Motley Crue-Big dumb fun at the Dome

[KiwiCoromandel]

It would be unfair to say the April 1 Motley Crue show at the Dome likely wasn’t responsible for the cancellation of many debate club gatherings or meetings of the local chapter of Mensa. True. But unfair.

Because while there were probably many people among the sold-out crowd who spent the better part of the ’80s killing brain cells with the Crue as the soundtrack, nobody was there because they were stupid. They were there to get stupid.

It was Friday night, the masters of hair-metal were in town, and it was the perfect excuse to tune in, turn on, and drop I.Q. points.

Before the quartet even took the stage, the collective intelligence of the 18,000 strong crowd was hovering around the level of legumes, with the drunk, stoned, and all-of-the-above flashing devil signs, stumbling down the stairs, and regaling one another with monosyllabic descriptions of the last time they were so wasted.

And ya know what? There’s nothing wrong with that.

Sometimes, stupid is good. In fact, sometimes, stupid is downright entertaining. As it was April 1.

It was an evening of pure, unabashed and unadulterated idiocy, and it was impossible not to enjoy on the basest of levels.

You want d-u-m dumb? How about the opening claymation film featuring members of the band attempting to stop a meteorite with a sling-shot and a large-breasted groupie?

Or how about the costumed midgets? Or the strippers? How about explosions? Or a flying Tommy Lee, who could quite possibly be the dimmest man on the planet? Ugh. Good.

And then, half an hour after they were supposed to — thanks probably to the insane line-ups outside the Dome due to the security pat-down of all patrons — the members of Motley Crue took to the flaming, big-topped stage and dumbed things down to the amoeba level.

Kicking off with a riotous version of Shout At the Devil, the L.A. sleaze band proceeded to tear through a generous two hour set of its brain-damaged and drooling metal hits — turning every single one into a BIC-flicking sing-a-long anthem.

And yes, the freshly nipped and tucked vocalist Vince Neil may sound a little scratchier and a little rougher than he did 20 years ago, but after the life he’s led, can you really blame him?

Besides that, it added a little extra grit, a whole lot more traction to songs such as Too Fast For Love and Looks That Kill.

For the most part, the rest of the newly reunited Crue — reunited thanks in large part to Canada, bassist Nikki Sixx revealed, without providing any details — matched the energy and intensity of the gong show going on in front of the stage.

Sixx, guitarist Mick Mars — who was particularly fantastic — and drummer Lee — wjp half-way through though he was a member of STOMP — provided the perfect knuckle-dragging backdrop for the Friday night moronics.

Even the 10 minute intermission couldn’t kill the buzz of the band or their frenzied fans, although the decision to stop beer sales might have pushed a few closer to sobriety.

When the Crue roared back on stage on motor bikes and launched into the peeler-bar classic Girls, Girls, Girls, it was game on and let’s give ’er all over again.

And again, lest anyone think calling the Crue’s show dumb and moronic is meant to insult or demean it, the band, or anyone who blissfully took in one of the best heavy metal arena shows you’ll likely see in this day and age, think again.

Or better yet, don’t — it’s a whole lot more fun that way.

Source:Calgary Sun