Las Vegas Weekly

August 2, 2009 · 10:22 AM

Photo Gallery: Motley Crue’s homecoming at The Joint

By Don Chareunsy

Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabik.com

By Don Chareunsy, Vegas DeLuxe editor

Motley Crue, with frontman and Las Vegas resident Vince Neil, closed The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel in February and, with drummer Tommy Lee, guitarist Nikki Sixx and guitarist Mick Mars with Vince again, returned to the new Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel last night for Crue Fest 2.

Our contributing photographer extraordinaire Erik Kabik was onsite for these fantastic photos of the hard rockin’ boys, who according to Vince have been together for 30 years and who can probably still be found “Smokin’ in the Boys Room.” Click HERE for Senior Editor Johnny Kats' take on last night's fest.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Crue’s fifth album Dr. Feelgood, and the band made it through the entire track list in about an hour. The audience reacted with fist pumps to favorites “Dr. Feelgood” and “Kickstart My Heart,” which included an extending ending, and mellowed out to “Without You.” During “Same Ol’ Situation,” Vince, Nikki and Mick jammed together at center stage.

In the night’s most memorable onstage banter, Tommy Lee, the band’s most popular and notorious (and well-endowed) member, talked to the audience while his band mates were off stage. Highlights: “What’s up, b*tches? Holy sh*t, this new Joint is f*cking awesome! (Takes a big swig from a Jagermeister bottle, then passes it to the audience, reminding fans repeatedly to pass it back, not side to side. Pass it back!) What’s up, f*ckers? Crue Fest 2, b*tches! I see some t*tties, some big ol’ t*tties! What if we all just get f*cking naked? I want to play naked. F*ck that sh*t. I … love … you.”

A true romantic, that Tommy Lee.

After Feelgood ended, the band took a break, then returned after the stage was reset for, among others, “Wild Side,” “Home Sweet Home,” “Shout at the Devil” and the finale, “Girls, Girls, Girls.”

Also on the Crue Fest 2 bill are Godsmack, Drowning Pool, Theory of a Deadman and Charm City Devils in the six-hour-marathon hard rock fest.

Drowning Pool’s set was the loudest, even a little louder than the Crue’s. Frontman Ryan McCombs’ F-bombed-laced banter also included a tribute to late Drowning Pool original frontman Dave Williams, who died in 2002, and thank you’s to “old school Drowning Pool” and current fans: “Music starts with you, music ends with you. … You make this happen.” The words of a rock god.

The audience reception for Sully Erna’s Godsmack rivaled Motley Crue’s. The band, whose pyrotechnic flames could be felt in the third-level balcony in the rear of The Joint, worked the crowd into a frenzy with “Whiskey Hangover, “Voodoo” and an extended, thrilling drum and guitar duel. Drumsticks were even hurled up to the third-level balcony. Godsmack’s set, which included an extra song, ended with Sully shouting, “Thank you very f*cking much, Las Vegas!”

Rock ’n’ roll forever!

Follow Don Chareunsy on Twitter HERE.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter HERE.

Share This