores ! Okay, George (singer) looks the most like his character (Vince Neil) and his polar opposite was guitarist Rusty. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Mick Mars a little shit? About a head shorter than the rest of Motley Crue? Well, Rusty is a BIG guy, taller than the other members and he's got a big ol' beer gut that he rests his Flying V guitar on. I was looking at him thinking that if he wore a blonde wig instead of a black one, he could pass for Molly Hatchet's Phil McCormick 
! I make fun of him, but the guy could play! I thought he seemed to be a better player than I ever thought Mick Mars was. He didn't seem to be the showman that the other guys were, but I don't know that the real Mick Mars was much of a showman either. the guy shreds though .Back to the music, I didn't know much of the first set, so I won't comment any further on that. Their second set started off with "Dr Feelgood" (my favorite Crue song) and pretty much followed suit with the rest of the Crue songs I knew. Stuff like "Same Old Situation", "Too Fast For Love", "Shout At The Devil", "Girls, Girls, Girls", etc. Not sure if they started the second set early or what, but they seemed to want to elongate the set so they started taking requests halfway through. I was impressed as they played whatever rare Crue song the audience asked for, before ending the set with "Looks That Kill" and "Kickstart My Heart" (I think they were the last 2, night's a bit hazy). The crowd wouldn't let up and it wasn't quite 2am yet, so they went back on for "Helter Skelter" and finally "Anarchy In The UK".
Everyone in the place seemed to love it, so I guess Theatre Of Pain WAS as good as I thought. I know I said it at least twice already, but I'll say it again. I'm NOT a Motley Crue fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed their show and plan to see them again when they come around in August (I think that's when they said they were returning). I heard that the REAL Motley Crue was reforming and doing a reunion tour this summer. Well, any Crue fans in New York, New Jersey or PA, I'd recommend that you save your money and go see Theatre Of Pain instead as I doubt the real Crue (Currently in their late 40's, I'm guessing, and burned out from years of drug abuses) will be as good in their 2004 incarnation.
