Mötley Crüe Tour Overview
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee and guitarist/lead vocalist Greg Leon. After some time, Leon was replaced by guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Michael White respectively. The latter was soon replaced by Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. They have also achieved seven platinum or multi-platinum certifications, nine Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart (including 1989's Dr. Feelgood, which is Mötley Crüe's only album to reach number one), twenty-two Top 40 mainstream rock hits, and six Top 20 pop singles. The band has experienced several lineup changes over the years, leaving Sixx as the only constant member; these included the introduction of lead vocalist John Corabi (who was Neil's replacement from 1992 to 1996) and drummers Randy Castillo and Samantha Maloney, both of whom filled in for Lee following his departure from Mötley Crüe in 1999; he returned to the band in 2004. In October 2022, after 41 years of service, Mars announced his retirement from touring with the band, with former Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 replacing him.
The members of Mötley Crüe have often been noted for their hedonistic lifestyles and the androgynous personae they maintained. Following the hard rock and heavy metal origins on the band's first two albums, Too Fast for Love (1981) and Shout at the Devil (1983), the release of its third album Theatre of Pain (1985) saw Mötley Crüe joining the first wave of glam metal. The band has also been known for their elaborate live performances, which feature flame thrower guitars, roller coaster drum kits, and heavy use of pyrotechnics (fireworks) (including lighting Sixx on fire). Mötley Crüe's last studio album, Saints of Los Angeles, was released on June 24, 2008. What was planned to be the band's final show took place on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2015. The concert was filmed for a theatrical and Blu-ray release in 2016.
About Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe was formed on January 17, 1981, when bassist Nikki Sixx left the band London and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and guitarist/lead vocalist Greg Leon. Lee had previously worked with Leon in a band called Suite 19 and the trio practiced together for some time; Leon eventually decided not to continue with them. Sixx and Lee then began a search for new members and soon met guitarists Robin Moore (Jeff Gill) and Bob Deal, better known as Mick Mars, after answering an advertisement that he placed in The Recycler that read: "Loud, rude and aggressive guitar player available". Mars auditioned for Sixx, Moore and Lee, and was subsequently hired while Moore was fired at the same session according to the band's biography The Dirt.
Although a lead vocalist named O'Dean was auditioned, Lee had known Vince Neil from their high school days at Charter Oak High School in Covina, California, and the two had performed in different bands on the garage band circuit. Upon seeing him perform with the band Rock Candy at the Starwood in Hollywood, California, Lee suggested they have Neil join the band. At first Neil refused the offer.
On the same day as Mars, lead vocalist Michael White, who previously played with Nikki Sixx in the band London, joined the band. But White eventually ended up leaving too.
As the other members of Rock Candy became involved in outside projects, Vince Neil grew anxious to try something else. Lee asked again; Neil was hired on April 1, 1981, and the band played its first gig at the Starwood nightclub on April 24.
Mötley Crüe Facts
- Mötley Crüe aren’t exactly feminist icons; in fact, it’s fair to say that the way the band have treated and talked about women has, at best, been disrespectful. So it may come as some surprise to learn that Mötley Crüe actually did include a woman among their number at one point.
- In the late 90s, Lee left the group in order to pursue a solo career and was replaced by drummer Randy Castillo. However, when Castillo became ill in 2000, he was then replaced with Samantha Maloney, a veteran drummer. She remained in the band until Lee returned in 2004.
- After a series of life-changing events – including Razzle’s tragic death and Sixx’s own near-death experience – Mötley Crüe decided to go to rehab and get clean. During this time, they worked on their 1989 album Dr Feelgood. Some songs on the album acknowledged the tumultuous events in the band’s recent past, such as Kickstart My Heart, which Sixx wrote about surviving his overdose.
- While on tour in Germany, the band were hanging out in fellow musician Claude Schnell’s hotel room when they decided to cause some carnage. In true Mötley Crüe style, they then threw Schnell’s TV and much of the room’s furniture out of the window purely because they thought it would be funny.
