Home > Rock

12/20/2015

Farewell to The Crüe

By BRENT ANGELO //
Photos by JON T. CRUZ //

They blast off to oblivion at the Moda Center

It is pretty surreal that Motley Crüe has been playing music for just about of 35 years. Motley Crüe has been the definition of sex, drugs and Rock 'n’ Roll in that time. These guys have always been wild and their live shows were great examples of that. Throughout their Rock 'n' Roll career, they have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, toured the world numerous times and have been rock fan favorites. Motley Crüe have also had their share of ups and downs. There was a band break up, bassist Nikki Sixx almost died from an overdose and Mick Mars suffers from a chronic arthritis, to name a few. It has been a wild ride for them, but they have endured and now are officially calling it quits. In 2014, Motley Crüe set out on a grueling Farewell tour with Alice Cooper in support that will last through 2015. It was quite a double bill as both bands are known for great live shows.

With most of the tour in the books, they are down to their final shows. Portland's Moda Center would be host of one of these last, career ending concerts. Motley Crüe went all out on this tour. Tommy Lee's drum solos, for one, have always pushed the envelope of what could be done in a concert setting. The Farewell tour gave us the Cruecifly drum solo and is his crowning achievement. Riding a roller coaster like rig, he soared over the crowd even flipping upside down throughout. It was an amazing site to see and hear.

This farewell show was packed full of their rock classics like "Wildside," "Girls, Girls, Girls," and "Looks that Kill." Nikki Sixx used a fire shooting bass in a explosive version of "Shout at the Devil." If these guys were going out, they are going out with a bang, and in the process blew up a ton of pyrotechnics. When the smoke and fire cleared, they walked off the stage, walked their way through the audience to a small stage centered in the crowd and ended with their ballad, "Home Sweet Home," saying goodbye to their longtime fans.

It was a pretty cool ending and it will be sad to never see them again. Say what you will about them, but these guys knew how to throw a party. They may not be the greatest band of all time, but they made music that rocked on record and they gave us some killer live shows. The Farewell tour ends in Los Angeles at the end of the year in the very town where they started. Goodbye Motley Crüe, it's been a fun and wild ride.

Shock Rock king Alice Cooper proved he is far from a has-been rocker type and is still in a league all his own. His show was classic Alice Cooper, heavy in theatrics and rocked. Along with his talented bandmates, they blasted through a great set list of songs from his storied career. This was no ordinary opening act, but a rock legend who happened to be a great bonus to an already great rock show.

Comments