Mötley Crüe w/ Alice Cooper
Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
07.24.15
For more than three decades, Motley Crue has been rocking stages and inspiring countless musicians – some of whom formed bands that we grew up with. Sadly, Motley Crue is on their Final Tour, this time with one of the greatest horror rockers, Alice Cooper, and a small band from New York, The Cringe. It was a night full of fireworks, fire, big bangs, hard riffs, smashing drums, and most of all – amazing music that hits home.
The night started with The Cringe, whose singer is a practicing lawyer when he’s not on tour. With fans still moseying in from being stuck in traffic, and those only wanting to see the bigger bands, The Cringe didn’t get much of a reaction overall. But they still brought their sound and played their hearts out.
Next, Alice Cooper took the stage, making a giant entrance once the curtain fell, with sparks falling from the tall rafters of the Tacoma Dome. Alice raised the energy high with some of his hit singles like “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Poison,” “Stone Cold Killer,” and many more. Throughout the performance, Alice’s guitarists Nita Strauss, Ryan Roxie, Chuck Garric, and Dis Vicious were all over the stage, revving up the energy with combo guitar solos, high jumps, banging heads, and interactions with the crowd. Not to be outdone, Alice’s drummer, Glen Sobel, had his own hard-hitting solo on the top of a tall riser. But let’s not forget, it’s not an Alice Cooper show without the spooks. So what does Alice have in store for us? During “Welcome to My Nightmare,” Alice sang with his boa constrictor around his neck. During “Feed My Frankenstein,“ we see Alice get electrocuted with a full size electric board, and with a cloud of smoke, vanishing. A ginormous, mechanical Frankenstein then runs on stage and continues to sing the rest of the song. But does it end there? No! Alice brings more cards to the table, from being wrapped in a crazy vest, stabbed by a sexy dead nurse, being beheaded by a full-size guillotine, to sprays of bubbles and giant balloons being popped by a real sword and knife, to finally ending his set with lots of fireworks.
Finally the moment had arrived for Motley Crue, with loud, roaring motorcycle engines and hot flashes of red fire, they took the stage with “Girls, Girls, Girls.” The entire stadium was on their feet, singing and dancing to their favorite tunes like “Primal Scream,” “Same Ol Situation,” and “Smoking in the Boys Room.” Throughout their set, flames and fireworks brought epic rock to life. At one point, Nikki Sixx walked on stage and told the crowd, “All we wanted to be was the knife that cut into your fucking heart”. Nikki left the stage and returned with his flame thrower guitar, lighting his hanging mourning star on fire in the process. Not to be out done by Nikki, Tommy Lee starts his drum solo while taking a ride on the Crucifly! Traveling back and forth on a tall roller coaster machine, Tommy is strapped into a seat as the Crucifly spins him 360 degrees over the pit crowd and to the sound board, all the while banging along to DJ tunes. Mick Mars then took the stage and gave one long epic guitar solo. Not wanting to be left out, Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil then climb onto their own platforms and are raised high over the side crowds as they play “Kickstart My Heart.” At the end of the song, the band leaves the stage and walks through the crowd via side stage to the sound board, where they play their final song “Home Sweet Home” on a rising platform filled with special VIP guests. Motley Crue ended their set by raining down confetti, igniting endless fireworks, and, of course, the flames of rock and roll.
Be sure to catch Motley Crue on their final journey as they say goodbye!
Review and photos by Savannah Bright
Mötley Crüe
Alice Cooper
