Mötley Crüe @ Copenhell 2023
Oh, how the mighty have fallen
There was a time before Guns n' Roses when Mötley Crüe could very well be considered the most dangerous band in the world. And for many a good reason, too. Not only wreaking havoc in hotel rooms worldwide, but also with lead singer Vince Neil getting convicted for DUI and vehicular manslaughter, and bassist Nikki Sixx dying on a heroin overdose – not once, but twice.
Like a lot of other bands from their heyday in those glory '80s, the Crüe never did recover from the '90s. This millennium, whenever they decide to reunite in spite of having called it quits, their perfomances have been good at best, but horrible at worst, with especially Neil delivering either cringey, wafer-thin vocals, or hiding said vocals behind a veritable wall of backing tracks. And to get it outta the way up front, I wish he'd done the latter tonight.
The band, of course, are well aware of what we're here for, tonight's set consisting primarily of those loveable hard rock classics from aforementioned heyday. Opener "Wild Side", for example, being a prime example of what set the Crüe apart back in the day, still as edgy and heavy today as it was 36 years ago.
… Well, at least musically. Because even though Neil's voice isn't anyway near as horrendous as on that cursed show from Rock in Rio in 2015, the man still sounds like one big throat infection. And he rattles his embarrassing +220 pounds around on stage with the energy of a stage 4 cancer patient and the charisma of a rainy Monday morning.
So much so that the opener and follower-up "Shout at the Devil", even though they're practically designed to entice a crowd, end up landing pretty flat on their bellies. Which, not in the least way incidentally, is the level on which the atmosphere remains throughout the show, the crowd rapidly thinning out and clapping out of politeness rather than excitement.
When the band decides to replace Mick Mars because of his allegedly deteriorating technical skills, why in the holy name of tits would they still keep Vince Neil around??
I'm partying as hard as I can, though. As mentioned before, the set does mostly consist of hard rock classics that you'd have to be a living, breathing suckfest not to love. "Dr. Feelgood", arguably the band's most kickass tune, actually does work in spite of everything. And it's also nice to hear the oldest tunes "Live Wire" and the title track from the band's 1981 debut "Too Fast for Love".
But "Primal Scream" is a filler. The title track from the band's 2019 biopic "The Dirt" is subpar. And "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" was always boring. And that cover medley of "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" (Brownsville Station), "Helter Skelter" (Beatles), "Anarchy in the U.K." (Sex Pistols), and "Blitzkrieg Bop" (Ramones) is, if not unnecessary, then at least halfway unoriginal. Seriously, why is it that everyone covers "Blitzkrieg Bop" and not, say, "Beat on the Brat" or "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker"? And why not a Pistols song like "Holidays in the Sun" or "Pretty Vacant"?
Vince Neil notwithstanding, the band's technical skills are actually tight. Even though Tommy Lee, perhaps not completely unfairly, became better known for boning Pamela Anderson and having a quite sizeable reproductive unit than for his drumming skills, he's still unfairly overlooked as a drummer. And guitarist John 5, replacing 72-year-old living wreck Mick Mars, fortunately gets a solo slot to showcase his impressive playing so Neil can go backstage and get some oxygen and, presumably, cheeseburgers.
But it only raises the question: When the band decides to replace Mars because of his allegedly deteriorating technical skills, why in the holy name of tits would they still keep Neil around?? I mean… Shit, you could replace him with fucking Blaze Bailey and still get better results than this.
Reviews of this show have been lukewarm at best and disastrous at worst, and I've talked to people who have called this the worst concert Copenhell has ever hosted. I wouldn't agree, but it does say a lot about the quality here – or lack thereof.
Rating: 2.5 out of 6
Genre: Hard rock
Venue: Copenhell, Helvíti Stage
Date: Wed., 14/6/2023
Setlist:
Wild Side
Shout at the Devil
Too Fast for Love
Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Saints of Los Angeles
Live Wire
Looks That Kill
The Dirt (Est. 1981)
Medley: Rock and Roll, Part 2 / Smokin' in the Boys Room / Helter Skelter / Anarchy in the U.K. / Blitzkrieg Bop
Home Sweet Home
Dr. Feelgood
Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
Girls, Girls, Girls
Primal Scream
Kickstart My Heart