"So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye..." The iconic song and dance number from The Sound of Music plays over the PA system at Philips Arena. Not exactly how you would imagine the beginning of a hard rock concert. Then again, it's not often you have to say goodbye for good to one of the eighties' most raucous and out of control heavy metal bands - Mötley Crüe.
For 34 years the Crüe has been writing, producing, and performing their brand of high octane, full-throttle rock.
Come December 31, 2015, that particular chapter of music history will close.
The band has reached a legal agreement and has formally stated that the group will dissolve after its last performance in front of their hometown crowd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Of course there has been a great deal of speculation as well on just how genuine of a pact this really is. While the name Mötley Crüe may no longer be used, it would be hard to believe that these veterans of rock can just unplug and walk away for good.
Alice Cooper opened the show on Sunday night. He and his band have been touring with Mötley Crüe during the Final Tour “All Bad Things Must Come to an End.” His segment of the show was spectacular in its own right. Cooper’s showmanship is top rate. His touring band was also stellar.
Mötley Crüe’s set list pulled out all the hits from the past three decades, in addition to several of their newer songs. The theatrics, from the stage setup to the pyrotechnics and to the roller coaster track expanding along the length of the arena floor, were also over the top and fitting for a final farewell.
Tommy Lee’s famous drum solos are always something to behold. On previous tours he has flown up to the ceiling and played in drum machines that would rotate on its axis. This time he brought his infamous creation, the Crucifly. The entire drum kit, along with Lee, rose from the stage out over the crowd. All while playing a kicking drum solo, Lee’s kit moved the entire length of the floor and rotated 360 degrees in the process.
Nikki Sixx also brought out one of his own over-the-top exhibits. During a bass solo he came out with a flame thrower attached to his guitar. The entire arena lit up with the glow of the flames that soared through the sky as he lit his pentagram microphone on fire.
If this is really the end, then Mötley Crüe did one heck of a job of saying goodbye.