Noise

Mötley Crüe showcases its stage power one last time in Vegas

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Motley Crue at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, in Las Vegas.
Photo: Tom Donoghue / DonoghuePhotography.com
Mike Pizzo

Three and a half stars

MÖTLEY CRÜE December 27, MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“One day somebody is going to say to you, ‘Remember that band Mötley Crüe? They were pretty cool,’” bassist Nikki Sixx told an almost-sold-out crowd at MGM Grand Garden Arena Sunday night. “And you can say, ‘F*ck you, I was at their last concert in f*cking Las Vegas!’”

This was marketed as “The Final Tour,” with the band going so far as to sign a “cessation of touring” contract. “So Long, Farewell” from The Sound of Music blared through the speakers just before the curtain was drawn to reveal the Crüe, opening with “Girls, Girls, Girls.” Vince Neil, who is physically morphing into the Cowardly Lion, manifested, but he was far from shy. “We’re here to celebrate 34 years of Mötley Crüe music. Make some f*cking noise!” he declared to riotous applause.

Fans were geeked to be standing in the mere presence of these leather-clad men, as beer-drenched fist bumps were landed and the sign of the devil was thrown with reckless abandon. Many had dug out old, shredded jean jackets for the show; others had clearly never taken them off. The Mötley Crüe legion was in full force.

The band ran through favorites like “Wild Side,” “Looks That Kill” and “Kickstart My Heart,” plus covers of Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll (Part 2)” and the Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy in the U.K.” while delivering a true arena rock spectacle. Sixx brandished a Mad Max-esque flamethrower guitar, setting a pentagram ablaze during “Shout at the Devil,” and Tommy Lee traveled along an upside-down roller-coaster track, drumming over a pre-mixed DJ set of Jack Ü and Mark Ronson cuts during the show’s most surreal moment. Remember that band Mötley Crüe? They were pretty cool ...

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