MOTLEY CRUE ROCKS THEIR RESIDENCY!

     I wasn’t sure I was going to go to Motley Crue’s Residency shows here in Vegas. I had seen their Hollywood Takeover shows at The Roxy and The Whisky and I didn’t think any shows could be any better.

     But at the last minute for show 9, I got a hold of Vince Neil’s team to see him so I planned to head over to the Dolby Live. They didn’t have any tickets for me so I was told to get them at the last minute when I could get some last minute deals. I made the mistake of going with a girlfriend who is notorious for being late. The show was starting and she was still painting her nails after 45 minutes. My anxiety was at an all-time high and I must have asked 30 times if we could go. Then she spent another 15 minutes looking for an envelope. I am always very punctual and was having a nervous breakdown as we sped along the city streets. Then she asked where her envelope was. I found it on the floor and asked what it was. She said she wrote a poem for Vince. “Oh really? How do you plan to give it to him?” I asked. “I am going to hand it to him onstage”, she replied. “Are you Crazy? The artists don’t take things from people in the audience! Especially in an envelope! It could be a summons! I know Vince and he isn’t sentimental and doesn’t care about a poem!” Maybe if it was 1980 and she was blonde and she looked like Pamela Anderson or Heather Locklear which she does not he would have taken if from her I thought to myself as I sat there steaming about how late we were.     When we got to the venue there was more confusion as she told me to see if I could get in with this infamous scam artist friend of hers. So we walked up and they said his tickets were for Friday not tonight.” Unreal! How did I get mixed up in this scheme! I then got on my phone and bought two tickets. We got in and she was still yelling at me: “You blew it!” she yelled as she went towards the restroom. “You weren’t supposed to ask where our seats were so now we can’t get closer!” At this point I just left her and just started walking in and found a place to sit close to the stage.     Then came my other mission: In 1998 I went to see Motley Crue in Georgia after my ex husband punched me in the face and gave me a black eye. It was raining and I was a drowned rat in a Motley Crue T-Shirt feeling like my life was over. Then at the end of “Home Sweet Home” Nikki Sixx leaned down to me and put his guitar pick in my hand. It was a moment unlike any other and from that moment on I was scheming on how to get back to the west coast to be near Motley Crue like I had been in the 80’s.     So after starting my magazine, Vegas Rocks! Magazine in 2004 it was a whirlwind of excitement and Motley Crue had just reunited and I was at the press conference. The magazine years were like a carousel spinning a hundred miles per hour, with stress and emotion but of course Motley was always in the monthly print issue. But my point is, I was too busy at the shows to fight for another Nikki Sixx guitar pick. In fact, it never entered my mind until I went to the Hollywood Takeover shows as just a fan.     So since I had missed

most of the show I was going to try to get one of Nikki’s picks at the end. My friend Derek Wallace told me Nikki throws cups of picks at the end of “Kickstart My Heart” on his side of the stage and the center. So I was ready. So as the red and white confetti is raining down with the red and white picks you have to really be in the right spot. But Nikki doesn’t make it easy since you cannot even see the picks from the confetti since they are the same color. I was trying to reach a pick onstage and a guy was trying to help me but some other guy reached up and took it from me. Then I contacted Vince’s guy who said Vince would see me after the show and he said Vince wasn’t feeling well and he had already left.

This whole night was a NIGHTMARE! All the screaming and yelling with my friend, ticket hassles, not even getting a pick and then not being able to see Vince.     So after this miserable night I decided to go ALONE to the final night. I got my ticket in advance and I was determined to enjoy the show get a guitar pick and see Vince.

      So night ten was worth the wait. Motley blasted onstage with all the hits “Livewire”, “On with the show” “Girls” “Wildside” and I sang along to all of them. During the show Nicki came onstage with an acoustic guitar and played four chords of a song idea he had when they were rehearsing at S.I.R. studios back in 1985. Then Tommy said he remembered it like it was yesterday: “I can’t remember what I came in a room for to get these days but I remember that day!” As Nikki played his guitar at the studio that night, Tommy uncovered a grand piano in the corner that happened to be there and started playing beautiful chords as Vince said he wanted to go home and “Home Sweet Home” was born. Thank God that piano was there that night!

     But one thing I do want to mention that I was thinking during the show was that the four original members of Motley Crue definitely have 9 lives! Nikki died and came back to life and wrote “Kickstart My Heart” and Vince had 4 strokes but here they are – full of life performing! And if you ever read “The Dirt”- the book – not saw just the watered down version of the Bio Pic, you would be as amazed as I am these guys made it out alive after terrorizing the towns and running wild every night living on the edge like there was no tomorrow. My favorite book of all time by the way.

     My roommate says I am a sixteen year-old girl in an older woman’s body and I have to agree with him. Especially when it comes to The Crue.     So as “Kickstart My Heart” was in motion onstage so was I. I tried to sneak over to the center and to Nikki’s side of the stage to get a pick but I was on John 5’s side and the ushers screamed at me to get back to my seat. And speaking of John 5, he was in front of me the entire show and I hated looking at him. I have known John for years and I have done many interviews with him and he has been honored and attended 3 of my Vegas Rocks! Magazine Music Awards shows. But he wouldn’t reply back to any of my texts or emails regarding these shows. But hell, he doesn’t need me anymore he’s in Motley Crue! Why bother replying to people he doesn’t need anymore!

   So anyway the ushers screamed at me to get back to my seat on John 5’s side and I am glad they did because Nikki did something different that night: When he threw out the 3^rd cup of picks he went to John 5’s side and threw them. With the red and white confetti raining down and red and white picks flying through the air, fans hit the floor. I ran over and tried to get one pick in the aisle but another girl was faster and grabbed it from me. But then I looked over to a row where people were turned around watching the final bow and I saw two picks behind their feet. Score!

One of the ushers were yelling: “it’s only a guitar pick!” but they don’t understand people were trying to get all the letters on the back of the picks to spell out Motley Crue to get a letter from Nikki or something like that. And some fans travel to the shows just for the guitar picks to collect. The ones from these Vegas shows were special and went for quite a bit on Ebay. And then there are fanatics like me who just want a souvenir LOL.

So after shuffling through confetti, I had to head over to the other side of the venue to wait for Vince’s PA. But the ushers wouldn’t let me cross and told me to exit the venue. So I did and tried to circle back like a salmon swimming upstream through the crowd to get to the backstage doors. The supervisor who yelled at me earlier told me to leave but I told her I needed to be there to see Vince. (What can I say- I’m always in trouble! LOL). Chris (Vince’s guy) finally came down just as the supervisor was ready to make me leave and Chris took me up to see Vince.

I hadn’t seen Vince since his stroke so as soon as I got to Vince’s dressing room I went straight to him and hugged him and told him how worried I had been about him. We made small talk and he told me how he loved living in Nashville. But I noticed I had to talk slow and repeat my questions. Poor Vince. He performed flawlessly onstage but his stroke must have really affected him in other ways. I had never seen Vince like this. He was very quiet and seemed a little bit vulnerable. After awhile I went up and hugged Vince goodbye and told him I missed him and he hugged me really tight holding me close to him and told me in my ear that he missed me too. I told him I loved him and then he looked me directly in my eyes and told me he loved me too. He looked like he was tearing up. I had to leave right away because I was almost in tears of sentimental emotion for a man I have known for over 20 years and was the centerpiece every month in my Vegas Rocks! Magazine. On the way down the hall I caught a glimpse of Tommy Lee’s dressing room and I saw him and John 5 and a crowd in there. There was a lively bash going on in there! But someone appeared in the hall before I got too close and said: “Who are you with!?!”. I told him Chris and the guy yelled for Chris who came and got me. (Always in trouble like I said! LOL).

     One thing about some of the bigger bands like MC most people don’t know: Each band member has their own guests and each is a separate camp. The band member’s guests are only allowed to see the band member they are on the list for. You can’t just wander or enter a room of the other band member that you have not been invited to be in. I knew this but the door was wide open before I got reprimanded LOL.

     I am so glad I went to see the show which was spectacular. I got my Nikki guitar picks and the special one on one time I got to spend with Vince Neil was priceless. Thank you Rain Hannah and Chris Breen!

     I love you Vince! So glad you recovered from your FOUR strokes and you made it to Vegas! Please come back soon!

• Sally Steele
• Photos: Sally Steele

Me and Tommy Lee in 1987