You Just Have to Be There

Friday night, DeepRockDrive presented an Internet stream of Motley Crue performing live in Las Vegas. The show was at the Mandalay Bay Events Center and one of the only indoor stops on the Crue Fest 2008 tour. Like many Motley fans, I watched the show - even though it didn't end until 3 a.m. in my part of the world and I had a bass lesson just a handful of hours later.

Let me preface this by saying I'll be seeing Crue Fest on August 19 from the fourth row and I am very excited. I have a lot of anticipation for the show, even though I wish the set list was a little longer.

Watching the concert on the Internet didn't do much for me. In fact, I thought Motley Crue sounded pretty bad - but Mick Mars was the true highlight. Of course, the Internet feed didn't provide any energy of actually being part of the audience and you couldn't hear the crowd because the audio was coming straight from the sound board. Also, the camera angles left a lot to be desired.  The set:

Kickstart My Heart
Wild Side
Shout at the Devil
Saints of Los Angeles
Live Wire
Sick Love Song
Mutherfucker Of The Year
Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Same 'Ol Situation
Primal Scream
Looks That Kill
Girls, Girls, Girls
Dr. Feelgood
Home Sweet Home

Vince skipped a lot of words Friday night. That part of the show made me a little sad, but maybe Motley was just having an off night. I was talking to people from around the world while the concert was happening. We all seemed to agree the crowd looked dead. Apparently, the crowd was actually at (or near) capacity and really excited for Vince, Nikki, Mick and Tommy. Every crowd pan showed otherwise, but I'll be inclined to believe the people who paid to see the show.

I don't think the DeepRockDrive show did Motley Crue justice. This isn't to say the band wasn't shaky - because they were for a lot of the performance. Still, there's a certain energy that happens during a concert that is impossible to replicate. I own lots of concert DVDs. I enjoy quite a lot of them - but just owning such DVDs would never take the place of me buying a seat to a live show.

I think it is cool that the Internet allows bands to reach fans all over the world. I'm sure a lot of people watched online Friday night and were excited to see a free show. Brilliant marketing - but not the same as being there.

Concerts are a snapshot in time. Some shows are bad. Some are good. Some are truly life changing. I just don't think a DVD, Internet stream of television broadcast can replace the emotion of seeing a beloved band from the first (or last) row.

Thoughts?

Comments

[don]

vince skipping words is not a rare thing these days.

[NikkeSixx]

Play more songs from the new album!.. Infact, play every single song from the new album par This Ain't A Love Song and Whats It Gonna Take!

[Troy]

Let's just be honest here....I've been a HUGE Crue fan since '85, and i've seen them in concert over a dozen times over the years....the only way to truly enjoy the live show that they present at this stage of their career is to enjoy a few adult beverages before going so that you are properly distracted from the fact that VINCE CAN NO LONGER SING LIVE! All I can say is THANK PROTOOOLS FOR GIVING US SOLA.

[Lucifer]

I seriously, seriously hope that Motley make it to the U.K. Or I will be pissed off that I didnt get to see them live.

And I missed the internet showing which I was pissed off about, because i was on holiday.

[aXe mAn]

I love your review! I almost copied it and changed some words to make it my own on Sleaze Roxx!

[aXe mAn]

What?? I did not type that Allyson! Someone else just posted as me...

I wrote my review before you anyway...

[aXe mAn]

On second thought, mine is better than yours anyways!

[aXe mAn]

Ok I didn't write that above one either....whoever is doing this needs to get a life.
Sorry for this Allyson...

[Sparky]

Sorry I missed the show - anytime I can see Motley is a good time. That set list is what they played in St. Louis - but they also did Anarchy in the USA. I think you just have to be there in person and feel the energy of the crowd.

Vince never sings all the words - that's pretty normal.

I wish I would have been closer at Cruefest - it would have made it even better, but at least I was there to experience the live show. I don't think you'll be disappointed when you see them on the 17th.

Is this free show available anywhere now to view?

[Billykiss]

Yeah he did this the last time Crue came to Australia as well. He's not FIT enought it's plain to see. How he is going to last 60 dates let alone a world scale tour I don't know? Vince PLEASE GET ON A TREADMILL ASAP.

[Ratt Man]

Bad move for the Crue. If you are going to step up to the plate and broadcast a live show you need to have your "A" game ready to go.

Vince neil is becoming a huge disappointment. He skips way too many words and uses the same lines with the crowd that he has for the past tours.

On the technology side it was pretty cool to be able to watch the show live!

Mick Mars did rock! Go Mick!

[Vicky]

I was there. Vince hasn't sung all the words to the songs for about 20 years now.

The crowd was LAME. Well, except for me and my friend Liz who were screaming the whole time.

(Oh...p.s. Allyson...I sold my extra ticket to an Elvis impersonator! He married my husband and I that day (it was our 10 year anniversary) and I asked him if he knew anyone who wanted it, and he started playing Dr. Feelgood on his guitar, and said, "I'll go!" haha Good times!

[Dick]

I think the last time I saw Vince even attempt to sing an entire line in a song was on the "Girls" tour in 1987!

[Rob Rockitt]

I didn't see the whole show on Deep Rock Drive, but I saw enough to be disappointed in Vince's vocals. I thought Mick sounded really good, but the camera man rarely showed him.

I am hoping for a better show in Cincinnati, but I know what to expect now.

[Michael H.]

I also stayed up until 3 AM to watch the live show, and i was constantly complaining about Vince Neil. I honestly don't think that Vince is able to complete a whole sentence if he doesn't spend weeks preparing for it. I wouldn't say that Motley Crue was off that night, Mick Mars was amazing and i felt Tommy Lee was playing pretty well too. Nikki Sixx is always electrifying, always. I think I've weeded out the weakest link that night. I don't know if Vince was too drunk or not drunk enough, but I hope he kicks ass in Cincinnati on the 19th, because I'll be at that show too.

[Bonnie]

Billykiss: Have you even SEEN Vince Neil recently? He looks a thousand times better than he did two years ago. He SOUNDS better as well.

Allyson: I watched the stream too. It was disappointing at times. However! I saw Motley Crue the very next day, and they BLEW ME AWAY. Vince sounds amazing, Nikki rocks (duh!), Tommy is Tommy, and Mick Mars just continues to amaze. Plus, the stage and lighting setups are AMAZING. I think it was just the stream kind of shortchanging The Crue, y'know?

Also... I didn't get to see the Carnival Of Sins tour, but the COS DVD comes pretty damn close to actually seeing the Crue live in front of me. And to switch to Def Leppard... I'm SO happy that they released In The Round In Your Face. Without that, I would not be able to see Steve Clark in action save for music videos.

[Rhodislandrock, Heavy Metal Addiction]

I've seen every Crue show since the Girls tour and Vince has been skipping words ever since. Even his solo gigs are butchered vocally.

The set list is good but I wouldn't mind seeing something from the 1st album (not 'Live Wire') and maybe another from the new record. I'd drop 'Sick Love Song' for another SOLA track and maybe 'Wild Side' for any song off TOO FAST FOR LOVE.

Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/

[HOLLPASS!!]

Love the idea of DeepRock Drive - It was awesome when ENDEVERAFTER did their show there awhile back - missed Motley (my daughter was in the hospital again) but felt honestly that they were just - "GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS" during their set when here in Denver a few weeks back!! I totally enjoyed them - don't get me wrong - but they really just seem to play the same ol' songs (SOS) Mixing it up would be awesome! New songs, abscure songs whatever - but closing with HOME SWEET HOME ????- jury is still out........All in all - I would see them again in a heartbeat and hope that another tour will ensue with more of their new stuff and a little more PIZZAZZZZZ!!!!

[Kryg1171]

I saw Crue the night before in Phoenix. First off, it was SO freakin hot (115)...it made Rocklahoma seem like a cool autumn day!!!

Anyway, by teh time Crue played, most were dead from the heat, but then, they energized teh whole place. Vince sounded great (he did skip alot of words, but that is now the norm for him). The band and the show rocked!!!! I can see how the stream did not do it justice...the crowd was so into the show and the energy level was through the roof...

Minus the ungodly heat, great show...better than C of Sins, Vince at ROK last year and the Motley Cruise...

[MotleyCrue666]

Same here it Vince wasn't good bur the rest was good

Looks That Kill
and
MF of the year were the best