Motley Crue, Bush and Escape The Fate at Sunset Strip Music Festival - August 20, 2011

From www.ocreloaded.com: Motley Crue, Bush and Escape The Fate at Sunset Strip Music Festival

Written by Paul Lyons

Monday, 22 August 2011 05:46

On Saturday, the sun shined bright over Southern California as rockers young and old gathered in mass to attend the final day of the fourth annual Sunset Strip Music Festival.  From 1:30pm to 9:45pm, Sunset Boulevard overflowed with music from dozens of bands performing not only in legendary clubs like the Roxy, the Key Club, the Viper Room, and the Whisky A Go-Go...but also on two large outdoor stages that bookended an outdoor street festival. The East Stage stood near the festival entrance at San Vicente Boulevard, and featured acts Tribal Seeds, Cobra Starship, The Dirty Heads, Matt & Kim, as well as Public Enemy.  The West Stage stood near Doheny Drive.  Due to the difficulty of going back and forth between the two stages, as well a preference for getting a good spot near the action, I spent the majority of my time hovering near the West Stage. After early sets by Black Veil Brides and She Wants Revenge, Escape The Fate hit the stage at 4:30pm sharp, and pounded away through a 40-minute set.  The Nevada-based hardcore band worked hard to excite the impatient, mid-afternoon crowd.  Lead singer Craig Mabbit gave a shout out to his “homeboys that came out from Arizona” before launching into their next single “Liars and Monsters”...a track only to be found on the deluxe edition of last year’s best-selling album...Escape The Fate.  This was followed by a strong version of the thrash title track from their 2008 album, This War Is Ours. Running ten minutes late, 90‘s British rock heroes Bush finally hit the stage at 6:10pm, and performed an excellent and exciting ten-song, 50-minute set...starting with “Machinehead”...the 7th track off of their smash 1994 album Sixteen Stone.  It was a welcome return for a group that had disbanded nine years ago.  Unfortunately, original Bush members Nigel Pulsford and Dave Parsons (on guitar and bass respectively) choose not to participate in the reunion.  Fortunately however, superstar vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale and drummer Robin Goodridge hired two new members who sound fantastic...Corey Britz on bass guitar, and the heavily bearded Chris Traynor on lead guitar.  Gavin Rossdale looked like he hadn’t aged at all since Bush ruled the charts and the radio 16 years ago.  A true rock star, Rossdale worked the crowd into a frenzy as he waltzed across the stage, stood on top of speakers, and even jumped into the crowd to let all his fans be near him. From old to new, Bush followed “Machinehead” with “All My Life,” a strong track off of their brand new album The Sea of Memories.  Then it was back to the great well of Sixteen Stone for a fantastic version of “Little Things.”  Shifting gears, the band played “The Chemicals Between Us” from their 1999 album The Science of Things, before launching into the opening track of The Sea of Memories... “Afterlife.”  A rollicking version of “Everything Zen” came next...which is the opening track of Sixteeen Stone.  Gavin Rossdale commented beforehand how much he loved the Sunset Strip, making note of Bush’s first ever L.A. concert at the Roxy back in the day.  Then he lead the band back to Sea of Monsters territory with the mid-tempo “The Sound of Winter.”  Rossdale next stood on the stage alone and belted out another Sixteeen Stone classic, “Glycerine”...with the rest of the band joining in towards the end of the song.  Perhaps in the spirit of the festival, Bush soon performed a faithful version of the Beatles 1969 classic “Come Together” to lift the crowd up.  To close out the set, they doe back to their beloved Sixteen Stone album for a rousing version of “Comedown”...a huge top 40 hit in 1995.  Bush certainly made the most of their time slot, paving the way for the BIG show that came next... Having survived drugs, internal squabbles, disease, death, jail, the 80’s, and virtual extinction...Motley Crue has somehow come out ahead in the end.  To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band’s existence, the Crue returned to their homeland Saturday night to perform a rousing 13-song, 75 minute set.  Like many successful L.A. rock and roll bands...Motley Crue cut their teeth playing gigs at the Whisky A Go-Go, Gizzarri’s (now known as The Key Club) and The Roxy.  To see Motley Crue perform on the Sunset Strip, is to truly experience the band in their element. Literally exploding on stage out of nowhere at 8:30pm, guitarist Mick Mars, bassist Nikki Sixx, vocalist Vince Neil, and drummer Tommy Lee (as well as two female dancers/backing singers) shook up the crowd with a thunderous version of the 1987 Girls, Girls, Girls track “Wild Side.”  The audience could not have been more excited.  Playing to the crowd, the town, and the festival, it was only fitting that the band next went straight into “Saints of Los Angeles”...the title track of their 2008 album.  Fists were raised in the air as Vince Neil belted out the song’s chorus of “We are, we are the saints, one day you will confess, and pray to the saints of Los Angeles.”  From new to old, the Crue then reached back to their 1981 debut album, Too Fast For Love, belting out a powerful version of “Live Wire.”  Quickly moving on to 1983, the band broke out “Shout Out The Devil,” which had everyone shouting out loud. Mick Mars looked frail, and was covered in heavy white makeup and black lipstick, yet he played like a monster.  Nikki Sixx looked a little worse for wear, yet commanded the stage like a champion...and sung background vocals in front of his unusual hanging microphone stand.  Tommy Lee’s forceful drumming created giant beats emanating from his transparent Pearl drum kit.  Vince Neil looked happy, tan and tattooed, and seemed to be singing quite well.  Unfortunately, microphone problems plagued the night (or perhaps it was an unbalanced sound mix?)...so it was not often that I could actually hear him sing.  For the most part, Neil’s vocals were too often drowned out by the bass, drums and guitar. Before launching into the 1989 Dr. Feelgood track “Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.),” Vince Neil spoke to the crowd.  “We are f*cking back home, man” he exclaimed.  “We’ve been together for 30 f*cking years.  We started on these streets 30 years ago.  Before I was walking down the street, putting up posters that we’re gonna be playing over at Gazzarri’s or the Whiskey, the Roxy and the Troubadour and every place” Neil continued.  “It’s really good to be back here, and playing on Sunset Boulevard.” The Crue spared no expensive when it came down to lights and pyrotechnics.  Flames flew up, out and down during songs.  Behind the band sat a giant circular projection screen which displayed colorful images of electric bolts and pentagrams.  In front of the screen sat a circular roller coaster.  You heard that right, a roller coaster.  Seated on the roller coaster tracks was none other than Tommy Lee, no stranger to extreme theatrics. Speaking of theatrics, a mirror-tiled grand piano was brought on stage for Tommy Lee to  play on for the 1985 Theater of Pain classic “Home Sweet Home.” Before performing the song with the band, the shirtless Lee reminisced about his history on the Sunset Strip.  Pointing east down the Sunset Strip, Lee remarked that he travelled “so many times from that club, to that club, to that club.”  He continued to look on and point at the various rock and roll venues on the Strip and stated that he “Played that club.  F*cked in that club.  Threw up in that club.  Drove home drunk out of that club.  I’ve f*cking done it all on this mother f*cking street, and you know what?  It’s our town baby so I am gonna send this one out to all of us.  We’re home.”  With his headset mic, Lee was vocal throughout the evening, calling out bandmates names followed by the word “dog.”  Mick Mars was “Mick Dog.”  Nikki Sixx was “Sixx Dog” and so on.  “Primal Scream”, a rare gem off of the 1991 compilation album Decade of Decadence, was played next...and sounded terrific, the this was soon upstaged by...you guessed it, the roller coaster. While the rest of the band left stage, Tommy Lee was carefully strapped down to his drum stool.  He began to play a four on the floor straight drumbeat along with some pre-recorded music, and soon enough...his entire drumkit began to move up and down the circular roller coaster.  The drums moved along the track, and soon travelled all the way around the circle, even going upside down.  All the while, Tommy Lee continued to play the drums.  After taking a few spins on the roller coaster, Lee upped the ante by inviting one of his friends to join him on the ride...deadmau5 (pronounced “dead mouse”), the insanely popular electronica and house music producer and DJ whose trademark is wearing a giant mouse mask on his head.  After strapping deadmau5 in, he and Tommy Lee took another ride around the roller coaster.  It was a truly a sight to behold, and the crowd loved it. On an usual note, later on in the show a crewman was seen climbing up the roller coaster...perhaps to make an adjustment to the lights.  All of sudden, he fell, and hung upside down; his feet holding on for dear life to a hanging cable.  The band played on as if nothing happened.  Eventually, they lowered the cable, and the man was brought back to the ground.  Not sure if this was part of the show or not.  With Motley Crue, anything was possible. Not allowing the audience to take a breath, the band then charged full swing into 1989’s “Dr. Feelgood”, soon followed by “Girls, Girls, Girls,” the classic title song from their 1987 hit album.  Staying in the 80‘s, the Crue next brought out their 1985 top 20 hit “Smokin’ In The Boys Room”...a charged cover of the old 1973 Brownsville Station song.  With the show moving at a lightning pace, it was time to rev it up for the final song of the evening...”Kickstart My Heart.” Written for 1989’s Dr. Feelgood album, the song chronicles Nikki Sixx’s death experience 2 years earlier.  In 1987 he was declared clinically dead after a massive drug overdose, only to be revived later by no less than two shots of adrenaline to the heart.  With the reverb and tremolo overdrive of Mick Mars’ guitar, the crowd went wild as the song began.  When it reached its climax, with fire and flashing lights in full swing...Motley Crue choose to end the evening by once again proving that they are still lifelong bad boys.  With Neil, Sixx, and Mars all sporting smocks...the band showered the audience with blood...gallons and gallons of blood.  The good news was, it was fake blood.  The bad news was, it was sticky and disgusting fake blood.  Why Motley Crue choose to do this, I don’t know.  What I do know, is that all of a sudden, Motley Crue’s die hard fans, who had waited hours to see the band...were now covered with blood, and had to wander down Sunset Boulevard in desperate search of a bathroom, or a shower.  Yours truly had to spend the late evening cleaning off blood from his hands, face and neck, as well as from two blood-stained expensive cameras.  It was a sour way to end an otherwise fun and exciting show, and a well-produced festival. To the members of Motley Crue, I think you’ll understand when I say F*ck You!  On the other hand, I can’t complain too much.  The Crue really brought it to the Strip, and gave an appreciative audience a thrilling and entertaining show.  The fact that the evening ended on a bad note, with an obnoxious prank, is besides the point.  I hated being covered in blood, yet it was very rock and roll.