Review: Motley Crue goes out with a bang in First Niagara stop
Motley Crue, Hollywood's rowdiest rock crew from the golden era of 1980s “hair band” pop metal, celebrated 33 years on Wednesday night at First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown in a stop on The Final Tour. The Crue made a hard-rocking bow to the thousands of fans that packed the concert venue.
Alice Cooper — known as the shock rocker with his macabre, theatrical performances — gave an entertaining, complementary opening to Motley Crue.
No one expects class at a Motley Crue concert. The band is proudly known for vulgarity, lots of pyrotechnics, tomfoolery and half-naked women dancing provocatively on stage. Fans got just what they expected.
Motley Crue's two-hour set gave concertgoers a comprehensive tour through the band's history. In between favorites like “Wild Side,” “Smokin' in the Boys Room,” “Looks That Kill” and the signature anthem “Girls, Girls, Girls,” lead singer Vince Neil and bassist Nikki Sixx reminisced about the days in Hollywood when they were just young, wild guys wearing tight black leather pants and wanting to start a revolution in the music industry. Guitarist Mick Mars and drummer Tommy Lee each had their solo numbers. Lee's performance included a new version of his shtick, which is turning the drum platform into an amusement-park ride of sorts. This time, Lee rose up between two high tracks that curved out over the audience. At one point, he was drumming completely upside down.
It was difficult to tell how good the band sounds, particularly with its vocals. The very loud instruments and additional background noise drowned out Neil's vocals and made him hard to hear. On some songs, it was difficult to even hear a distinctive melody, almost as if all of the sounds melted together to make a giant mass of noise. But it was a fun noise. Still, the sound system could use improvement so vocals and melodies sound more apparent.
I expect that Motley Crue won't fully retire. Fans will still be able to see them occasionally, perhaps in Hollywood or Las Vegas. However, this was the last time for Pittsburgh, and with Motley Crue's thundering sound effects and pyrotechnics, the band truly went out with a bang.
