1. NYC Monthly: Vince, what bad things are you
most proud of in your career, whether in building
a fanbase, getting noticed, or creating memorable
moments that have made Mötley Crüe rock icons?
Vince Neil: Well I mean, we never set out to be the
bad guys but we just ended up being the bad guys.
In the early 80s things were crazy, you know?
Everything in the 80s, like the 70s and like the
60s, had its own aura. It's kind of non-existent in
the 90s and 2000s. We were just us, and MTV was
brand new. We set things in motion for being the
bad boys in rock.
NYCM: Mötley Crüe already played Madison
Square Garden and Jones Beach last year, with
your upcoming New York show set for Barclays
Center. What is different about your
shows now and what is the same?
VN: We are doing a lot of shows.
We sold out so many places so fast
that a lot of the fans were not able
to come to the shows. The show
is basically the same but we're
changing it up enough so that
people that saw it get something
different. It's still big and crazy.
Every tour has been completely
different. It's always bigger and
better than the last. More lights, more pyro, more
smoke, the "Cruecifly" - Tommy Lee's drum stunt.
NYCM: What areas in New York have been the
most interesting for you to visit while in the city for
either live music, leisure, walking around, food, or
something else?
VN: There's so many really cool places to go. It's sad
that when we go there we don't really have a whole
lot of time, it makes it tough. I mean, the whole
vibe of New York, I mean it's New York. When
we go there to play the fans are always amazing.
Whatever we do before the show, obviously great
food, great everything.
NYCM: What are some great memories of New
York City, Why do you keep coming back, What are
the fans like in New York?
VN: Fans are - you only really see the fans when
you are doing "David Letterman" or somewhere
with crowds waiting for you. I remember on our
first trip to New York as Mötley Crüe, we'd go to
some places and be gone all night long and into the
next morning, wandering the streets. Those times
you get outta your system. We went to Studio 54
and that was pretty crazy. It was probably the
same year they closed down, '82 or '83.
NYCM: Your new single "All Bad Things Must
End" sounds as raw and as "Mötley Crüe" as ever.
How did the concept for this song come about? It's
a solid closing to a great rock story.
VN: Well, the "Saints of Los Angeles" album was
a compilation of songs that tell the story of Mötley
Crüe and this song would fit very easily into that
record. It's a great finishing song.
NYCM: As you are getting ready to wind down
with Mötley Crüe, what do you hope your band's
legacy will be in rock and heavy
metal music?
VN: I think the legacy is actually
seeing the show and thinking these
guys have been doing this for 35
years and we've never really faltered
in giving the fans a great stage
show. We've always been about the
entertainment factor which a lot of
bands have forgotten about.
NYCM: What are some recent
favorite songs of yours that you feel even begin to
stand up to Mötley Crüe's catalog?
VN: I'm kind of stuck in the past; I listen to classic
rock stations. AC/DC, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Bad
Company, Deep Purple, that's where my roots
were, are.
NYCM: What are your plans following the
world tour? Will you be traveling, moving away
somewhere, focusing on family, writing a book,
starting a TV show, going solo?
VN: We spent so much time with Mötley Crüe it's
hard to focus on other stuff. I've had the same solo
band for 9, 10 years - when Mötley doesn't tour we
always play. I put out some new music with my
solo band. I have that football team in Las Vegas
(Las Vegas Outlaws), Arena football, that's going
to be a lot of fun in the future. Also a restaurant
(Vince Neil's Tatuado Restaurant & Cantina) so
my plate is full.
MÖTLEY CRÜERockin' Roller Coaster at Barclays
How do you "mark your territory" - as stated in Mötley Crüe's "Sick Love Song?" Well a 200-foot
roller coaster going 200 feet into the audience and sixty feet in the air is one way. Mötley Crüe's
farewell tour smashes down at Barclays Center August 12. The Los Angeles heavy metal band's final
act promises to be more extravagant than ever before. The band has pyrotechnics so strong that the
band members are required to wear protective gear. The fearsome foursome signed a "death pact" in
early 2014 stating they would never perform Mötley Crüe songs together again as a band, so get 'em
while they're still hot... on fire.
Nearly 35 years after forming and with more than 100 million records sold worldwide, it's been a
blustery adventure. Mötley Crüe's final single "All Bad Things Must End" is the perfect bookend to
lead singer Vince Neil, guitarist Mick Mars, bassist Nikki Sixx, and drummer Tommy Lee's epic rock
story, winding down after decades of explosive live performances, constant bad boy behavior, and an
iconic songbook that has inspired rock and music fans from LA's Sunset Strip to New York's Studio 54.
Frontman Vince Neil talked all about New York City's past and present with NYC Monthly, revealing
details on the high production value of Mötley Crüe's farewell world tour.
28 NYCMONTHLY
Written by Michael Menachem