Motley Crue
Welcome to a Monday. Maybe you’re recovering from the Super Bowl fun yesterday. Broncos fans can celebrate and Panthers fans can take out their aggression with a replay of the pre-Super Bowl Metallica concert. Click Here to watch. METAL SHOP’s Ralph Cartel attended the show in San Francisco Saturday night. He noted “Metallica was on point tonight!!!
Many of us would have loved to see Metallica play the halftime show yesterday or AC/DC or Black Sabbath, both touring the West Coast U.S.A. right now, but realistically, we know that will most likely never happen. Instead we got Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars.
One person who was not a fan of the halftime show was Motley Crue’s Vince Neil, who tweeted, “WOW!! #coldplay worst LIP SINK performance I’ve EVER seen!!!” Perhaps to Neil’s chagrin, many of his followers were only too willing to offer their own unvarnished opinions regarding his own prowess as a live performer. His tweet received no shortage of responses, many of which pointed out Neil’s tendency to rely on the audience for vocals during shows — as well as his unfortunate misspelling of “lip sync,” which he quickly and colorfully blamed on his phone’s spell check function.
Maybe Vince Neil will be in a better mood today as he celebrates his 55th birthday. Happy birthday to the (now retired) voice of the Crue.
On this day in 1980, IRON MAIDEN released their debut single “Running Free.” It was written by Steve Harris and Paul Di’Anno. In 1985, a live version of the song was released as the first single from ‘Live After Death.’ According to Di’Anno, who wrote the song’s lyrics, it is “a very autobiographical song, though of course I’ve never spent the night in an LA jail. It’s about being 16 and, like it says, just running wild and running free. It comes from my days as a skinhead.”
METAL SHOP experienced some technical issues over the weekend. Sorry for the inconvenience. But we are back full strength today with Kick Ass 80’s Metal for your listening pleasure.
Have a super week.
In 1984, I was 17 when my parents allowed me to attend my first concert. It was Motley Crue opening for Ozzy Osbourne at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon.
The Crue was it with the red hot ‘Shout at the Devil’ fueling their rise that year and stealing some of the thunder from old man Ozzy who was touring without Randy Rhoads and a ‘Bark at the Moon’ record that didn’t matchup to his first two albums.
Fast forward 31 years later and here I was attending the final Motley Crue concert in Portland with my 16 year old son, which turned out to be his first concert… a surreal moment for his old man for sure. He loves the band and we had a great time rockin’ out one last time with Vince, Nikki, Mick and Tommy.
As expected, #RipMotleyCrue played all the Crue classics, opening with ‘Girls, Girls’, Girls and ‘Wildside’ before rolling through some of their biggest pop hits: ‘Primal Scream,’ ‘Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.),’ ‘Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)’ and ‘Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room.’
Those songs are all fine, but most Crue fans cut their teeth on the earlier stuff that came later in the show: ‘Looks That Kill,’ ‘Shout at the Devil,’ and ‘Livewire.’ Click Here for full setlist.
The show was great, but Tommy Lee’s roller coaster drum solo was even better. “This has been a lifetime dream,” he yelled out.
This is really the end for Motley Crue, bringing mixed feelings for an old timer like me. They don’t have the edge of their youth anymore, so it’s probably best they wrap this up. However, these 80’s metal bands have been such a huge part of our lives, it can be tough to let go of the past. My son loves the Crue, but he loves what they were and fortunately with the classic recordings, we can hear them in their prime until our final tour.
Emerging from the blues and psychedelic rock of the 1960s and ’70s, heavy metal has been a driving force in music for nearly 50 years — known for its massive sound, extended guitar solos, and unrelenting intensity.
Despite being critically reviled throughout its history, metal has stood the test of time with bands such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Mötley Crüe achieving legendary status, unfathomable wealth and exerting a profound influence on generations of musicians and fans. Unlike many forms of popular music, whose followers are fickle and transitory, metalheads tend to embrace their favorite bands and follow them over decades. Metal is not only a pastime — it’s a lifestyle.
Written by veteran rock journalists Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman, “Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History Of Metal” (It Books; May 14, 2013; Hardcover; $32.50) was assembled from more than 300 interviews with members of Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, Van Halen and many others, conducted over a 25-year span. Turman and Wiederhorn dug deep into their extensive list of contacts to uncover never- before-heard stories, eye-opening admissions and the truth behind metal’s most explosive legends. With an introduction by Scott Ian of Anthrax and an afterword by Rob Halford of Judas Priest, this is the book metal fans have been waiting for.
Icons of the genre offer candid and confessional commentary, including: Ronnie James Dio, Ozzy Osbourne, Bruce Dickinson, Eddie Van Halen, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Lita Ford, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Axl Rose, Slash, Dave Mustaine, King Diamond, Kerry King, Philip Anselmo and more. The many musicians interviewed offer their take on their influences, touring, the music business and songwriting, as well as their often-traumatic upbringings, battles with substance abuse and bizarre sexual exploits. Industry insiders (including managers, record label executives, family members, friends, scenesters, groupies, journalists and porn stars) provide additional insight.
“Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History Of Metal” explores the transformation of metal culture, with stories and anecdotes straight from the mouths of the most infamous and successful bands. Filled with hundreds of revealing interviews representing every type and era of heavy metal — from metal progenitors such as Blue Cheer, Led Zeppelin, and the MC5 to current day innovators — “Louder Than Hell” is the ultimate look behind the curtain at one of our most dynamic, controversial and enduring musical genres.
Alice Cooper: “This is the book every metal fan should own. A fascinating high-octane chronicle of metal mayhem that takes readers on a wild ride, from metal’s earliest days to the headbanging present. I’m not saying this just because I’m in the book, but . . . if you love metal, great stories, and music history told by the people who made it, then ‘Louder Than Hell’ is a must-read.”
Noisecreep: Among the many mighty metal milestones of 2012, the 30th birthday of Metal Blade Records stands as an amazing testament to the strength of metal devotion. Label founder Brian Slagel became a businessman almost by accident. He was a die-hard fan first, and editor of the fanzine New Heavy Metal Revue. Scraping together funding from money he saved while working at Sears, and a loan from his aunt, Slagel in 1982 created Metal Massacre, a Southern California-centered compilation to answer the countless label showcase collections of Britain’s NWOBHM.
From that first release, which introduced the world to Metallica and Ratt, Metal Blade Records was born. Over most of the next decade, the next installments of the Metal Massacre compilation series unveiled some of the greatest names in metal, including Slayer, Trouble, Voivod, Fates Warning, and Hellhammer.
METALLICA: The band that had the least going for it at the time of this record’s release has gone onto become the biggest rock band in the world. When Mötley Crüe bailed on Slagel’s compilation project, he offered his tape trader pal Lars Ulrich the slot if he could scrape together a band in time. Ulrich persuaded James Hetfield to join him, and for the initial release, Jamaican guitarist Lloyd Grant appeared as a guest soloist patched into the mix to play the leads. Future pressings included a different recording of the song with Dave Mustaine handling the trademark over-the-top trills.
RATT: A much more typical Southern California metal act than Metallica, Ratt were San Diego transplants to the Sunset Strip. Awestruck by Van Halen but chained down with a lean and relentlessly melodic double-guitar sound, Ratt cruised through a string of multi-platinum, platinum, and gold records and remain a musical and commercial highlight of the glam metal era.
ARMORED SAINT: Like many bands on the L.A. club circuit, Armored Saint relied heavily on image, but their studded leather armor was a far cry from the spandex and mascara of Mötley Crüe. Singer John Bush was openly courted by young Metallica, but he refused to leave his boyhood pals in this band. After Armored Saint’s early record deal with Chrysalis Records went South, Bush joined Anthrax for over a decade, and has since returned to his original armored homies.
This is a fascinating read. Check out more reviews of those auspicious debuts, in honor of three decades of Metal Blade, plus hear audio from these early recordings at Noisecreep.com.
METAL SHOP Rocks was once again in attendance for the announcement of the 2012 Revolver Golden Gods Awards at The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, California. This will be the fourth year of the award show and it will take place on April 11, 2012 at Club Nokia.
The Golden Gods will be broadcast live for the first time on X Box Live and will also be streaming live on Revolver Magazine’s Facebook page. Marilyn Manson, Slash, Black Veil Brides, Evanescence and Sixx AM featuring Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx will be preforming live and Gene Simmons of Kiss will receive this year’s Golden God Award.
Today’s press conference also announced that the Grammy museum will have The History of Heavy Metal Exhibit and Wendy Dio, wife of the late, great Ronnie James Dio presented the museum with the original handwritten lyrics of Holy Diver. Let’s just hope they get it right. We all know what the Grammy Awards have done to metal music in the past (Jethro Tull).
Special guest list for today was:
- Alice Cooper
- Zakk Wylde (Ozzy and BLS)
- Vinny Paul ( Pantera)
- Vinny Appice (Dio and H&H)
- James Micheal (SIXX AM)
- Chris Jericho (Fozzy)
- Wendy Dio
- Mike Portnoy (Ex Dream Theater)
Looking forward to the actual award show in April… in the meantime Click Here for the nominees an cast your vote. Below are a few photos of the presser. Special thanks to Joe at Rogers and Cowan for making this happen! Enjoy. -Ralph.
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IRON MAIDEN and OZZY OSBOURNE lead the pack with multiple nominations at this year’s Revolver Golden Gods Awards, set to take place April 20, 2011 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.
Ozzy and Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson are up for Best Vocalist and both band’s guitarists and drummer, respectively, are nominated.
Iron Maiden and MEGADETH are up for Best Live Band and ACCEPT for Comeback of the Year.
The 2011 “Golden God Award” will be presented to ALICE COOPER, while THE RONNIE JAMES DIO LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD will go to MOTLEY CRUE. The original Alice Cooper Band line-up will perform for the first time in 40 years.
Here are the nominees for all categories:
Epiphone Best Guitarist(s)
• John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE)
• Dan Donegan (DISTURBED)
• Gus G. (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIREWIND)
• Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance (AVENGED SEVENFOLD)
• Janick Gers, Dave Murray, and Adrian Smith (IRON MAIDEN)
• Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM)
Drum Workshop Best Drummer
• Tommy Clufetos (OZZY OSBOURNE)
• Abe Cunningham (DEFTONES)
• Joey Jordison (ROB ZOMBIE)
• Roy Mayorga (STONE SOUR)
• Nicko McBrain (IRON MAIDEN)
• Mike Portnoy (Ex-DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD)
Best Vocalist
• Glenn Danzig (DANZIG)
• Bruce Dickinson (IRON MAIDEN)
• Chino Moreno (DEFTONES)
• Ozzy Osbourne (OZZY OSBOURNE)
• M. Shadows (AVENGED SEVENFOLD)
• Corey Taylor (STONE SOUR)
Affliction Album of the Year
• AVENGED SEVENFOLD, “Nightmare”
• BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, “Order of the Black”
• DEFTONES, “Diamond Eyes”
• OZZY OSBOURNE, “Scream”
• STONE SOUR, “Audio Secrecy”
• VOLBEAT, “Beyond Hell/Above Heaven”
Samson Zoom Best Live Band
• AVENGED SEVENFOLD
• GWAR
• IRON MAIDEN
• MEGADETH
• RAMMSTEIN
• SEVENDUST
Most Metal Athlete
• Chris Cole (pro skateboarding)
• Dan Hardy (MMA fighting)
• Toni Lydman (NHL)
• The Miz (WWE wrestling)
• Jeremy Shockey (NFL football)
• Mike Vallely (pro skateboarding)
Best New Band
• ASKING ALEXANDRIA
• BLACK VEIL BRIDES
• THE DAMNED THINGS
• THE PRETTY RECKLESS
• TIMES OF GRACE
• WE ARE THE FALLEN
Eagle Rock Comeback of the Year
• ACCEPT
• FAITH NO MORE
• MURDERDOLLS
• A PERFECT CIRCLE
• SOUNDGARDEN
• SYSTEM OF A DOWN
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Some great hair band photos from back in the day were posted at accesshollywood.com.
Ratt in their full 80’s regalia, strike a pose, Chicago, Jan. 1, 1990
Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi poses for a pic with fellow hair metal god Joe Elliot of Def Leppard, Jan. 12, 1989
A young Sebastian Bach rocks out with his band, Skid Row, at The Forum, Los Angeles, Jan. 3, 1990
Hair metal kings Motley Crue — Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars pose for a shot, Jan. 1984
Brett Michaels attends a taping of the television Show’ ABC in Concert’ at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles, April 30, 1991
“Old rock stars fall hard”
I’m forty-nine years old. I’m five-foot-nine, 170. The spandex is over. I’ve had three plastic surgeries. Still, who do you think gets laid more, me or you? … It’s a miracle we survived at all. A bottle of Jack Daniel’s and uncooked hot dogs do not make for a particularly well-balanced diet. We are all very lucky we didn’t kill ourselves …
These days I’ve got businesses to run. I like the action. Something to get your heart pumping. Healthier than a syringe full of cocaine powder like I was doing back in ’81 with my girlfriend Lovey, that’s for sure. But you got to admit…those days are a lot more fun to talk about.”
-Vince Neil