It's Been A Long Time Since I Rock n' Rolled

If I had a time machine, I would witness some of the greatest concerts in music history.

I've already mentioned that I would love to watch the C.C. DeVille, Bret Michaels beat down backstage at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. I would also love to witness Woodstock, the 1983 U.S. Festival and - perhaps above all else - the Moscow Music Peace Festival of 1989.

The Moscow Music Peace Festival was arranged by music manager Doc McGhee as penance for drug trafficking. It turns out that the American government doesn't take too kindly to massive amounts of cocaine crossing boarders and therefore funding drug cartels. I digress.

Back in the day, McGhee managed the most important bands: Motley Crue, Skid Row, and Bon Jovi among others. Thanks to his powerful connections to the music industry and the strong urging of an angry judge, The Moscow Music Peace Festival was conceived.

The one day event was a big anti-drug show and one of the final events to happen in the former Soviet Union. Just under two years later, communism collapsed. Did Glam Metal help dissolve the USSR? For this, I have no answers.

During the one day festival, nearly 100, 000 people watched killer performances by Ozzy Osbourne, the Scorpions, Motley Crue, Cinderella, Skid Row and Bon Jovi.

While the stage shows were pure electric, the artists battled with each other and McGhee backstage. If you've read The Dirt by Motley Crue then you know what I'm talking about. Every band - especially Motley Crue - was jealous of McGhee's favoritism toward Bon Jovi. The New Jersey natives were allowed to use pyro in their show, and were also allowed a longer set. This enraged everyone...and Tommy Lee actually slugged McGhee backstage.

The entire concert was broadcast on pay-per-view. Even though I was way too young to fly to Moscow to see this concert live, my parents would have never ordered the concert to watch at home. My parents don't spend money on anything frivolous, and they think metal concerts are a definite luxury. Luckily, there's a DVD set of the concert which I will try to buy soon off eBay. That DVD was directed by Wayne Isham, who has also overseen the production on more than one hundred rock videos.

Last night, a fellow Metal Sludger found a great video of the Moscow Music Peace Festival Finale Jam, featuring Jason Bonham on drums. The main performers in this video are Skid Row and Motley Crue. Listen to Vince Neil: I've never heard a better live performance out of the man. Everyone looks so happy on stage, like they might actually be enjoying their fame and fortune.

Watch this video: Jason Bonham, Motley Crue and Skid Row performing the Led Zeppelin classic "Rock n' Roll." It's fantastic!

Update on Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 09:47PM by Allyson B. Crawford

This article contains an (unintentional) error. The Moscow Music Peace Festival was, in fact, two days. Instead of simply correcting the error, I want to prove that the glam mistress doesn't lie about mistakes. Thanks to commenter Don for pointing out my blunder.

Comments

[kari]

WOW, this brings back some great memories. I remember my girlfriends and I, being all of 13 at the time, had a massive slumber party for this Pay Per View event. I also have the cassette tapes from recording it on the Radio as well (I believe this was a West Wood One Production if my memory serves correct). I would love to get my hands on all the MTV footage that they aired during this event. Anyone remember the Top 20 Countdown with Adam Curry on the plane? Oh to have been a fly on the wall on that plane. Thanks Allyson.

[aXe mAn]

I would have LOVED to have been at that concert!
That video is amazing....

[Christian Graus]

I have the DVD of the Moscow Peace Festival. It came out on two VHS tapes, only one of which I've ever seen on DVD ( it's a Brazillian knock off ). I got a copy of the other VHS onto DVD also, LMK if you want a copy.

[Chey]

I got this video from the internet awhile ago. i love it, it is so awsome!!! I totally wish i could have been at that show. They are all some of my favorite bands, espically Motley crue and skid row!!! Too bad....that was two years before i was born. ummmm if only my mom was in her ealier twenties then i could say that i was born in the 80s. lol

[BillyKiss]

This was the show that started the whole Motely Crue vs Bon Jovi WAR!!!!

Remember the Crue were suppose to headline this Festival and got shafted by their own manager at the time who was also in charge of the fresh new upcoming rockers from New Jersey

[Christian Graus]

Dunno that I'd have said Bon Jovi were fresh or new, they were on their fourth album at this point, and their third had been huge. But yeah, Doc was screwing Motley. Bon Jovi just thought it was a show on their world tour, I think Doc was kind of screwing anyone he could to stay out of jail, but Motley were the ones he reall screwed, for sure.

[Jay]

this was a classic concert which took place in the greatest time for rock music!

[Don]

Actually it was a 2 day event. Doc told all of his bands that tehy couldn't use pyro and then had it set up for Bon Jovi to do so. He also led them all to believe that they would play the same length of set and then had Bon Jovi play for 90 minutes, at least twice as long as everyone else. Tommy Lee or Nikki Sixx (I forget which one) said that The Scorpions should have headlined because they were the most popular and known (in Russia) of all the bands there. Classic Rock magazine just did an issue about infamous festivals and they covered this one.