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Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard - The Stadium Tour

Def leppard and motley crue will perform at allegiant stadium on friday, september 9, 2022. they will be joined by special guests poison and joan jett and the blackhearts..

• Date September 9 , 2022
• Doors Open 3:30PM
• Event Starts 4:00 PM
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THE STADIUM TOUR featuring, MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD with POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS will hit select cities in the U.S. and Canada where each band will bring their electrifying stage shows while promising to perform their stadium sized anthems. Produced by Live Nation, the summer tour will make a Las Vegas stop at Allegiant Stadium Friday, Sept. 9, 2022.

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Gray hair metal: Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard and Poison reenact the ’80s at SoFi Stadium

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“Long way from the Sunset Strip,” Nikki Sixx said as he took in his surroundings, and that was certainly true enough: Instead of the Roxy or Gazzarri’s or one of the other sweaty West Hollywood nightclubs in which his band Mötley Crüe made its name, the 63-year-old bassist was peering out at the cavernous expanse of Inglewood’s gleaming SoFi Stadium, where Mötley Crüe touched down Saturday night for a hometown stop on the group’s latest tour.

Yet some things never change.

As he addressed the tens of thousands of fans before him, Sixx was interrupted — or at least he pretended to be — by a young woman near the stage trying to get his attention.

“You want this towel?” he asked her. “This is exactly like the towel I gave your mom in 1987.”

Constancy — and strength in numbers — is the concept behind the so-called Stadium Tour, which packages Mötley Crüe with two fellow survivors of ’80s pop metal, Def Leppard and Poison, as well as Joan Jett, who laid important groundwork in the mid-’70s for all the glammed-up guys to come. (Officially, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard take turns headlining, though one presumes organizers started with Mötley’s position atop the L.A. date and worked backward from there.)

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Aug. 25, 2022

Individually, these acts would be hard-pressed to fill a space like SoFi or Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where the months-long road show is set to wrap next week after raking in an average of $5 million a night, according to the trade journal Pollstar. But working together to pack stadiums with their overlapping audiences, the bands offer reassurance that the traditions of yore haven’t died in an era when music’s most visible rock star is Harry Styles.

“Who likes the old s—?” Mötley Crüe’s frontman, Vince Neil, asked not long into the band’s set Saturday. “We’ll do something to help you feel real f—ing old.” That was his cue for the title track from Mötley’s 1981 debut, “Too Fast for Love,” and the huge cheer that went up in the building let you understand that here, at least, age was a badge of honor.

Indeed, there was a proudly unreconstructed quality to Mötley Crüe, which promised to break up after a 2015 farewell tour only to reunite in conjunction with Netflix’s 2019 adaptation of the group’s salacious memoir, “The Dirt.” (The endless Mötley mythologizing continued this year with Hulu’s “ Pam & Tommy ,” about drummer Tommy Lee’s eventful relationship with Pamela Anderson.)

At SoFi, images of naked women gyrated in silhouette on a video screen behind the band, just like in the good old days; two enormous female-shaped inflatables eventually came to life to complete the horny tableau. At one point, Lee came out from behind his drum kit to share a few rambling thoughts about a nude selfie he posted this month while “drunk as f—,” as he put it, in Bora Bora. “They took ’em down from Instagram, so you guys wanna see my wiener?” he asked — Lee’s setup, it turned out, for a sight gag in which he pulled a small dachshund puppy out of his pants.

Musically, Mötley Crüe — rounded out by the band’s straight man of a guitarist, 71-year-old Mick Mars — was an absolute mess (in a fun way), with squalling riffs over pummeling beats that made Neil’s screeching vocals almost impossible to discern as anything beyond more noise. The set list ran through most of the group’s classics — “Dr. Feelgood,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Kickstart My Heart,” for which the singer donned a Rams jersey — but it didn’t really matter: Each member was cranked so high that you couldn’t tell what song they were playing anyway.

Def Leppard was much tidier as it doled out the polished pop-metal hits that made the English band an early MTV sensation: Though Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant recently made good-natured fun of frontman Joe Elliott ’s elaborate vocal-warming routine, the precision with which Elliott hit the high notes in “Love Bites” and “Photograph” was indication that he knows what he’s doing.

Still, technique goes only so far in a live setting, and little about Def Leppard’s highly controlled performance made you ponder the meaning of endurance. This set felt like it could’ve gone down in 1992 or 2012 (or could go down in 2032) — an achievement, for sure, but not a very exciting or emotional one.

The same might’ve been true of Poison except for the endearing fact of frontman Bret Michaels’ deep gratitude to be onstage in a stadium decades after his glory days.

“We’ve been waiting 2½ years for this,” the singer told the crowd, referring to the Stadium Tour’s pandemic-inspired delay from 2020, and his smiling earnestness made you glad to be there to see him wearing a Poison T-shirt with his face on it. (In fact, three out of the band’s four members wore their own merch Saturday.)

Like the other acts at SoFi, Poison stuck to the hits: “Talk Dirty to Me,” “Fallen Angel” and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” the last of which Michaels thanked the crowd for making a No. 1 hit. Before the band’s cover of Loggins & Messina’s “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” the frontman mentioned — “with zero politics,” he clarified — that he’s the son of a veteran and that he’s glad to live in a country that still guarantees “the freedom of opinion.”

It wasn’t hard to detect his subtext, of course: Rock ’n’ roll — America — has gotten too sensitive about everything. But this was a safe space.

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Mikael Wood is pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times.

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• New Additions

Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard Add 2023 Tour Dates: Ticket Presale Code & On-Sale Info

by Francesco Marano

Published december 8, 2022.

After co-headlining stadiums across the USA this past summer, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard have added five more concerts together. The new performances are scheduled in August with opening act Alice Cooper.

Previously, the two bands announced joint 2023 tour dates for Latin America, Europe, and New Jersey at large-scale venues from February into July. In addition to co-headlining concerts, both hard-rocking bands have been announced for festival sets at Sweden Rock, Rockfest Finland, Trondheim Rocks, Copenhell, and Graspop Metal Meeting.

When do Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard 2023 tour tickets go on sale and what is the presale code?

For the new dates, the general public on-sale begins as early as December 16. Presales for VIP packages and fan club members begin December 9. Citi cardholders, Artist, Live Nation, LN Mobile App., and local venues / radio presales will follow. Tickets for the previously announced shows are now on sale. Keep in mind, each date is different and details are subject to change.

The Artist presale password is COOPER23 . For the Citi presale, you can try using the passcode 412800 , but you will need the card to complete your purchase. The Live Nation presale password is CHEER , and the LN Mobile App code is COVERT . Click through the individual concert links for more information about the show you're interested in.

Motley Crue All Tour Dates and Tickets

We recommend following Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard on their social media accounts, in addition to signing up for your local venue's email newsletter, to get the most up-to-date information.

Recently, Mötley Crüe founding member and guitarist Mick Mars revealed in October that he was retiring from the band . In his place will be John 5, who has performed with David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and others.

For more, check out the Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard Zumic artist pages.

Def Leppard re-energized with new music, hit album and hard-rocking Stadium Tour

• Published: Jul. 10, 2022, 5:30 a.m.

Def Leppard performs Thursday, July 14, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland on a bill with Motley Crue, Poison, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Classless Act. (Photo: Kevin Nixon)

• Gary Graff, special to cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than two decades after releasing an album called “Euphoria,” Def Leppard is feeling renewed sense of elation these days. And with good reason.

The veteran British quintet -- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2018 -- publicly spent most of the pandemic pause in the past, with two retrospective box sets and a live album culled from concerts in Las Vegas and London. But the Leps were also quietly making a new album, “Diamond Star Halos,” recording remotely with co-producer Ronan McHugh tying things together. Its 14 tracks became 15 when guitarist Phil Collen came in last minute with the first single, “Kick,” and the set features guest appearances by Alison Krauss and longtime David Bowie pianist Mike Garson.

Released May 27, “Diamond Star Halos” gave Def Leppard its eighth Top 10 album on the Billboard 200, alongside the classics “Pyromania” and “Hysteria.” “Kick” and the subsequent single “Take What You Want,” meanwhile, joined the ranks of rock radio anthems such as “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and “Armageddon It.” On top of that, the group has announced a band-written autobiography, “Definitely: The Official Story Of Def Leppard,” for fall and launched a Def Leppard x Rock And Roll Beauty cosmetics line.

Best of all for the band, of course, is being on the road again. Its Stadium Tour with Motley Crue, Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts was twice delayed by the pandemic but finally got underway last month. It stops Thursday, July 14, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

As Collen, frontman Joe Elliott and bassist Rick Savage gather together on Zoom, they promise they’re not, er, foolin’ about this being one of the best times in the band’s 45 years together...

We’ve been waiting two years and The Stadium Tour is finally happening. Feels good?

Collen: Awesome. When we explain this tour to other people, they go, ‘What?! On the same night? The same bill?” Yeah, all of us -- Motley, Joan Jett, Poison, and people, it blows their mind. They really want this to come to other countries as well, so hopefully the better we do out there, the more we can keep it rolling. We want to go for at least three years if we can.

Elliott: Y’know, had we done the tour when we were supposed to (in 2020), we’d have been doing the tour with no new music. Now we’re doing it with a new album to promote, which puts a totally different slant on it. I think the fact we’re going out there refreshed and energized by new music that we can incorporate into the show, which we wouldn’t have been able to do in 2020, is going to make a huge difference in the way we present ourselves.

Collen: We feel like we’re moving into a different league. There’s a lot of bands who have stopped touring, stopped performing or lost interest. There’s a lot bands who we have lots of respect for, but they’ve lost interest, and you can see it. We’re the complete opposite. We’re rarin’ to go. We’ve got this album, and we’re a really “live” live band, so we can’t wait to get out there and prove it.

All four of the main acts are from a similar era, or at least overlapping. Do you feel a sense of kinship with everybody?

Savage: It’s a brilliant package. It’s Motley Crue, the real guys. Same with Poison. Those are the guys that formed the bands, so you can’t get better than that. It’s genuine. It’s the biggest tour that Def Leppard will have done in our career, and after 40-years it’s just a fantastic achievement to be able to do that.

Elliott: And let’s not forget Joan Jett as well, who’s a complete ball of energy. We’ve basically been looking at this thing since it was announced as it’s like taking a festival on the road. It’s a four-band festival, and we’ve always been into the idea of everything we do being an event. We’ve toured with some amazing bands...but this is a big deal. All those three artists out there with us makes it a special tour.

You’ve had a few weeks with “Diamond Star Halos” being out in the world. How are you feeling about the way it’s been received?

Collen: It’s the best reaction we’ve ever had to anything off the bat. I remember when “Hysteria” came out (in 1987) it was a mixed bag. This has been 100 percent positive. It’s been, “Omigod, we’ve been waiting for something like this!” It’s amazing. We put a lot of work into it, so it’s nice to hear that response.

The recording was, in fact, done remotely because of the pandemic. How did you find that process?

Elliott: It was joyful to do. Everybody was at home, so you didn’t have to work on it constantly or be waiting around in a hotel room in a foreign country, waiting to do your bit. You could get on with doing other stuff, and when we were working, we could concentrate wholly on the record. It was a leisurely way of recording.

Collen: I think it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. There was so much more energy by not having to go to a studio or a situation where you’re always waiting while someone else is recording their part. That stops creative flow and expression. With this, everyone could do their thing; I’d be in California and Joe and Sav would be England and Ireland. I’d finish something, send it to Joe, he’d get it, put some stuff on it and we’d just be back and forth. I’d wake up in the morning and there’d be something in my inbox.

Savage: There was such a forward momentum by doing it this way. There was somebody working on the record any time of the day.

Collen: We definitely don’t want to go back to whatever that standard way was that we did before. This is so much better.

What do you know about “Diamond Star Halos” now that you didn’t, or could not have, while you were making it?

Collen: We know it’s a concept album, and I don’t mean like, say, “Aqualung” or “Quadrophenia” or anything like that. But there is a theme and a thread that runs through it, and we didn’t know that at first. It’s influenced by that era when we were all baptized in music, the very early ‘70s. As we were doing the record, it became apparent that era and that feeling was readily apparent on this album as well -- the vibe, the lyrics, the look, everything.

“Kick” was the last song in but the first single out. What’s the story behind that?

Elliott: Phil rang me up, and because there was no delivery date, there was no record deal yet, I said, “OK, send me an MP3. We’ve got to go band-wide with it,” and everybody loved it. It’s a stadium anthem, and we were about to go into stadiums so...“Yeah!”

Collen: It also represented where we were at as well. It’s got that glam rock feel, that hand-clap groove, big vocals. It was just a no-brainer. It was not only it’s got to be on the album, but it’s also got to be the first single.

Elliott: Sav was the first one to comment, “OMG. ‘Sugar,’ anyone?” He wasn’t comparing one song to the other. He was comparing the situation. Back in late ‘86 “Sugar” was the last song written for Hysteria. We were already done. It was an 11-track record, finished, and then the idea of “Sugar” came along, and it became arguably the most important song on the record, if not our entire career, eventually. So, with (“Kick”) it was like the same kind of feeling, that this could be a very important song for us, and it’s come right at the end when we weren’t expecting it. It’s a nice little gift, totally unplanned.

Since your last album in 2015 you’ve spent a lot of time immersed in Def Leppard’s past -- a greatest hits album, box sets, etc. What kind of perspective did that give you on the group’s history?

Elliott: Our true mission was always to follow on the tailcoats, if you like, of all our great British pop-rock that came out in the ‘70s. Bowie, Bolan, Mott, Queen, Slade, Sweet...that’s where our three-minute pop-rock songs like “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages” came from. We’re always getting roped into either the L.A. hair-metal scene or the (New Wave of British Heavy Metal), but it’s not like we’re channeling (Black) Sabbath all the time. We wanted to do the harmonies and the melodies. We’re happy to be called a hybrid of AC/DC and Queen.

It’s been 45 years since the band formed in Sheffield, 42 years since the first album. Back then did you know this was built to last like it has?

Elliott: I don’t think we expected to get as far as 1983. When we formed in ‘77, Led Zeppelin was still together, the Beatles were only seven years gone, the Stones were only 15 years old and the Who were maybe 13 years old or something like that. The only thing that had been around 20 years or so would’ve been a solo artist. And you don’t see headlines like, “Frank Sinatra Splits!,” y’know? So, it’s just been a forward momentum thing, and then someone tells you it’s been 45 years and you’re like, “Oh? Really?!”

Collen: Someone has to tell you about it. It’s not something where we go, “Oh, guess what? It’s gonna be 40!” or 45 or whatever. We’re so busy doing other things, so those things are surprising us that way. It’s kind of neat.

Elliott: We haven’t achieved what we set out to do, and it’s to be kind of what we’re doing now. This is exactly what we want, and this is the stuff we want to do -- an album like this, a tour like this, this frame of mind, all these things together. That’s what you want to achieve. Even with, like, massive albums, two Diamond award albums, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it’s still not enough.

So, what is it you still want?

Elliott: We’ve always said that what we’ve got to try and achieve before we kick it all in the head or we’re gone is to be bracketed among the greats -- Lennon-McCartney, Jagger-Richards, Ray Davies, Pete Townshend. We probably never will, but we’re never gonna stop trying. We’re not interested in trying to be some second division, “Oh, that’ll do” kind of thing. We’re just gonna try our best and keep going for it.

Savage: We’re also still excited as well. We’re excited to write new songs. We’re excited to record them. We’re always excited to go back on tour. We still have that very young enthusiasm that you have when you’re a teenager. Everything’s still great, and we still feel that we’ve got places to go that are valid and we can get better and bigger and just keep going.

Collen: The singing gets better, the playing gets better, the songwriting...it’s still growing in quite a vast, speedy way. That’s so exciting, so you don’t want to put the kibosh on it. You want to keep that going. The wheels are nowhere near falling off. They’re actually well-oiled -- and speeding up!

The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Poison, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Classless Act plays at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14 at FirstEnergy Stadium, 100 Alfred Lerner Way, Cleveland. Tickets available at livenation.com.

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Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe Announce Rescheduled Summer Stadium Tour

By Emily Zemler

Emily Zemler

Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe will embark on their long-delayed North American tour this summer. The trek, dubbed the Stadium Tour, will kick off in Atlanta on June 16 and conclude in Las Vegas on Sept. 9.

Originally scheduled for 2020 , the tour will include previously announced stops alongside five new dates. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Poison will open all shows. Tickets for the new dates go on sale to the general public Friday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. local time via Live Nation .

“On behalf of the band, we’re beyond thrilled that the stadium tour is finally happening this summer,” Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott said in a statement. “It’s been a while coming and we can’t wait to get back on stage again and we can’t wait to see you in one of the many stadiums soon!”

Mötley Crüe added, “It’s on! We don’t think we’ve ever looked forward more to kicking off a tour than this one. We can’t wait to finally see all the fans across North America again. Get ready for a wild ride this summer!”

In 2019, Elliott spoke to Rolling Stone about how the tour came to be. “To be in stadiums, you really need to pair up. We’re trying to turn these shows into a mini-festival,” Elliott said. “When you think about Joan Jett opening up the night, and then Poison going on and then us and Mötley following them, it’s an event. It really is. And we’re all from the same genre. Most people that like that kind of thing saw us day after day on MTV in the Eighties. Our journeys have gone in different directions since then, but synchronicity pulls us back together once again. It’s a celebration of that whole kind of vibe.”

Last year, Def Leppard unveiled Volume 3 — a box set containing three albums released in the 2000s, B-sides, demos, and unreleased recordings from the band’s vault. The six-CD set included 2002’s X , the 2006 covers album  Yeah!, and 2008’s Songs From the Sparkle Lounge , plus the bonus discs B-Sides,  Yeah! Studio Covers  and  Yeah! Live . Volume 3 arrived two years after Def Leppard released Volume 2   — which focused on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-inductees’ Nineties catalog — in June 2019.  Volume 1 dropped in 2018, while a box set featuring the band’s earliest, unreleased recordings  was released in 2020.

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Meanwhile, Mötley Crüe recently sold their entire recorded music catalog to BMG that included the band’s nine studio albums, as well as several live albums and compilation sets. Drummer Tommy Lee found renewed interest in the story behind his stolen sex tape with Pamela Anderson via Hulu’s acclaimed Pam & Tommy, while b assist Nikki Sixx got himself entangled in a feud with Eddie Vedder after calling Pearl Jam “one of the most boring bands in history.”

The Stadium Tour Dates

Thursday, June 16 – Atlanta, GA @ Truist Park Saturday, June 18 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium Sunday, June 19 – Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium Wednesday, June 22 – Washington, DC @ Nationals Park Friday, June 24 – Queens, NY @ Citi Field Saturday, June 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park Tuesday, June 28 – Charlotte, NC @ Bank of America Stadium Thursday, June 30 – Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium Saturday, July 2 – Jacksonville, FL @ TIAA Bank Field Tuesday, July 5 – St. Louis, MO @ Busch Stadium Friday, July 8 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field Sunday, July 10 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park Tuesday July 12 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium Thursday, July 14 – Cleveland, OH @ FirstEnergy Stadium Friday, July 15 – Cincinnati, OH @ Great American Ball Park Sunday, July 17 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Field Tuesday, July 19 – Kansas City, MO @ Kauffman Stadium Thursday, July 21 – Denver, CO @ Coors Field Friday, August 5 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park Saturday, August 6 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park Monday, August 8 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre Wednesday, August 10 – Orchard Park, NY @ Highmark Stadium Friday, August 12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park Sunday, August 14 – Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium Tuesday, August 16 – Indianapolis, IN @ Lucas Oil Stadium Friday, August 19 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park Sunday, August 21 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome Monday, August 22 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field Thursday, August 25 – Glendale, AZ @ State Farm Stadium Saturday, August 27 – Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium Sunday, August 28 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park Wednesday, August 31 – Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park Friday, September 2 – Vancouver, BC @ BC Place Sunday, September 4 – Edmonton, AB @ Commonwealth Stadium Wednesday, September 7 – San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park Friday, September 9 – Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium

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Photo gallery: Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe's Stadium Tour has kicked off in The UK

First night photos from Bramall Lane in Sheffield have been released by Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard - setlists also online

Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe 's much-hyped Stadium Tour has reached Europe. The bands played the first show of a 20-date schedule at Bramhall Lane, in Def Leppard's hometown of Sheffield last night (May 22).

"Well, it finally arrived," says Leppard frontman Joe Elliott. "We were so looking forward to bringing The World Tour with Motley Crue back to our home turf and what a spectacular night it was!

"We knew after how well the Stadiums went down last year in North America and earlier this year in South and Central America that our UK and Europeans fans were going to really enjoy this show. But last night in Sheffield, where it all started many years ago, exceeded even our expectations! If the reaction we had last night at Bramall Lane is any indication, this UK / European leg of The World Tour is going to be fantastic!"

Mötley Crüe added: "We literally just finished in the recording studio with Bob Rock and headed straight to the UK to start The World Tour with Def Leppard. Sheffield was an amazing first UK crowd and we’re excited for the rest of the shows including the legendary Wembley Stadium on July 1. Both Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard have been really busy and are now ready to rip it up live across all of Europe together."

The bands have also released a number of photos from the shows (see galleries below – use arrows to navigate – with setlists following).

The next show on the Stadium Tour is at Sparkassen Park in Mönchengladbach, Germany, on May 25. Def Leppard released their new orchestral album, D rastic Symphonies on Friday.

Def Leppard Gallery

Mötley crüe gallery, motley crue: bramall lane setlist.

Wild Side Shout at the Devil Too Fast for Love Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) Saints of Los Angeles Live Wire Looks That Kill The Dirt (Est. 1981) Medley: Rock and Roll, Part 2 / Smokin' in the Boys Room / Helter Skelter / Anarchy in the U.K. / Blitzkrieg Bop Home Sweet Home T.N.T. (Terror 'N Tinseltown) Dr. Feelgood Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.) Girls, Girls, Girls Primal Scream Kickstart My Heart

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Def Leppard: Bramall Lane setlist

Take What You Want Let's Get Rocked Animal Foolin' Armageddon It Kick Love Bites Promises This Guitar When Love and Hate Collide Rocket Bringin' On the Heartbreak Switch 625 Hysteria Pour Some Sugar on Me Rock of Ages Photograph

Mötley Crüe/Def Leppard Stadium Tour 2023

May 25: Mönchengladbach Sparkassen Park, Germany May 27: Munich Koenigsplatz, Germany May 29: Budapest MVM Dome, Hungary May 31: Krakow Tauron Arena Kraków, Poland Jun 02: Prague Rocks, Czech Republic Jun 03: Hannover Expo Plaza, Germany Jun 07: Solvesborg, Sweden Rock Festival, Sweden Jun 09: Helsinki RockFest, Finland Jun 11: Trondheim Rocks, Norway Jun 14: Copenhagen Copenhell, Denmark Jun 18: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium Jun 20: Milan Ippodromo SNAI San Siro, Italy Jun 23: Lisbon Passeio Maritimo de Alges, Portugal Jun 24: Rivas-Vaciamadrid Auditorio Miguel Ríos, Spain Jun 27: Thun Stockhorn Arena, Switzerland Jul 01: London Wembley Stadium, UK Jul 02: Lytham Festival, UK Jul 04: Dublin Marlay Park, Ireland Jul 06: Glasgow Hampden Park, UK Aug 05: Syracuse JMA Wireless Dome, NY Aug 08: Columbus Ohio Stadium, OH Aug 11: Fargo Fargodome, ND Aug 13: Omaha Charles Schwab Field Omaha, NE Aug 16: Tulsa H.A. Chapman Stadium, OK Aug 18: El Paso Sun Bowl Stadium, TX

Tickets are on sale now .

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.  

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The Lep Report

Indulge in Def Leppard!

Def Leppard Motley Crue Stadium Tour/World Tour (Latest News)

Last updated on April 13, 2024

DEF LEPPARD STADIUM TOUR — LATEST NEWS UPDATES:

Def Leppard & Journey have announced The Summer Stadium Tour 2024 ! Supporting acts will rotate between Heart, Cheap Trick, and Steve Miller Band.

Note: Def Leppard will also have select standalone concert dates during the tour, such as the recently announced shows at the Hard Rock Live (August 9 in Davie, FL), the Spokane Arena (September 6 in Spokane, WA), and the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre (September 10 in West Valley City, UT).

Stadium Tour 2024 dates and ticket link options are below. (Use coupon code “lepreport10” to get 10% off any Ticket Network order!)

• July 6 – St. Louis, MO (Busch Stadium) w/Cheap Trick Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• July 10 – Orlando, FL (Camping World Stadium) w/Cheap Trick Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• July 13 – Atlanta, GA (Truist Park) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• July 15 – Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• July 18 – Detroit, MI (Comerica Park) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• July 20 – Nashville, TN (Nissan Stadium) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• July 23 – Philadelphia, PA (Citizens Bank Park) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• July 25 – Hershey, PA (Hersheypark Stadium) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• July 27 – Pittsburgh, PA (PNC Park) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• July 30 – Cleveland, OH (Progressive Field) w/Heart Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 2 – Toronto, ON (Rogers Centre) w/Heart Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 5 – Boston, MA (Fenway Park) w/Heart Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 7 – Flushing, NY (Citi Field) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 9 – Davie, FL (Hard Rock Live) (Def Leppard only) Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 12 – Arlington, TX (Globe Life Field) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 14 – Houston, TX (Minute Maid Park) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 16 – San Antonio, TX (Alamodome) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 19 – Minneapolis, MN (Target Field) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 23 – Phoenix, AZ (Chase Field) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 25 – Los Angeles, CA (SoFi Stadium) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 28 – San Francisco, CA (Oracle Park) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• August 30 – San Diego, CA (Petco Park) w/Steve Miller Band Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• September 2 – Portland, OR (Moda Center) Tickets are available now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• September 4 – Seattle, WA (T-Mobile Park) w/Cheap Trick Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• September 6 – Spokane, WA (Spokane Arena) (Def Leppard only, Special guest: JBLZE – Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening) Tickets are available now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• September 8 – Denver, CO (Coors Field) w/Cheap Trick Tickets are available right now here: Ticket Network | StubHub
• September 10 – West Valley City, UT (Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre) (Def Leppard only, Special guest: JBLZE – Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening) Tickets are available now here: Ticket Network | StubHub

LATEST 2024 STADIUM TOUR UPDATES:

• Def Leppard has a brand new song that will be revealed soon — just in time for the band’s 2024 Stadium Tour (and refreshed concert setlist)! Rick Savage revealed the news tidbit during an interview with Stereogum :

“This is hot off the press, but we have just mastered a one-off single, and playing on it is Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine, who was a huge fan back in the day when he was growing up. High ‘n’ Dry was like his Bible. He’s playing a solo on our new single, it’s going to be out there pretty soon.”

Sav recently posted on his Instagram account that the band had been working on a new setlist for the 2024 Stadium Tour with Journey, adding that it will include “a brand new song” and, in acknowledgment of Def Leppard’s new 40th anniversary Pyromania release , “we’ll be throwing a few more of those tracks in as well.” He also teased that their updated Stadium Tour setlist would include “a song we’ve never played live before.”

• Celebrate and commemorate Def Leppard, The Stadium Tour & much more: Visit   LiveLoveLep.com or click on a shirt below to check out numerous unique t-shirts, tank tops, mugs, and more!

Read more  news about the Def Leppard/Journey Summer Stadium Tour 2024 here !

Quick links:

• “I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY” book is here ! • Def Leppard’s ‘Definitely’ book is here ! • Def Leppard’s ‘Drastic Symphonies’ album is here ! • Def Leppard merchandise and more gift ideas are  here ! • Ticket links for numerous concert tours (including the Def Leppard/Journey tour) are here !

PREVIOUS DEF LEPPARD/MOTLEY CRUE WORLD TOUR UPDATES:

• The World Tour 2023 has wrapped up — at least until 2024, according to Vince Neil .
• Concert reviews from the World Tour 2023’s final shows in Australia: The Age reviewed the Melbourne show ( “If the Crue have spent their decades living it up, Def Leppard have spent that time practicing…” ), Hot Metal Mag reviewed the Sydney show ( “In contrast with Def Leppard’s breezy, easy going and wide-eyed fun, Mötley Crüe was spiky, jagged and disjointed.” ), TheMusic.com.au reviewed the Brisbane show ( “One of the night’s most powerful moments would easily have been experiencing the raw grit and power of drummer Rick Allen’s solo in the spotlight…” )
• If you REALLY want to indulge in much more Def Leppard, check out this must-read book featuring extensive, in-depth analysis of the band’s studio album and single releases, never-before-told stories ‘from the inside,’ never-before-seen photos, tribute chapters spotlighting Steve Clark, Joe Elliott, and Mutt Lange, and so much more!
• Def Leppard’s setlist remained the same for 2023’s final shows in Japan and Australia:

Take What You Want Let’s Get Rocked Animal Foolin’ Armageddon It Kick Love Bites Promises This Guitar When Love and Hate Collide Rocket Bringin’ On the Heartbreak Switch 625 (w/drum solo) Hysteria Pour Some Sugar on Me Rock of Ages Photograph

PREVIOUS WORLD TOUR UPDATES:

• U.S. World Tour concert reviews: The Columbus Dispatch review (“Motley Crue a bit sluggish, Def Leppard pleases crowd at Ohio Stadium”), InForum.com review (“Def Leppard still ‘Bringin’ on the Heartbreak’ while Mötley Crüe has ‘Looks That Kill’ at Fargodome show”)
• The Guardian posted a concert review of The World Tour’s Bramall Lane, Sheffield show. (Snippet from the review: “On this co-headline tour, Mötley Crüe are crass and limp, and then shown up all the more by the triumphant power of Def Leppard’s homecoming…”)
• If you’re looking for concert tickets, a large list of tour options can be found here . You can also quickly search for tickets in the handy box below:

PREVIOUS — MORE WORLD TOUR UPDATES:

• During Def Leppard’s break from The World Tour, the band released their new album “Def Leppard: Drastic Symphonies (With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra).” Read all about it here .
• Rick Allen discussed Mick Mars’s decision to no longer tour with Motley Crue. Read more about it here . (An interview with drummer Carmine Appice , a good friend of Mick Mars, provides a very different take on the situation. There has also been some back and forth between Carmine and Nikki Sixx about it since then.)
• Mick Mars is suing Motley Crue, alleging the band is trying to “gaslight” and fire him. The lawsuit also alleges Motley Crue members mimed some, if not all, parts during the Def Leppard/Motley Crue 2022 Stadium Tour. Read all the latest updates here .
• Rick Allen was physically assaulted outside the Four Seasons in Florida on March 13, where he had been staying for Def Leppard’s Hollywood, FL show at that Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (the final tour date for The World Tour’s first leg). Read the latest information (and watch the video of his recent appearance on ‘Good Morning America’ discussing the assault) here .
• Joe Elliott discussed Def Leppard’s World Tour setlist in an interview, and whether including several new songs from the band’s Diamond Star Halos album is “overindulgent.” Read about it here .

PREVIOUS STADIUM/WORLD TOUR UPDATES:

• The first leg of the 2023 Def Leppard/Motley Crue World Tour wrapped up on March 12 in Hollywood, Florida. Def Leppard did not change their setlist for the show — it was the same one they’ve used since the start of the World Tour.
• Def Leppard (and Nikki Sixx, etc.) posted on their social media that the Def Leppard/Motley Crue World Tour is heading to Japan fall 2023.
• The Stadium/World Tour will reportedly return to the U.S. in 2024, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal report/interview with Vince Neil.
• Nikki Sixx has said that 120 more shows are planned and a tour for 2024 was forthcoming. (“…another 120 next year and the year after that.” — ET Online )
• Joe Elliott mentioned The Stadium Tour/The World Tour will travel to Europe and beyond in 2023. Louder
• Read an in-depth write-up about Def Leppard’s latest album ‘Diamond Star Halos,’ The Stadium Tour, and the current state of Def Leppard here .
• Def Leppard fans! If you REALLY want to indulge in Def Leppard, check out the must-read book “I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY! (Collections, Recollections & Personal Reflections About Def Leppard).” It includes extensive write-ups and in-depth analysis of the band’s studio albums and numerous singles, as well as tribute chapters spotlighting Joe Elliott, Steve Clark, and producer “Mutt” Lange. Plus, never-before-told personal stories, never-before-seen pictures, and more!

PREVIOUS STADIUM TOUR UPDATES:

• If you would like to read a Stadium Tour 2022 concert review, here’s one from the Chicago Tribune which not only sums up the show nicely but also ties in well with the original post below. (On a related note, Phil Soussan — who is a member of Vivian Campbell’s side band Last In Line — criticized Motley Crue’s Stadium Tour Las Vegas performance on social media (“never seen a place empty out so fast after only a few songs”) after praising Poison (“nothing but a good time”) and Def Leppard (“spectacular and pristine”)…but quickly took it back and apologized to Nikki Sixx). Here’s a review of the tour’s Los Angeles show . More Stadium Tour concert reviews: Cleveland , Arizona , and another one for Los Angeles .

FYI: The thoughts & opinions critiquing The Stadium Tour in the post below were written soon after the tour was originally announced in late 2019. Enjoy!

After weeks of rumors, it’s finally official: Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts are going on tour together.

“The Stadium Tour” (as it’s officially called) will be traveling across the U.S. and parts of Canada. (Tour dates and ticket information can be found here .)

I’d like to add another word: Why?

Questioning this tour — specifically, a Def Leppard, Motley Crue tour — may be unpopular, but from a Def Leppard fan perspective, I ask again: Why?

I’m sure some can easily come up with financially motivated reasons, but I digress.

Let’s really dig deep and delve into this tour event!

Def Leppard, Motley Crue Stadium Tour: Do You Really, Really Want To Do This Tour?

Even though this site is Def Leppard-centric (obviously), that’s not to say yours truly has anything against Mötley Crüe’s catalog of music.

But why pair up Def Leppard with Mötley Crüe, and why do it now?

No doubt a Def Leppard, Motley Crue tour package is a concert promoter’s dream. Well-known acts, each with large fan bases who will happily pay to take part in the concert event.

And though I’m not here to speak for Mötley Crüe fans, let’s take a look at their band’s “return” to touring.

Cessation From The Cessation

If Mötley Crüe hadn’t made such an extravaganza of their “Cessation of Touring” contract — a publicity stunt in hindsight — it might be a bit easier to buy into their return, let alone for this new tour.

Just a bit.

Press conferences with gravestones, posing with their signed “Cessation of Touring” contract, etc., etc., etc.

That’s NOT to say many aren’t genuinely surprised their farewell tour was for not, but that doesn’t mean some of their fans don’t feel duped, sadly, at the expense of their own band.

And who can blame them, especially when Mötley Crüe’s members REPEATEDLY assured everyone that their farewell tour was truly their last?

Some notable quotes from Nikki Sixx:

“There are people in this band who will refuse to ever do it again, and you’re talking to one of them.”

“There is no amount of money that would ever make me do it again because I have such pride in how we’re ending it.”

“We want to have some dignity.” (during the “Cessation of Touring” contract signing)

“If we did agree [to another tour] , the way we’ve set it up…we’d have so much egg on our face. We have so much pride that that alone would stop it.”

And just a quick counterpoint to those quotes from Def Leppard’s Phil Collen (from earlier this year):

“We are having an Indian summer and it’s because we have this integrity. We never stopped, actually, in the 40-odd years that the band’s been together. We just keep going through thick and thin, all the bad stuff, good stuff. And I think that shows, and we’re just enjoying this Indian summer.”

Moving right along.

The Dirt on… The Dirt

This article is ultimately about Def Leppard (we’ll get there, I promise), but I need to revisit one of the marketing angles Mötley Crüe has been using to validate their return to touring, in addition to comments made by Mötley Crüe’s manager.

Mötley Crüe has been saying as a result of the MASSIVE success of the band’s Netflix movie The Dirt , a whole new “generation” of Mötley Crüe fans — who missed out on seeing the band live — are demanding their return.

Ok, let’s go with that for a moment.

How long had it been since Mötley Crüe’s last “farewell” tour date?

Less than four years.

47 months, give or take a few days.

A little over 34,000 hours.

No wonder that iron-clad agreement was blown up — a “generation” of fans missed out on seeing the band’s last tour in…2015!

But let’s put that aside.

Was this supposed newfound demand for Mötley Crüe’s return really due to The Dirt ‘s “massive” success (and new tracks added to the film’s soundtrack), which they said resulted in the band becoming “more popular than ever”?

Maybe Mötley Crüe’s cover of Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” will make it onto their Stadium Tour setlist for the “legion of new fans” who only know them from The Dirt — after all, it is on the soundtrack .

Maybe, maybe not.

There’s absolutely no doubt a large portion of Mötley Crüe fans — new and old — are ecstatic that their band is coming back to tour.

But mixed feelings are understandable, too.

And while some question Vince Neil’s vocal abilities, if Mötley Crüe truly feels their return is due to overwhelming fan demand, it’s absolutely their decision and prerogative.

More power to them. Let Mötley Crüe be Mötley Crüe.

But why pull Def Leppard into this tour scenario?

But would a stadium tour have been warranted if Mötley Crüe went out on their own reunion tour?

Maybe that gargantuan legion of new fans from The Dirt isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. (Discussing The Dirt during an interview , Mötley Crüe’s manager Allen Kovac touted “tens of millions of people saw the film,” adding “I think the data is equal to [Martin Scorsese’s movie] The Irishman. ” Yet The Dirt wasn’t even included in Netflix’s Top 10 most popular movies of 2019 , which included The Irishman at #5.)

Separately, Poison’s Bret Michaels said in an interview that he worked on making a Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe tour happen “for years.” If true, that also doesn’t mesh with the narrative that Mötley Crüe reconsidered their “Cessation of Touring” only after The Dirt ‘s success.

I think some Mötley Crüe fans would have been more accepting if the band was more on the level about why they were returning.

Why not go back out on the road with their own “Nevermind!” tour?

Some honesty and levity would probably go a long way.

Def Leppard Motley Crue Stadium Tour: Who’s REALLY Headlining?

A rumor that floated around the web prior to the official tour announcement was that Mötley Crüe would be headlining “The Stadium Tour.”

Since then, it’s been announced that it will be a “co-headlining tour” with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe switching off on who closes the show in certain cities.

“Headlining” is a subjective term though — realistically, it’s the bands’ paydays (among other things) that will ultimately determine which band is TRULY considered and rewarded as the headliner.

Based on the information that made the rounds online prior to the tour’s announcement, it was revealed that the concert payday will allegedly be 2-to-1 in favor of Mötley Crüe over Def Leppard . Put another way, Mötley Crüe is being paid twice as much — double! — what Def Leppard is earning.

It’s interesting (and not surprising) to see how a more balanced approach is being taken publicly, alternating each band’s logo placement in marketing materials.

For example, Def Leppard’s official newsletter announcement features top placement for Def Leppard!

Just a minute.

Did you notice which band is listed first in the Stadium Tour official press release announcement? It’s Mötley Crüe.

How about the poster art which was included with the Stadium Tour’s press release?

The top left priority placement went to Mötley Crüe.

Ok, how about having a “neutral” party be the deciding factor? Live Nation (the concert’s promoter) sent out an e-mail about the tour announcement.

Which band received priority (top left) placement in Live Nation’s e-mail graphic and messaging? Mötley Crüe.

All of these materials are extensively thought through, legally decided, and approved.

So what does this mean?

Frankly, it means that Mötley Crüe and their management are marketing geniuses: their non-farewell “farewell” tour worked out splendidly and to their advantage. They monetized their farewell to the hilt and generated a whole new level of interest to exploit “reuniting” merely a few years later.

They even made sure to time “The Stadium Tour” announcement with a newly created social media “Mötley Crüe is Back” hashtag (presented in the form of an image ) to encourage fans to utilize the hashtag and get it trending.

The Real Dirt on The Dirt

It’s quite interesting that Mötley Crüe’s manager had been touting his band’s successes in the months prior to The Stadium Tour announcement, calling out bands from the ’80s era — and specifically Def Leppard and Poison — saying they were no longer on the radio charts . He also went on to say that only a few select bands from that earlier era still have the ability to accomplish that feat, namely Metallica and, of course, Mötley Crüe.

So let’s really take a look at the recent success Mötley Crüe has enjoyed, and whether that popularity is potentially inflated.

The Dirt soundtrack (an album mostly comprised of the band’s greatest hits) debuted on Billboard ‘s top albums chart at #10. (It was the band’s first top 10 album in more than a decade.)

In its first week, 15,000 albums of the soundtrack were sold, and after mixing in digital sales, the total came out to a little less than 30,000 units in equivalent album sales.

For sake of comparison, Def Leppard’s 2015 studio album (the self-titled Def Leppard ) sold 30,000 copies in its first week. It was also a top 10 album but was comprised of all-new music (not a greatest hits release).

Following The Dirt Netflix premiere, there was boasting that the band’s catalog album sales soared 683% (according to Billboard ), but let’s put that in perspective by calling out another data point that is conveniently overlooked: Billboard also noted that the band’s album sales the week prior to the premiere totaled only 2,000 units.

So a catalog sales increase of nearly 700% is quite impressive, but much less so when it’s calculated off of a base amount that’s practically non-existent.

Gotta love marketing and PR spin!

The movie’s title song “The Dirt (Est. 1981)” ended up reaching the top 10 on Billboard ‘s niche Mainstream Rock Songs chart. (Mötley Crüe last appeared on that chart’s Top 10 with “ Saints of Los Angeles ,” which achieved an even higher rank, reaching #5 in 2008.)

I’m going to stop there in terms of chart analysis even though further points can be made to dispute Mötley Crüe’s stance about them being “more popular than ever” as a result of The Dirt .

In the end, Mötley Crüe can do as they please, and they can go about their reunion with whatever storyline they feel suits them best, but from a Def Leppard perspective, it is so unnecessary for the boys from Sheffield to partake in the spectacle.

Def Leppard: Welcome To The Carnival

Def Leppard practically tours yearly (pre-pandemic), riding the wave of a resurgence that’s elevated the band to a whole new level of notoriety four decades into their career.

One of the most thrilling aspects of their “Sin City” Las Vegas residency was that they shook up — or, at the least, began to shake up — their concert setlist. (You can read all about it here .)

This helped refresh the band’s live show, especially for fans who frequently see them on tour.

Now, a Def Leppard, Motley Crue tour (“co-headlining” or not) puts limitations on the band’s setlist once again, as they’ll have a shorter timeslot (likely 90 minutes or less) to work from — regardless of which band closes out the show.

That’s a shame.

Joe Elliott confirmed this in an interview with RollingStone.com :

“We’re not going to be digging into deep tracks, album cuts, and obscure B-sides like we tended to do when we did the Vegas residencies.”

He also went on to describe The Stadium Tour this way:

“We’re trying to turn these shows into a mini-festival… we’re all from the same genre. Most people that like that kind of thing saw us day after day on MTV in the Eighties.  Our journeys have gone in different directions since then, but synchronicity pulls us back together once again.”

The word “synchronicity” really stands out in Joe’s comment, and therein lies another point worth making.

There’s no doubt Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe have crossover fans, but I wouldn’t call putting these two bands on tour together a match made in heaven.

Other bands would have meshed much better with Def Leppard and their fanbase, all the while creating a high-profile tour attraction.

So without further ado, let’s have some fun…and imagine what could have been better 2020 Def Leppard tour options.

An Open Letter To Def Leppard & Their Management

Here are several other 2020 proposed tour packages that would have been just as, if not more, appealing to Def Leppard fans .

1) Def Leppard and Bon Jovi

I know many passionate fans take sides in a Def Leppard vs. Bon Jovi matchup , and there is a spirited, friendly competition between the two bands, but there’s no denying touring together would have complemented one another’s body of work and their fanbases.

It would be newsworthy, memorable, and definitely provide a lot of excitement…and synchronicity!

2) Def Leppard and Whitesnake

It’s been done internationally, so why not a full-fledged U.S. tour?

Pairing up the two bands would not only be a powerhouse concert lineup, but it would also be a must-see tour for both bands’ collective fanbases.

By the way, I have no issue with Poison (or Joan Jett & The Blackhearts) being part of next year’s summer tour. That said, I would also have no issue with including other bands in their place to make this type of hypothetical tour event even more special.

There are plenty of noteworthy bands to choose from that concertgoers would love to see be part of a Def Leppard/Whitesnake (or Bon Jovi) tour: Cinderella, Skid Row (with Sebastian Bach returning, of course), L.A. Guns, Tesla, etc.

Take your pick!

A tour package overflowing with “synchronicity.”

3) Def Leppard, Queen, and The Struts

Def Leppard has spoken countless times about Queen’s musical influence. To have Queen be part of a Def Leppard tour, performing the songs beloved by so many fans (including Def Leppard) would be a wonderful, celebratory event in and of itself.

That’s why it would also be so fitting if The Struts — a band Joe Elliott has sung the praises of countless times — was the opening act.

Unique, unforgettable, crackling with glam rock energy, and something many fans would thoroughly enjoy being a part of.

“We Will, We Will Rock You…Till You Drop!”

4) Def Leppard and Scorpions

How fitting would it have been if Def Leppard — who once opened for Scorpions in 1980 in support of their On Through The Night album — returned the favor?

“Synchronicity” galore!

Call it the “ The Rhythm of Love Bites ” tour.” How about the “ Rocket Like A Hurricane ” tour?

Ok, kidding aside, the point is there would be great synergy — from the music to the bands, to the fans in attendance. All would complementary.

Now let’s change gears for just a moment…

Def Leppard and… Journey?

Def Leppard and Journey already hooked up for a very successful “stadium tour.”

Their 2018 tour grossed nearly $100 million and sold over 1 million tickets .

How about Journey reuniting with Steve Perry and going out on tour with Def Leppard? Now that would be a completely different type of Def Leppard and Journey tour!

But, wait, you know what? A Journey/Steve Perry reunion tour wouldn’t necessarily need Def Leppard on the bill: Steve Perry reuniting with Journey could survive — and thrive! — touring on their own.

The same goes for why Def Leppard isn’t touring with KISS ( on their latest farewell tour ) again, or a reunited Guns ‘n’ Roses for their “Not In This Lifetime…” tour .

Because, frankly, neither band needs “a Def Leppard” on their bill.

This brings us full circle: Mötley Crüe should not have to be on a shared bill with Def Leppard. They should be able to go at it alone — after all, they’re “more popular than ever,” right?

That being said, the same applies to Def Leppard: They can go it alone, too.

This brings us to the fifth and final proposed tour, and it’s in response to those that have called the Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Joan Jett tour a welcomed “nostalgia act.”

There’s a much better nostalgic option for Def Leppard fans.

5) Def Leppard: In-The-Round In-Your-Face Again

So many concertgoers who experienced it decades ago loved it, while newer generations of fans missed out and never had the chance to witness it themselves.

Well, this would be their chance.

While we’re at it, bring back any number of the bands that were originally part of Def Leppard’s Hysteria tour to be part of the extravaganza: Tesla, Cinderella, L.A. Guns, Europe.

That would be quite a must-see event.

Granted, an in-the-round concert is physically challenging for Def Leppard — it was even a workout back in their Hysteria tour days — but this proposed in-the-round return is not based around a massive 200+ date tour that lasts years.

It could be treated as a limited-time event, spaced out to provide the band with adequate rest between dates and arenas — that’s right, arenas, not stadiums. Arenas will allow the band to reach more cities (and fans) who can partake in the special event.

I can go on about some of the exciting, jaw-dropping, nostalgic things Def Leppard could do to really amplify this type of in-the-round event, but I’ll leave it at that for now.

In the end, no matter the age of Def Leppard’s concertgoers, an in-the-round stage show would be worth experiencing at least one last time.

Def Leppard, Motley Crue Stadium Tour: Final Thoughts

If you’ve read any number of posts on this site, you’re used to seeing Def Leppard’s “brand” and promotional strategies over the decades analyzed and even scrutinized .

I assure you that any and all critiques come from a good place. (By the way, if you really want to go in-depth and indulge in Def Leppard, check out this must-read book !)

That being said, I believe any of the proposed tours listed above would reward and benefit Def Leppard and its legacy, not to mention the band’s fans.

With all due respect, this “co-headlining” tour potentially tarnishes Def Leppard’s brand a bit and doesn’t allow the band to shine to its full potential, especially at this point in its stellar career.

But it didn’t have to be done this way.

Mötley Crüe should have known better, from the narrative they fed their fans about never ever touring again, to the reasoning they chose to use to reunite so quickly .

And Def Leppard could have done better for themselves and for their fans.

There were better touring options worth exploring.

Much, much better.

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Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard Add Dates to 2022 Stadium Tour

Tickets for the new shows go on sale to the general public on Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. local time here . There are also various pre-sales.

The run was originally scheduled to begin on June 18, 2020, but on June 1 of that year it was postponed to 2021. Then on May 14, 2021, the group wrote, “To all our loyal fans, we wanted to let you know that we learned today that the tour is getting moved to 2022. This is the only way to ensure that we can play ALL of the dates for ALL of you who have purchased tickets. We appreciate you hanging in there and can’t wait to get back on stage and bring The Stadium Tour to all of our fans.

“It is going to be one for the history books!”

On June 1, 2020, the band announced that the dates were being moved to 2021. The 34-date tour is expected to be on the short list of 2022’s biggest-grossing tours.

The original tour was unveiled Dec. 4, 2019, via a live broadcast on the band’s Facebook page and on SiriusXM, just over two weeks after the group proclaimed that they were reuniting.

Watch the 2022 relaunch announcement

The four bands had addressed the uncertainty of the tour, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In a joint statement released on May 1, 2020, they wrote, “Our priority during this unprecedented time is to make sure that we are being as thoughtful and responsible as possible in the decisions we are making regarding The Stadium Tour and that we are putting the fans’ health, well being and safety first and foremost. We are currently weighing all options and are awaiting further direction from the powers that be. Our goal is to have an official update to everyone by June 1 outlining exactly how we will proceed. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy. We can’t wait to see you all again.”

See the itinerary below. Tickets are available here  and here .

The original tour announcement event, at SiriusXM’s Hollywood studio filled with fans, also included the members of Def Leppard and Poison. The feeds on the Crüe and Def Leppard Facebook pages were plagued with video and audio problems.

During the Dec. 4, 2019, live broadcast, Vince Neil talked about how good it was to “get that brotherhood back.” Poison’s Bret Michaels noted that it would be great to perform in front of three generations of fans.

Watch the original official tour trailer

Back on Nov. 18, 2019, Mötley Crüe announced they were tearing up their Cessation of Touring agreement. After 35 years together on stage, and 30 years since the release of Dr. Feelgood , the members of Mötley Crüe parted ways without speaking to each other after their final show on December 31, 2015. Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee didn’t come together again until 2018 to participate in the making of The Dirt movie, which unexpectedly brought them closer together again including seeing them head back into the recording studio after having gone in their own directions for several years.

Def Leppard were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

Poison’s all original lineup includes Bret Michaels, guitarist C.C. DeVille, bass guitarist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett.

Mötley Crüe – Def Leppard – Poison – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts 2022 Tour  (Tickets are available here  and here )

Jun 16 – Atlanta, GA – SunTrust Park Jun 18 – Miami Gardens, FL – Hard Rock Stadium Jun 19 – Orlando, FL – Camping World Stadium Jun 22 – Washington, DC – Nationals Park Jun 24 – New York, NY – Citi Field Jun 25 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park Jun 28 – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium Jun 30 – Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium Jul 02 – Jacksonville, FL – TIAA Bank Field Jul 05 – St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium Jul 08 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field Jul 10 – Detroit, MI – Comerica Park Jul 12 – Hershey, PA – Hershey Park Stadium Jul 14 – Cleveland, OH – FirstEnergy Stadium Jul 15 – Cincinnati, OH – Great American Ballpark Jul 17 – Milwaukee, WI – Miller Park Jul 19 – Kansas City, MO – Kauffman Stadium Jul 21 – Denver, CO – Coors Field Aug 05 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park Aug 06 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park Aug 08 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Center^ Aug 10 – Orchard Park, NY – New Era Field Aug 12 – Pittsburgh, PA – PNC Park Aug 14 – Minneapolis, MN – U.S. Bank Stadium Aug 16 – Indianapolis, IN – Lucas Oil Stadium^ Aug 19 – Houston, TX – Minute Maid Park Aug 21 – San Antonio, TX – Alamodome Aug 22 – Arlington, TX – Globe Life Field Aug 27 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium Aug 28 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park Aug 31 – Seattle, WA – T-Mobile Park Sep 02 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place^ Sep 04 – Edmonton, AB – Commonwealth Stadium^ Sep 07 – San Francisco, CA – Oracle Park Sep 09 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium^

^ Added on Feb. 17

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Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett’s 2022 Tour: A Tale of the Tape

Motley Crue , Def Leppard ,  Poison  and  Joan Jett  and the Blackhearts will finally embark on one of the year's most highly anticipated tours  this summer.

The Stadium Tour was originally set to launch in the summer of 2020, then postponed to 2021 and again to 2022 . The trek will now begin in Atlanta on June 16 and wrap up in Las Vegas on Sept. 9, with new, additional show dates having been added to the schedule.

In one corner of the ring, we have Motley Crue, the band that famously swore off touring in a highly publicized press event at the outset of 2014 before destroying  its " Cessation of Touring Agreement " shortly before this upcoming jaunt was announced in 2019.

In the opposite corner is Def Leppard, one of the most durable bands on the touring circuit. To their left is Poison, whose penchant for dirty talk and fallen angels still resonates with audiences today. And last but certainly not least, we see Jett, a former Runaway -done-good whose career has spanned more than four decades. But how do the four acts stack up against one another? We take a look at a Tale of the Tape below.

CURRENT LINEUP 

Motley Crue:  Vince Neil (vocals), Nikki Sixx (bass, vocals), Mick Mars (guitar), Tommy Lee (drums) Def Leppard: Joe Elliott (vocals),  Phil Collen (guitar, vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Rick Savage (bass),  Rick Allen (drums) Poison:  Bret Michaels (vocals), C.C. DeVille (guitar), Bobby Dall (bass), Rikki Rockett (drums) Joan Jett and the Blackhearts:  Joan Jett (vocals, guitar), Dougie Needles (guitar), Hal B. Selzer (bass), Michael McDermott (drums)

FORMED/HOMETOWN

Motley Crue: 1981, Los Angeles Def Leppard: 1977, Sheffield, England Poison:  1983, Mechanicsburg, Penn. Joan Jett:  1979, Long Beach, N.Y.

Formed at the outset of 1981, Motley Crue was originally the brainchild of bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee and guitarist Greg Leon, who was replaced by Mick Mars just months later. Singer Vince Neil was initially reluctant to join the group, but when the band he was part of decided to embrace a New Wave direction, he signed on.

Originally known as Atomic Mass, the band that would become Def Leppard was formed in 1977 by Rick Savage, Tony Kenning and Pete Willis while they were still students at Tapton School in Sheffield. They soon recruited singer Joe Elliott, who suggested a new name of "Deaf Leopard," which was subsequently changed,  Led Zeppelin -style, to Def Leppard.

Poison got their start in Mechanicsburg, Penn., in 1983 when they went by the name Paris. "We were glam from the start. People used to throw rocks at us, but we didn't give a shit. We had a vision. We didn't care what people thought of us," Bobby Dall recalled . Not long after, Paris set off for the bright lights and big dreams of California, where, after losing their guitarist, Bret Michaels, Rikki Rockett and Bobby Dall met guitarist C.C. DeVille, and Paris became Poison.

Following the dissolution of the Runaways in 1979, Joan Jett recorded a solo album in Europe before eventually moving to New York, where her producer, Kenny Laguna, was based. She formed the band that became the Blackhearts in Los Angeles, inspired by the energy of the city's punk scene. After completing a tour of the U.S. and Europe, the band settled in Long Beach, N.Y.

Motley Crue: April 24, 1981, West Hollywood, Calif. Def Leppard: July 18, 1978, Sheffield, England Poison: 1983,   Santa Monica, Calif. Joan Jett: The Runaways - Aug. 12, 1975, Torrance, Calif.   / The Blackhearts -   1979, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Motley Crue's first show was a gig opening for  Y&T . Helping the band secure the prestigious show was the fact bassist Nikki Sixx worked at the venue and begged his boss to give them the slot. Recalling the gig in the group's autobiography,  The Dirt , Vince Neil said the band hadn't rehearsed a complete show at the time of their debut.

Def Leppard's first public performance  was held at Westfield School in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The band played a 50-minute set for the princely sum of approximately $6.50. Their set included a cover of the  Thin Lizzy  classic "Jailbreak" and an original song called "World Beyond the Sky."

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett said the group's first show as Poison took place in 1983 at Madam Wong's West in Los Angeles, a venue that had also hosted the likes of the Police , Guns N' Roses and others. Bret Michaels recalled some of the group's earliest shows as being a test of patience and perseverance. "The first year you’re out there, you pay the clubs to let you play,” said Michaels in a 1988  Spin   profile. “You rent a depressing room at Club 88, and if you can get 20 people at your show and impress them, they’ll bring their friends next time and there’ll be 40.”

Joan Jett’s first show with the Runaways, whose lineup at the time comprised of Jett, Sandy West and Michael "Micki" Steele (who later joined the Bangles), was reportedly at a Torrance, Calif., house party in 1975. Her earliest known shows with the Blackhearts are believed  to have been at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, Calif., and the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood. After that, Jett and the band embarked on a European tour.

FIRST ALBUM

Motley Crue:  Too Fast for Love (1981) Def Leppard:   On Through the Night  (1980) Poison:  Look What the Cat Dragged In  (1986) Joan Jett:  Joan Jett  (Germany, 1980) /  Bad Reputation  (U.S., 1981)

Motley Crue first released  Too Fast for Love   on their own Leathur Records label in 1981, but after reportedly selling upward of 20,000 albums independently, Elektra Records scooped up the album for release the following year.

Def Leppard's full-length debut followed a well-received self-titled, three-song EP. The band ended up re-recording two of the EP's three tracks ("Overture" and "Getcha Rocks Off") for  On Through the Night .

Poison's Look What the Cat Dragged In   was far from an immediate smash. The first single from the group's debut, "Cry Tough," stalled on the charts, but following the release of "Talk Dirty to Me," the album eventually found its way to multi-platinum status.

There was initially little to no interest in Jett's solo debut in the U.S., so the record was released in Germany before she and producer Kenny Laguna decided to put it out independently in the U.S. She eventually secured support from Boardwalk Records, which re-released it under the title  Bad Reputation .

BREAKTHROUGH

Motley Crue:  Shout at the Devil (1983) Def Leppard: Pyromania (1983) Poison: Open Up and Say ... Ahh !   (1988) Joan Jett:  I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll  (1982)

Too Fast for Love  might have introduced Motley Crue to the masses but it was  Shout at the Devil   that took the group to another level and helped define the burgeoning Los Angeles glam-metal scene.

Def Leppard's first two records, On Through the Night  and  High 'N' Dry  sold respectfully, but  Pyromania   was the band's coming-of-age moment. Three singles from the album -- "Photograph," "Rock of Ages" and "Foolin'" -- made the Top 40, while another four tracks were also rock radio hits.

Poison found moderate success with their debut album but it was their second,  Open Up and Say ... Ahh! , that cemented their stardom. The album spawned four Top 20 singles, including the No. 1 "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."

In early 1982, Jett’s cover of the Arrows’ “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” could be heard coming out of every jukebox, basement stereo and car radio throughout the country. The single sent its titular album  rocketing to the No. 2 position on the  Billboard  200 albums chart.

PLATINUM STUDIO ALBUMS IN THE U.S.

Motley Crue:  Five Def Leppard:  Five Poison:  Three Joan Jett:  Two

When it came to album sales, Motley Crue could do no wrong in the first decade of their career. Each of the group's first five albums has been certified platinum, with 1989's Dr. Feelgood  selling the most at 6 million.

After  Pyromania  made Def Leppard stars, the band's next three records went platinum, with 1987's  Hysteria  being their best-seller at 12 million copies. That success subsequently sent fans back to the band's first two albums, which also eventually went platinum.

Each of Poison's first three albums, including 1990's Flesh & Blood , have been certified for multi-platinum sales for a total of more than 11 million copies.

Jett has two platinum sales certifications to her credit,  I Love Rock 'N' Roll  and 1989's  Up Your Alley , which spawned the hit single " I Hate Myself for Loving You ."

TOP 10 SINGLES

Motley Crue: Two Def Leppard:  Four Poison: Six Joan Jett: Three

Motley Crue's album sales are remarkable, but only two of their singles have cracked the  Billboard Hot 100   Top 10: "Dr. Feelgood" peaked at the No. 6 position in late-October 1989, while "Without You" topped out at No. 8 in 1990.

Def Leppard  didn't crack the Top 10 until  Hysteria 's title track reached No. 10, followed by their next three singles: "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Love Bites" and "Armageddon It," all reached No. 3 or better; "Love Bites" is Def Leppard's only No. 1.

Poison have the most Top 10 singles of all the acts hitting the road together this summer. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is the group's only No. 1, but "Unskinny Bop," "Something to Believe In," "Nothin' but a Good Time," "Talk Dirty to Me" and their cover of Loggins & Messina's "Your Mama Don't Dance" each found various positions within the Top 10 as well.

Joan Jett hit No. 1 with “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.” That chart-topper was followed by a cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover,” which peaked No. 7, while her third and last Top 10 single was 1988’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You," which topped out at No. 8.

ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

Motley Crue: No Def Leppard:  Yes Poison: No Joan Jett: Yes

Even though Motley Crue have been eligible for entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2006, bassist Nikki Sixx claimed the HOF has stated the band's past behavior will keep it from ascending to the institution. Def Leppard were  inducted into the Hall in 2019, 14 years after they were first eligible, while Poison has yet to receive the nod. Joan Jett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

MOST RECENT ALBUM

Motley Crue:  Saints of Los Angeles (2008) Def Leppard:   Diamond Star Halos  (2022) Poison:  Poison'd (2007) Joan Jett: Changeup  (2022)

Motley Crue spent years touring on the back of their hits, which helps explain the lack of regular studio output after the turn of the century. There were eight years between the release of 2000's  New Tattoo and  Saints of Los Angeles , but the band did contribute four new songs to the soundtrack of the 2019 group biopic The Dirt .

Seven years passed between Def Leppard's 2015  self-titled studio record  and 2022's Diamond Star Halos , which featured some notable guests such as David Bowie pianist Mike Garson and singer Alison Krauss .

Poison's most recent effort is 2007's  Poison'd , an album that featured cover songs from the likes of David Bowie, Tom Petty ,  Kiss  and others.

Joan Jett's latest offering is  Changeup , a fully acoustic album that featured 25 unplugged tracks from Jett’s back catalog.

RECENT TOUR GROSSES

Motley Crue:  The Final Tour (2014-2015):   Gross $66.1 million.  Def Leppard: Co-headline tour with Journey (2018):  Gross $97.8 million

Motley Crue's Final Tour, which touched down in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia,   reportedly sold upward of 1.3 million tickets. Demand for the tour was high in many markets since it was billed as their farewell. But, as we've come to see, goodbyes aren't always forever.

Except for two Canadian shows, the entirety of the 2018 Def Leppard- Journey tour was U.S.-based and sold more than 1 million tickets. Not only did the tour touch down in arenas in many markets, but it also filled stadiums such as Boston's Fenway Park and Target Field in Minneapolis.

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MÖTLEY CRÜE And DEF LEPPARD's Stadium Tour Earns $173.5 Million

According to Billboard , MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD 's "The Stadium Tour" sold 1.3 million tickets and earned $173.5 million, making it the biggest tour of either band's career.

The biggest market on the tour, which featured support from POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS , was Boston, where the four acts performed two concerts at Fenway Park on August 5-6 and sold 64,000 tickets for total earnings of $9.3 million. Four individual shows broke the $6 million threshold: Charlotte, North Carolina; Denver, Colorado; Glendale, Arizona; and Inglewood, California. Average nightly earnings hit $4.96 million.

"The Stadium Tour" averaged 37,520 tickets each night, drawing more than three times the audience that each band previously reached on their own.

MÖTLEY CRÜE announced "The Stadium Tour" in 2019, just months after the band supposedly noticed a massive surge in interest following the huge success of the CRÜE 's Netflix biopic "The Dirt" .

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx told Entertainment Tonight that returning to the road with his bandmates has been "unbelievable. I'm so grateful to be doing this, and it started, like, three years ago when the movie came out — two and a half years ago," he said. "We kind of, we broke up the band. We just decided to quit touring. We've been doing it for, god, 35 years at that point."

According to Sixx , he was initially opposed to the idea of touring again with MÖTLEY CRÜE , especially since CRÜE fans who shelled out for the band's 2014/2015 "farewell" tour were led to believe that the group would never return after playing its final show on December 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band touted the signing of a pre-tour "cessation of touring" agreement as cementing the fact it truly was the end of CRÜE 's life on the road.

" Tommy [ Lee , MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer] does other stuff, and I do other stuff, and I remember getting the phone call from management, and I was, like, 'No,'" Sixx said. "And they go, 'You haven't even heard what I have to say.' And we were friends, and we were fine and everything's good. We're just like, 'No, it's a lot of work.' When you see the show out there, you're gonna go, 'Wow.' I mean, it's years of work putting it together, and then they were like, 'No, not eight arenas, eight stadiums,' and I was like, 'Let me call Tommy .'"

He continued: "I was like, 'Hey, dude, they're talking about us touring,' and he's like, 'No.' Because we wanted to be — stand by what we said, and then it was 16 and 36, which we just entered our 36th stadium, and there's, what, another 120 next year and the year after that, so, we're grateful we said yes."

CRÜE 's long-delayed North American trek with DEF LEPPARD , POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally planned for 2020 and later moved to 2021 and then to 2022.

Earlier this month, MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil said the band will continue touring internationally with DEF LEPPARD in 2023, through Mexico and South America in the spring and soccer stadiums in Europe next summer. Plans are for MÖTLEY CRÜE to return to U.S. for more shows in 2024.

In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Sixx said "the most important thing about a farewell tour is that the band doesn't lie to the fans, and the band doesn't tour and then come back years later. That's what's important for us, planning what's the right time to go out."

Three years ago, Sixx said that "The Dirt" , about MÖTLEY CRÜE 's formative years, sparked a renewed interest from younger fans who wanted to see them live, contributing to the band's decision to renege on its infamous "cessation of touring" contract.

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Motley Crue’s Mick Mars Jams Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix Hits in Nashville

Motley Crue are no longer a touring band, but each member has kept busy since the band played their final show on New Year's Eve of 2015. Guitarist Mick Mars has already begun work on new music, but he took the time to get onstage and jam on some rock staples from Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix .

The Ernie Ball Music Man Pickers' Paradise party was held on June 23 at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville, Tenn. There, Mars joined Kenny Olson (Kid Rock) to perform Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" (video above) as well as Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" (video below). The guitarist walked onstage and was thrust into the center spotlight after seemingly attempting to remain further back and obscured by the shadows. A fan filming the video invites him closer, as well as the singer, who's nasal-toned voice is a perfect fit for the Led Zep classic.

In mid-February, Mars uploaded two snippets of new music from the studio, partnering with former Motley Crue singer John Corabi who famously replaced Vince Neil  from 1992 and 1996. " Gimme Blood " and " Shake the Cage " represented two new cuts from the rock veterans, featuring downtuned and murky guitars alongside Corabi's distinctive gritty wail.

Mars spoke with Ultimate Classic Rock in January of 2015, opening up his musical possibilities to more than just working with a band. The axeman stated, “I plan on doing my own stuff, of course, like everyone else in the band and just seeing where it goes. Writing music maybe for movies and commercials or for other bands — like, here’s a real rock song for you. [Laughs.] Things like that is what I’d like to do, or it’s what I am willing to do.”

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Long before Motley Crue, Led Zeppelin was the granddaddy of debauchery with naked groupies, underage sex, and THAT shark incident

World famous British rock band Led Zeppelin was able to cement its status as the band that had the "sleaziest moment" in a poll by Spin magazine that was conducted in 2000. The incident, in particular, involved the members of the band, pieces of a mud shark, and the genitalia of a groupie who was naked and bound. Almost 50 years after the alleged incident occurred at Seattle’s Edgewater Inn in July 1969, the incident is just one of the many such "legends" from the iconic band.

The band set the high standard for debauchery when it came to rock 'n' roll parties but was it really a "party" for everyone who was involved? The tours that Zeppelin did of America, back in the day, involved incidents that were way worse than sexually degrading their groupies. There was brutal violence, accusations of attempted rape, and child abuse. The band members have also delved into the shadowy world of the occult, and of course, drugs.

The shark incident took place on the band's second tour of the US in 1969, specifically in the room of their tour manager Richard Cole. Stephen Davis explained in his biography of the band, 'Hammer of the Gods', that guests at the Edgewater Inn could catch fish right out of the window in Cole's room. He quoted Cole as saying: "These birds were coming up to my suite wanting to f*ck, and me and Bonzo [the drummer, John Bonham] were quite serious about catching these fish."

Cole then proceeded to describe the "victim" saying: "She might have been hit by the shark a few times for disobeying orders, but she didn't get hurt." These were the early days of the band where the members were practically like kids thrust into a loaded candy shop with tons of money to spend.

Plant had been quoted as saying: "I was young when I first went to America. I was 19 years old, and I went crazy. I met The GTOs and my mind just snapped. I'm from a nowhere town in the Midlands and here were these girls with bare breasts blatantly coming on, and of course we went crazy."

There are many stories of the young and wealthy rock stars having strange sex, buying over-the-top motorcycles to ride inside hotel corridors, having more sex, throwing television sets out hotel windows, attacking The Beatles member George Harrison with a cake, more sex, and then getting drunk on British keg bitter Watney's Red Barrel and then once again, having more sex.

Jimmy Page had a relationship, at one time, with 14-year-old Lori Maddox, who said in the book that Page had ordered Cole to kidnap her and take her to the Hyatt House hotel, which came to be known as the Riot House. The teen claimed that she fell in love with the rockstar almost immediately. She also says in the book that she had to be locked up most of the time just so that any word of their illegal statutory rape relationship could not get out.

The most notorious, and possibly unsettling, member of the band was drummer John Bonham, who was also known as The Beast. Ellen Sander, an American journalist, described how on the last night of the band's second US tour, the members, led by Bonham, ripped all her clothes off, "shrieking and grabbing". She says: "They were in a frenzy. I was absolutely terrified that I was going to be raped." Peter Grant, the band's former-nightclub-bouncer manager, had to physically pull Bonham off her.

Another incident involving the drummer happened on board The Starship, which is the Boeing 720 passenger aircraft that the band converted with bedrooms for their tours in 1973 and 1975. One stewardess on the flight had a terrifying encounter which Davis described in his book. Bonham had reportedly had an entire bottle of whisky, appeared in a robe, grabbed the stewardess and bent her over in an armlock. He then announced that he was going to "have her from the rear" and then threw open his robe. Cole and Grant had to drag him off the woman.

The band's later years involved a lot of hard drugs, with Page and Grant loving cocaine. Bonham became more of an alcoholic, if that's even possible, and Plant started realizing that the youthful enthusiasm had faded. The successful band career came to a screeching halt in 1980 when Bonham choked on his own vomit after an alcohol binge and died. 

Many bands like Aerosmith and Motley Crue talk about their crazy antics and all the debauchery they used to get up to when they were young but the legendary stories from rock legends Led Zeppelin are still spoken about with utter fascination. Will they ever answer for their more serious crimes? One can only imagine.

Motley Crue: Hear First Post-Mick Mars Single ‘Dogs of War’

Motley Crue has released “Dogs of War,” their first single since they parted ways with guitarist Mick Mars.

The dark, anthemic song comes with an apocalyptic music video that is very bizarre and almost too strange for words. It really has to be watched, because there’s a lot going on. All we’ll say is the end involves snorting ashes and feels like a wild fever dream.

“Dogs of War” is available for streaming/download here .

A New Chapter for Motley Crue

When “Dogs of War” was first announced earlier this week, the band said the song was “the start of a brand new chapter.” Obviously, without Mars in the picture, this is definitely a brand new chapter in that sense. However, the single also marks the first release from the Crue on a new label.

It was also announced this week that Motley Crue has signed with Big Machine Records. In a statement, Big Machine Chairman and CEO Scott Borchetta said, “Growing up in Southern California, I was in Hollywood when these new sheriffs showed up and took over the city. It was loud. It was powerful. It was game changing. Vince, Nikki, and Tommy, along with new guitarist John 5, have reignited the flame with ferocious new Crüe music. Fans will unite… SHOUT!”

The band added in their own joint statement, “We are thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of our new music through Big Machine Records. Scott’s been a friend and supporter of the band for a long time … We’re very happy to know our new music will be in the best of hands with Scott and his exceptional team at Big Machine.”

A Breakdown of Mick Mars Exiting Motley Crue

Things in the Crue camp and with Mars have been a bit wild since the guitarist retired from touring in October 2022. Mars filed a lawsuit in April 2023 against Mötley Crüe alleging his percentage of band profits was cut from 25 percent to 5 percent.

Mars claimed in his lawsuit the band held a meeting to “unilaterally” remove him from Mötley Crüe. He was also allegedly removed from many of the band’s various corporations and LLCs.

Additionally, Mars claims bassist Nikki Sixx repeatedly “gaslighted” the guitarist. Sixx told Mars he consistently forgot chords and fans were complaining about his playing. (Mars claimed in the lawsuit Sixx “did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour” and accused him of using backing tracks and pantomiming.

(L-R) Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee of Motley Crue arrive at the premiere of Netflix’s “The Dirt” at ArcLight Hollywood on March 18, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Motley Crue Responds to Mick Mars’ Lawsuit

This led to Motley Crue issuing a statement in response to Mars’ lawsuit calling it “unfortunate and completely off-base.” The band said, in part, “In 2008, Mick voted for and signed an agreement in which he and every other band member agreed that ‘in no event shall any resigning shareholder be entitled to receive any monies attributable to live performances (i.e., tours).’ After the last tour, Mick publicly resigned from Motley Crue. Despite the fact that the band did not owe Mick anything — and with Mick owing the band millions in advances that he did not pay back — the band offered Mick a generous compensation package to honor his career with the band.”

Furthermore, Motley Crue insisted they always perform live without backing tracks and stood by the claim Mars’ playing was declining. Mars then told Variety in an interview following news of the lawsuit, “Those guys have been hammering on me since ’87, trying to replace me. He added, ” … It’s just frustrating for me. I’m pretty upset that they’re even pulling this crap, when I carried these bastards for years.”

This led to Crue manager Allen Kovac to speak at length to Variety .  Kovac referred to Mars’ entire legal strategy as “a smear campaign … misrepresenting the facts to the fans.” He further noted, “What’s upsetting to me is not Mick, but his representatives, who have guided Mick to say and do harmful things to the brand he cares about so much, Mötley Crüe. He has a degenerative disease and people are taking advantage of him. It’s called elder abuse.”

Variety  reached out to Mars’ attorney Edwin F. McPherson for comment on Kovac’s numerous statements. McPherson said of the lawsuit, “This is all Mick. He is tired of being bullied. This is nobody driving the train here but Mick.”

Nikki Sixx and John 5 of Mötley Crüe perform live for the “The World Tour” at Sheffield Bramall Lane on May 22, 2023 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images for Live Nation UK)

A Legal Victory For Mick Marks, But There’s a Twist

In January , Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant ruled that the Crue should have disclosed the corporate documents Mars requested, which was at the center of his lawsuit. Additionally, Judge Chalfant ruled that the Crue needs to cover Mars’ legal fees from this ordeal.

However, now that the corporate documents requested have been handed over, Judge Chalfant ruled Mars’ lawsuit as “moot,” which Motley Crue’s legal team is viewing as a victory. Meanwhile, Mars’ legal rep said the matter of whether the guitarist was illegally squeezed from the band will still be determined during private arbitration later in 2024.

Motley Crue: Their 40 Best Songs, Ranked

40. “angela” – ‘decade of decadence’ (1991).

A new track featured on the Crue’s first greatest hits compilation, “Angela” has a unique place in pop culture as Dwight and Angela danced to the song at their wedding in the series finale of ‘The Office,’ which was a clever use of a Crue tune since the band was Dwight’s go-to for when he needed to get pumped for a sales call or performance review.

39. “Fight For Your Rights” – ‘Theatre of Pain’ (1985)

Motley Crue is far from being a “political” band, but with “Fight For Your Rights,” we find the band taking on issues around race and invoking Martin Luther King Jr. The track closes out ‘Theatre of Pain,’ and while it only scratches the surface of race relations, it’s one of those tracks that’s always a surprise when revisiting the Crue catalog.

38. “Bitter Pill” – ‘Greatest Hits’ (1998)

One of the rare Crue songs credited to all four members of the band, “Bitter Pill” was a new track that was included on 1998’s ‘Greatest Hits’ album. Oddly enough, when this compilation was reissued in 2009, “Bitter Pill” was omitted along with “Enslaved” (another new track released on the LP) and the remix of “Glitter” from ‘Generation Swine.’ In fact, “Bitter Pill” isn’t even available on streaming platforms right now, which is a shame because it’s a beyond catchy pop-rock tune.

37. “Sick Love Song” – ‘Red, White & Crue’ (2005)

The Crue’s 2005 compilation album ‘Red, White & Crue’ saw the band reunite for a second time in their history. (This time around, it was drummer Tommy Lee returning to the fold.) The 38-track set featured some of the Crue’s biggest hits, fan favorites and a few new tracks including “Sick Love Song,” which was penned by Nikki Sixx and James Michael who would go on to be the lead singer in Nikki’s side project aptly named Sixx: AM. It’s a great example of how even a quarter-century in, the Crue still had *it* and are a prime example of being greater than the sum of its parts.

36. “Loveshine” – ‘Motley Crue’ (1994)

The John Corabi-era with Motley Crue is a unique time to examine, because when you revisit 1995’s ‘Motley Crue’ -- the lone album the band released with Corabi as its singer -- it’s a pretty solid rock album. However, it just doesn’t *sound* like Motley Crue, so it feels out of place in the band’s catalog likely due to Nikki, Tommy and Mick playing to John’s strengths. “Loveshine” is the first of four tracks from that LP to appear on this list, and it’s the sound of ‘Led Zeppelin III’ hanging out with The Black Crowes. Great song, but it’s one of the last things you’d expect from Motley Crue.

35. “Rattlesnake Shake” – ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)

If you listen to “Rattlesnake Shake” and think the horn section sounds an awful lot like the one used on Aerosmith’s “(Dude) Looks Like A Lady,” it’s because tenor saxophonist Tom Keenlyside, baritone saxophonist Ian Putz and trumpet player Henry Christian played on both tracks. (Fun fact, right?) Whether or not this was a planned homage to Aerosmith or just a happy accident, “Rattlesnake Shake” is one fun tune.

34. “Keep Your Eye On The Money” – ‘Theatre of Pain’ (1985)

“Keep Your Eye On the Money” acts as a pseudo-title track on ‘Theatre of Pain,’ especially on the lyrics, “Comedy and tragedy/Entertainment or death/Like sister morphine/Hooked on her game/Time to place your bets,” which make subtle reference to the album’s cover. There’s a unique tension in the song. Clearly, the band knows it’s living life dangerously, but they just can’t stop because they have a big payday ahead. Definitely more depth to this song than you’d think.

33. “Time For Change” – ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)

Another rare topical song that closes out a Crue album, just like the aforementioned “Fight For Your Rights”! This time around, we find the band looking to the youth to push society forward to a better tomorrow. It’s almost as if Motley made their own version of “Greatest Love of All,” which shouldn’t work but it does. The Crue is joined by a host of background vocalists including all of Skid Row, which, once again, shouldn’t work but it does.

32. “Power to the Music” – ‘Motley Crue’ (1994)

There’s no denying that when John Corabi was tapped to replace Vince Neil that Motley Crue’s sound drastically changed, but clearly the rise of grunge had an impact, too, as evident on “Power to the Music.” Opening the band’s self-titled 1994 album, the track is a gritty anthem that doesn’t get enough love in the Crue’s catalog.

31. “Raise Your Hands To Rock” – ‘Theatre of Pain’ (1985)

‘Theatre of Pain’ was the Crue’s third studio album, and by that time, they were already rock stars, but on “Raise Your Hands To Rock,” they still look back fondly on the days before they were household names and just trying to make it. Simply put, it’s a fun track with a big sing-along chorus, which makes it puzzling as to why they only performed it live once at a December 1982 show in Santa Monica, Calif. according to Setlist.fm.

30. “Toast of the Town” – B-Side/’Too Fast For Love’ (2003 Motley Records CD Reissue)

The glam influence is STRONG on “Toast of the Town,” the b-side to the Crue’s very first single “Stick to Your Guns,” which was featured on the original 1981 release of ‘Too Fast For Love’ but omitted on the 1982 re-release of the album once the band signed to Elektra records. The track would be included on the 2003 reissue of the album, and it’s a good thing it was because it is a ridiculously good time of a tune.

29. “The Dirt (Est. 1981)” – ‘The Dirt Soundtrack’ (2019)

With the premiere of the film adaptation of ‘The Dirt’ and the band recording new tunes for the film’s soundtrack, we should’ve known Motley Crue was going to renege on their "Cessation of Touring Agreement" they signed before their "Final Tour" in 2014-15. Then again, with “The Dirt (Est. 1981),” which features Machine Gun Kelly who portrayed Tommy Lee in ‘The Dirt’ film, they clearly show they have plenty left in the tank. Hopefully, “The Stadium Tour” will *finally* happen in 2022. (Thanks a lot, coronavirus pandemic!)

28. “Misunderstood” – ‘Motley Crue’ (1994)

Once again, the rise of grunge very much had an impact on Motley Crue, who incorporated elements from the genre on their eponymous 1994 album featuring John Corabi on vocals. If you want to get specific, the track seems very influenced by Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden and the whole vibe of Alice In Chains’ “I Stay Away,” particularly the strings on that track. The moment you realize it’s *really* a Motley Crue song is when Mick Mars launches into a slide guitar solo about four minutes into the 6:36 track. Definitely an underrated song or, perhaps, misunderstood.

27. “Afraid” – ‘Generation Swine’ (1997)

The only thing more confusing than Motley Crue without Vince Neil is ‘Generation Swine,’ Neil’s first album back with the band following his firing back in 1992. There’s just *too* much going on with the album as far as musical directions are concerned, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t bright spots on the LP. The brightest of those spots lies with “Afraid,” the album’s lead single and a stealthy tender love song Nikki Sixx wrote when he was first seeing his eventual second wife, actress/’Playboy’ Playmate Donna D’Errico.

26. “Come On and Dance” – ‘Too Fast For Love’ (1981)

“Come On and Dance” is obviously a filthy song (“When she's on top/Well, you can't be stopped/Watch her scream/Watch her suck you clean”), but there’s something very charming about it. Perhaps it’s the minimalist arrangement and production or even the way it feels like Vince Neil is working through his vocal to determine his sound. Either way, it’s a great piece of glam metal.

25. “Hooligan’s Holiday” – ‘Motley Crue’ (1994)

“Modern times and new blood’s pumping/Only the strong survive” were the lyrics that closed out “Hooligan’s Holiday,” the lead single from the Crue’s self-titled 1994 studio LP featuring John Corabi on vocals. The obvious style change from the band due to having a new singer and to keep up with current trends was met with a mixed reaction at best, but since the release of ‘Motley Crue’ strong tracks like “Hooligan’s Holiday” have managed to survive. Sure, the Corabi era will always feel a little strange, but you can’t deny quality regardless of who’s behind the mic.

24. “If I Die Tomorrow” – ‘Red, White & Crue’ (2005)

An underrated ballad with an interesting history, “If I Die Tomorrow” features songwriting credits from Nikki Sixx and the band Simple Plan. Bob Rock produced Simple Plan’s 2004’s studio album ‘Still Not Getting Any…,’ and “If I Die Tomorrow” was a track left over from the recording sessions. Rock then passed along the tune to the Crue, and after Sixx made some changes, the band recorded the song and was the lead single to their 2005 compilation album ‘Red, White & Crue.’ The band took things one step further in the song’s music video which depicted each Crue member reliving some of the most horrific moments in their lives, from Sixx nearly dying from a heroin overdose to Vince Neil’s drunk driving accident that resulted in the death of Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle.

23. “Saints of Los Angeles” – ‘Saints of Los Angeles’ (2008)

‘Saints of Los Angeles’ was Motley Crue’s first studio album following their reunion with Tommy Lee in 2004. At this point in their career, the band really had nothing left to prove, but that didn’t stop them from putting out one of their strongest singles in years with the title track, which is loosely about when the Crue first signed with Elektra Records in the ‘80s. (“We are, we are the saints/We signed our life away.”)

22. “Starry Eyes” – ‘Too Fast For Love’ (1981)

It’s unknown if there was a particular inspiration behind “Starry Eyes,” but if this Nikki Sixx-penned tune was about a specific woman, clearly Sixx had it *bad* for her. Looking back on Motley Crue’s first album and its raw energy, it’s amazing what the band grew to be and just how much they had *it* from nearly day one.

21. “Dancing On Glass” – ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ (1987)

Judging by title alone, one would be quick to assume “Dancing On Glass” was about strippers which would be a proper fit on ‘Girls, Girls, Girls.’ However, the song’s subject matter is far grizzlier, and its second verse leaves little to the imagination it’s about drugs. (“Silver spoon and needle/Witchy tombstone smile/I’m not puppet/I engrave my veins with style.”) Even staring down a tough subject, Motley Crue still manages to churn out one hell of a rock song.

20. “Without You” – ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)

Mick Mars’ guitar tracks are just *so* damn good on “Without You,” a grand power ballad and third single from ‘Dr. Feelgood.’ The track was reportedly inspired by Tommy Lee’s relationship with Heather Locklear. While Tommy and Heather didn’t stand the test of time, “Without You” still does.

19. “Smokin’ In The Boys Room” – ‘Theatre of Pain’ (1985)

Motley Crue has a handful of covers in their catalog, but their take on Brownsville Station’s “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” is, by far, their best. The cover was their lead single from ‘Theatre of Pain’ and would peak at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

18. “Piece of Your Action” – ‘Too Fast For Love’ (1981)

Remember that thing about Motley Crue having *it* from nearly day one? “Piece of Your Action” is another prime example of that. It’s an undeniably dirty, sexy song. (Tight action, rear traction/So hot, you really blow me away/Fast moving, wet and ready/The time is right, so hang on tight.”) Perhaps most importantly, “Piece of Your Action” brilliantly showcases how valuable Mick Mars is to the whole Crue dynamic. It’s hard to imagine any other guitarist filling that role.

17. “Tonight (We Need A Lover)” – ‘Theatre of Pain’ (1985)

‘Theatre of Pain’ was a bit of a style departure compared to the Crue’s previous two studio albums, but “Tonight (We Need A Lover)” was proof those metal hellions from the Sunset Strip were very much part of the band’s identity. Tommy Lee providing a killer drum track is far from shocking, but the drums on “Tonight (We Need A Lover)” manage to reverberate in your gut.

16. “On With The Show” – ‘Too Fast For Love’ (1981)

The melodrama of “On With The Show” is equal parts Meat Loaf and Bruce Springsteen. It’s truly a wild Crue track that doesn’t get enough attention. “On With The Show” is a semi-autobiographical tale about Nikki Sixx (born Frank Feranna Jr.) and how he changed his name to distance himself from his absent father. (“Frankie died just the other night/Some say it was suicide/But we know/How the story goes.) Once again, so melodramatic!

15. “Ten Seconds to Love” – ‘Shout At The Devil’ (1983)

Honestly, it’s the sexiest song about a quickie ever. Name me another song about a quickie that’s better. I’ll wait...

14. “Girls, Girls, Girls” – ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ (1987)

Along with Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” Motley Crue’s “Girls, Girls, Girls” probably helped its fair share of strippers pay their way through college. In fact, the song name-checks seven different strip joints, and over three decades later, three of those clubs are still open: Tattletale Lounge in Atlanta; The Body Shop in West Hollywood, Calif.; and the Seventh Veil on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles where the band filmed the raunchy song’s music video.

13. “Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)” – ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)

Motley Crue is responsible for some of the greatest arena rock tunes ever, but few of their songs feel as tailor-made for arenas as “Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)” Of course, the song is the age-old story of boy meets girl, boy meets girl’s friend, the two women realize they love each other and then run away together. It’s all very “Tale as old as time.”

12. “Too Young to Fall in Love” – ‘Shout At The Devil’ (1983)

The second single from ‘Shout At The Devil,’ “Too Young to Fall in Love” boasts one of the Crue’s hookiest chorus and campiest music videos ever. The whole plot is a mystery beyond words, so just go and watch it...after you finish this list, of course. A tip of the hat to Tommy Lee for providing a rhythm track that is minimalist but meaty AF.

11. “Too Fast For Love” – ‘Too Fast For Love’ (1981)

Hmmm...the early days often found the Crue too (insert adjective here) for love, it seems. Regardless of the descriptor, it certainly made for fun songwriting as evident with “Too Fast For Love,” another raw tune from Motley Crue’s debut that really showed the band’s punk influences. Plus, the way Vince Neil sings the “Oh no, oh no!” intro remains some of the most iconic notes he’s ever sung.

10. “Public Enemy #1” – ‘Too Fast For Love’ (1981)

Simply stated: “Public Enemy #1” is a glammy, pop-punk delight! The track was co-written by Nikki Sixx and Lizzie Grey, who was Sixx’s former bandmate in London, the band Sixx co-founded before forming Motley Crue.

9. “Live Wire” – ‘Too Fast For Love’ (1981)

“Live Wire” is the first track on ‘Too Fast For Love,” and from the moment you hear Mick Mars’ chugging opening riff, you know Motley Crue is not a band to be messed with. It’s the type of song that can only bit written by someone who’s young and hungry. You just can’t get away with writing lyrics like, “Because I'm hot, young, running free/A little bit better than I used to be,” when you’re three albums into your career.

8. “Primal Scream” – ‘Decade of Decadence’ (1991)

As Motley Crue looked back on ten wild years on their first greatest hits album ‘Decade of Decadence,’ they did so with a new track in “Primal Scream,” and it’s an absolute monster that packs as much attitude as anything they dropped in the previous decade. Of course, “Primal Scream” was one of the final singles released during Vince Neil’s first tenure fronting the band. It’s one of the finest examples of each member of the Crue operating on all cylinders.

7. “Dr. Feelgood” – ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)

It’s the title track to Motley Crue’s most commercially successful album, and it’s the band’s most successful single in their catalog peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While the song explores the life of a drug dealer wasn’t necessarily a new theme for the band, “Dr. Feelgood” had a polish unlike any other Crue single until then. That’s a touch likely due to producer Bob Rock and the fact the band was sober during the making of the album.

6. “Shout At The Devil” – ‘Shout At The Devil’ (1983)

“Shout At The Devil” wasn’t released as a single, but when you write a hook as catchy as, “Shout, shout, shout/Shout at the devil,” the people will undoubtedly find it and help make it an anthem. Fun fact: It’s the song Motley Crue has played the most live in their band’s history, according to Setlist.fm.

5. “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)” – ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)

The fourth single from ‘Dr. Feelgood,’ “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)” finds Motley Crue embracing pop elements in expert fashion without losing a touch of their metal edge. Plus, its title alone is one of the best kiss-offs in music. Who hasn’t gone through a breakup that ended with this type of vibe?

4. “Looks That Kill” – ‘Shout At The Devil’ (1983)

Motley Crue grew significantly from their debut to their second studio album ‘Shout At The Devil,’ and out the gate, they weren’t messing around as evident on the lead single “Looks That Kill.” It’s one of the Crue’s signature tunes for a reason.

3. “Wild Side” – ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ (1987)

“Kneel down you sinners to streetwise religion/Greed’s been crowned the new king.” That opening lyric is both super-’80s and, yet, somehow timeless, much like Motley Crue themselves. The dark lyrical content of “Wild Side” is a total juxtaposition of its music, which is one of the most upbeat tempos and melodies the band ever wrote. The whole song is as dizzying and brilliant as Tommy Lee’s spinning drum rig that’s featured in the song’s music video.

2. “Home Sweet Home” – ‘Theatre of Pain’ (1985)

In the realm of power ballads, “Home Sweet Home” is among the most quintessential if not *the* most quintessential. Even when listening to it in your car, you’re almost tempted to lift up your lighter or phone and just sway. Tommy Lee’s piano intro is instantly recognizable, and his little drum fill at the end of the track is the perfect cherry atop one epic tune. Add Mick Mars’ guitar solo and the way Vince Neil wails “Tonight, tonight!” during the chorus, it’s no wonder this tune penned by Nikki Sixx and Lee is one of the Crue’s best.

1. “Kickstart My Heart” – ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)

Picking the best Motley Crue song is a tough challenge, because a number of songs in their catalog could be argued as their “best.” Why does “Kickstart My Heart” come out on top of our list? Because not only is it an incredible rock song, but it represents the essence of the Crue better than any other song in their catalog. When you’re a band whose debauchery is beyond legendary, picking the song that was inspired by Nikki Sixx being brought back to life following an overdose just makes sense. And, once again, it’s an incredible rock song that decades later is still a mainstay on active rock and now classic rock radio. It’s a song that just refuses to die, sort of like Nikki Sixx.

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Le Journal Du Rock AC/DC ; Motley Crue ; Richie Sambora ex Bon Jovi ; Robert Plant et Led Zeppelin ; Slipknot ; les Rolling Stones

| Publié le 26/04/24

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AC/DC ouvre des pop-up bars dans 5 villes européennes pour sa tournée, à Londres, Gelsenkirchen en Allemagne, Seville, Munich, Londres et Paris. Comme annoncé, Motley Crue a sorti un nouveau titre, ‘’Dogs Of War’’ de quoi célébrer le nouveau contrat du groupe avec Big Machine Records de Nashville. L'ancien guitariste de Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, dévoile une série de 4 singles dont "I Pray" produite par Bob Rock. Robert Plant serait-il en train de réenregistrer un classique de Led Zeppelin ? Les neuf membres du groupe de nu-metal de l'Iowa, Slipknot, a donné son premier concert avec son mystérieux nouveau batteur. Les Rolling Stones ont annoncé les groupes qui ouvriront leurs dates de concerts dans le cadre de la tournée américaine ‘’Hackney Diamonds’’ qui a débuté hier. Mots-Clés : groupe, esprits, occasion, Europe, été, éphémère, concerts, chanteur, Vince Neil, réalisé, Bob Rock, école, ambiance, old school, Nikki Sixx, bassiste, cool, studio, fans, aimer, chanson, Livin’ Alone, Songs That Wrote My Life, Believe (In Miracles), vie, heureux, joie, posts , mystérieux, projet, studio, Wolverhampton, ville, Birmingham, concert, intime, bar, barbecue, Pappy, Harriet's, Pioneertown, Californie, licenciement, Jay Weinberg, Sepultura, Eloy Casagrande, identité, visite, Amérique du Nord, Canada, Gary Clark Jr, Kaleo, Belgique, Stade Roi, Philadelphie,The Pretty Reckless , Joe Bonamassa, Antonella Gambotto-Burke, propriétaire du studio, Gavin Monaghan a également évoqué sur les médias sociaux cette nouvelle session, laissant présager que Plant aurait revisité plus d’un classique de Led Zeppelin pour ce projet mystérieux. --- Classic 21 vous informe des dernières actualités du rock, en Belgique et partout ailleurs. Le Journal du Rock, chaque jour à 7h30 et 18h30.

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