Well, here we go again travelling away to experience the rock that never stops rollin’.  Tonight we’re in Manchester at the Apollo, a venue that looks like it’s about to collapse from the outside but a place I love, the decor didn’t look shabby 22 years ago when I first saw the place.

The Crue are doing a nine date European tour (careful guys, you’ll wear yourselves out playing that many dates), so forget Download, pah! forget Hammersmith, phooey!, Manchester is the place to be tonight folks and the seats have been taken out so we can go fuckin’ crazy!!!

Now I have to make a confession, I’m not a fan of Papa Roach and only know one song but, she who’s birthday is just around the corner wanted to check em out, so we get inside the venue and have enough time to check out the merch, £25 a T-shirt!! and grab a drinkie poo before the Roaches take the stage.  And that’s exactly what they do!  

Storming into the first number of the night it’s obvious that a large proportion of the crowd are here to see em and are already singing along and going absolutely fuckin’ mental.  They remind me of another band and I receive a nudge from birthday girl, who screams in my ear, it’s The Lost Prophets! and by god she’s right, but this crowd are oblivious and are lapping up every crunchy riff. The band are making full use of their three front stage podiums, punching fists in the air, holding their guitars aloft, jumping up and down, yes we can see you!

Three songs in and the crowd are still going for it, next song is a new one, 'Time Is Running Out',  but not for these boys it ain’t and the crowd are jumping up and down, this song even sounded like like that Prophets tune, you know the one I mean. A request for the ladies to make some noise which the ladies duly oblige and we’re into 'She Loves Me'. The bass player is pummelling away and tearing up his side of the stage, the guitarist spewing out the riffs and the singer keeps jumping into the photo pit, these boys are trying their hardest to blow off the Crue.

Seven songs in and where’s the singer, we can hear him but he’s nowhere to be seen, then lo and behold he appears right next to us for a few moments before heading stagewards. What is it with band members leaving the stage and standing next to us, must be your perfume dear or maybe my sweaty pits! The band continue to storm through the set adding a coupla “old school” tunes as they like to call em and suddenly we’re on the last song, which gets the biggest cheer of the night and the only one I knew, 'Last Resort'.  The crowd find one final burst of energy to give the band a rousing send off and I have to admit I haven’t seen a support band get the reception these boys got for a long time.

During the interval we decide to move forward and position ourselves directly behind the mixing desk, well actually there’s tape on the floor about 6 feet away from the desk and we’ve now got a fantastic view. As the crew strip the gear away we get our first chance to see what the show is gonna look like. Mick Mars has 14 Marshall stacks on his side plus a couple of Nikki’s cabs and Nikki’s set up disappears into the wings.  Tommy Lee has the biggest pair of kick drums I’ve ever seen and man, it’s gonna be loud, as his drum tech checks the levels, then Mars’ tech kicks in with a few chunky riffs and as I look at the huge PA flying from the ceiling I’m thinking I maybe should’ve brought earplugs.  The Apollo has sold out tonight and and the temperature is rising as 9pm approaches, the lights dim and the intro kicks in, the crowd screaming their heads off.

The incendiary device that is Motley Crue hit the stage and kick off the night with 'Dr Feelgood', three seconds in, I’m screaming “who the fuck is on drums!”, but a bomb going off, well it sounded like it, shatters my ears and takes my mind off the fact Tommy Lee is nowhere to be seen.  This crowd are going crazy, Nikki Sixx attacking the front of the stage and pummelling his Gibson Firebird, Mick Mars looking like he’s just been resurrected for the tour, firing off riff after riff and Vince Neil baiting the front rows, prowling across the front of the stage.

The end of the song and I’m still wondering where Tommy is when Vince announces they have good news and bad news, good news is, they’re here, bad news is, Tommy has bust his shoulder, Vince calls him onstage and Tommy apologises for being unable to play, tendonitis apparently, but he’s here to join the party and introduce Will Hunting from Evanescence, who’s filling in for him. 'Shout at the Devil' continues the show and there’s flames shooting up to the rafters at the back of the stage, then 'Wildside' and fuck me, how many explosions does one song need!!!

The crowd are adding to the heat emanating from onstage and security are passing out water to the front rows.  The PA is loud but it’s quality, the lighting rig looks minimal but very effective.  This looks like a stripped down version of the Carnival of Sins Tour that decimated the UK 2 years ago.  

Not a smooth intro to 'Looks that Kill', but Will Hunting is doing a damn fine job tonight and you have to give the guy major kudos for taking the job on in the first place.  Nikki introduces 'Livewire', and I remember I’ve still got the import album on Leathur Records, Nikki may not be the most technical but he epitomises rock n' roll, swagger, tattoos and attitude. 'Same Old Situation' and Vince has strapped on a 6 string which sounds like it’s being played through a ghetto blaster but gets drowned out by Mick Mars when he kicks in. And the show continues, Vince calls for Tommy, he’s playing the keyboard intro to 'Home Sweet Home' at the rear of the drum riser, the opening few notes are enough to set this crowd off singing half the song, loud as hell on their own and I mean the whole crowd!! Vince, just standing and taking it all in, before starting it all again. 

Vince straps on an acoustic for 'Don’t Go Away Mad' which is brought on by the seductively attired Josie who slaps the lips on him before teasing the crowd and exiting stage left.  Tommy comes back onstage and passes a bottle of Jagermeister to the crowd telling em to take a swig and pass it back, it gets about 10ft and disappears and we’re into 'Louder Than Hell' followed by 'Primal Scream', which has more flames and pyro than Satan on his birthday.

Speaking of birthdays, the guys from Papa Roach arrive and stand in front of us dancing and headbanging, a few people cross the tape, I gently shove birthday girl forward and she’s partying with the band while others are moved back by security. And on we go with 'Girls, Girls, Girls', a few crowd surfers try to make it to the front, the crowd singing the chorus, then we get a very fast and furious version of the Pistols 'Pretty Vacant'.

All night Mick Mars has churned out riff after riff, looking like death warmed up, a top hat with a skull on it adorning his head, dressed head to toe in black now it’s time for a guitar solo which was basically noise and effects, but this lead into the intro to Hendrix’ 'Voodoo Chile'. He may not be a technician in the mould of Vai, Satriani etc but he’s got some chops tucked away. As 'Voodoo Chile' fades away the Mars plays the best intro to a song, 'Kickstart My Heart', only for Tommy Lee to fuck it up big time causing Mick Mars to stop playing and flinging his hands in the air, Vince with his back to the crowd, laughing his head off.  Mick churns out the intro again but Tommy still hasn’t got the timing right, Mick lets a chord ring out until Tommy has caught up, then stays next to the riser until the end of the song, Nikki and Vince attack the front of the stage, goading the sweaty mob, we get more flames, more pyro, more fireworks, more of everything!!

And then all too soon, it’s over, 85 minutes of classic incendiary Motley Crue, every song a killer. The crowd hot and sweaty, including me, the ultimate party band have taken no prisoners and left us duly sated.   The band bow out and Tommy leaves us with his party anthem, “I say Motley you say Crue, Motley ... Crue!, Motley ... Crue!, I say Fuck, you say You, Fuck ... You!, Fuck ... You!” and they’re gone. 

The worn out crowd file out of the venue and for the first time tonight I see the age range, from young schoolgirls giggling and gushing right through to middle aged blokes, looking knackered and chattering away about the event we have just witnessed.  The set may have been short and the ticket price high but we got everything except the kitchen sink tonight. Go see em next time and get your head blown clean off!!

* Review by: Brassy