Wrecking Crüe

Lookin' pretty.... weird

Mötley Crüe's best years - musically - were behind them when they rolled into town for a show during the fall of '87. This tour was in support of their Girls, Girls, Girls album. I was never much of a Crüe fan, though I did like a small handful of their tunes. Their GGG album didn't last long in my collection.... by my reckoning, the best Crüe music appeared on their first two discs, Too Fast for Love and Looks That Kill. It was early songs like Live Wire, Piece of Your Action, Shout at the Devil, and Looks That Kill that were among my favourites by this sleazy glam rock band out of L.A.

Wild Side and Girls, Girls, Girls were the only songs of any worth on this '87 album. When it came to Sunset Strip metal, I wasn't too fussy about it, but my tastes ran more toward the likes of Ratt, G'N'R, Dokken and even a bit of Quiet Riot. 

This concert was just a big social gathering really. My pack of pals and I had a few too many before the show and then stumbled in for a loud and raucous party with the leather and make-up crowd. Let me make it clear that WE were not wearing leather and make-up. Denim and T-shirts were more our speed. And another thing: I've never been much for the call and response schtick at concerts - you know, the singer sings a line then turns the mic to the audience for them to sing the next line... again and again. Hey, I didn't slam down my hard earned cash to hear myself and my buddies screeching terribly.... I wanted to hear Vince Neil screech terribly.

The drum solo was an excuse to show off Tommy Lee's new drum kit.... which rose up on a weird contraption and then swung completely upside down. Lee was strapped in like a fighter pilot, so he could continue to beat the skins while hanging there like a silly goose. Okay. I mean, he's no Neil Peart, so no flashy gimmickry was going to make up for his less than impressive ability.

There was little else that stuck in my brain from that night other than the dancing girls on stage. Why was Mötley Crüe the first (and only?) band to dream up this idea? Since I wasn't particularly interested in looking at Crüe in their goofy get-ups all night long, it was a nice diversion to watch the slinky vixens writhing to the head-splitting music pouring out of the stacks of amplifiers. Sort of like cheerleaders at a sports event in which I had little interest.

Now if only I could have swapped that evening for a Ratt concert... nothing like some rodent rock to really get things cookin'.