The final day of the Motley Cruise meant performances by Vince Neil and Skid Row plus a meet and greet with RATT and members of Slaughter.
First, the meet and greet.
It’s a shame that Stephen Pearcy has to be a jerk and ruin the fun. Right before the meet and greet a security guard told everyone that Pearcy wouldn’t be taking any photos – only singing autographs. Turns out, no one in RATT took any photos - presumably because of Pearcy’s rule. Well, I had nothing that needed autographed and I had nothing to say to Pearcy so I spoke to John Corabi and went on around the bend. There were other tales of Pearcy acting like a jerk during the cruise, too. Apparently, one Motley passenger told Pearcy she loved his music. His reply was something to the effect of “Good. Buy a CD.”
This doesn’t sit well with me. First, the people who sailed during the Motley Cruise spent thousands of dollars for the opportunity to meet with band members and get photos. Second, Pearcy should be glad that people are still interested in RATT and his music. Third, a little tact goes a long way. I’m sure if I was quasi-famous, I’d get sick of being approached non-stop, but that goes with the territory. After all, it’s better to be a has been than a has never. Perhaps Pearcy should be grateful people still know the words to “Nobody Rides for Free.”
After Pearcy put me in a bad mood, I got a very nice photo with Mark Slaughter and Timbo of Slaughter. The photo didn’t really improve my mood but I was glad to see that Mark Slaughter is still pretty.
In an odd twist, Skid Row and Vince Neil performed in the middle of the afternoon. Skid Row sounded pretty good but there were times that Johnny Solinger’s voice was weak. The band played nine songs total, which included all the obvious hits like “18 and Life,” “Monkey Business,” “I Remember You,” “Slave to the Grind,” and “Youth Gone Wild.”
Skid Row (minus Solinger) also performed “Psycho Therapy” by the Ramones. This seemed pointless to me, but whatever. The song sounded good and I guess that’s all that matters in the end.
Vince’s concert was set as the centerpiece of the entire cruise. The performance was marred by technical difficulties from the start. Somehow the audio went south between Skid Row and Vince. Jeff Blando’s guitar didn’t work at the beginning of the show, speakers were blown and feedback was common. As the show wore on, the sound got better but not before Vince was forced to play a guitar that barely worked. Per usual, Vince did not sing any of his solo songs. Here are some of the songs from the set:
Live Wire
Dr. Feelgood
Piece of Your Action
Looks that Kill
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Same Ol’ Situation
Whole Lotta Love
Rock and Roll
Kickstart My Heart
Girls, Girls, Girls
Wild Side
Teaser
By the midpoint of the set, the sound had improved immensely and Vince seemed to be in a better mood. The crowd wasn’t nearly as rowdy as I’d expected. After all, at least three of my fellow Motley Cruisers were either thrown off the boat or put in “cruise jail” for bad behavior. I guess I was expecting people to be jumping from the balcony but most people stayed relatively calm. The fact that Vince was playing around 5 in the evening probably didn’t hurt.
I can safely say this is the most interesting cruise I’ve ever taken. It has also been the least relaxing by far. Sadly, it’s time to return to the cold chill of Ohio. I need to go home so I can recover!
Saturday, February 2, 2008 at 11:11AM 
Does anyone remember Baton Rouge? 
