***Guest author to Decibel Geek, Laura Suchan, is a true Motley Crue fan and has seen nearly 80 Motley Crue shows over the years!! Laura is catching several more Crue concerts during the All Bad Things Must Come to an End tour, including the final performance in L.A. Who better to review a few of these final Crue performances than such an expert on the subject? Here’s her thoughts on the October 14, 2015, show in Buffalo.***
Buffalo, New York, First Niagara Center
October 14, 2015
Motley Crue is spending 2015 on a world tour saying goodbye and thank-you to their legions of fans. My personal goodbye to the band that I’ve followed for 30 plus years will take me to 3 countries and 7 shows.
It was about 7 weeks since I last saw Motley Crue in concert so I picked up my fellow Crue fanatic Kandy and we headed down the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) to Buffalo, New York and the First Niagara Center. With less than 3 months before the Crue take their final bow on December 31, my opportunities to see them in concert were getting fewer. This was one show I didn’t want to miss. We arrived early and headed to Cobblestone’s Bar where the Motley Crue cover band, Crued was playing. Listening to Crued perform many of the Crue classics got us primed for the show.
The First Niagara Center is located on Buffalo’s waterfront and is home to the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. I’ve always enjoyed coming here to see shows since it is well located for Canadians being just over the border and not too long of a drive from Toronto. The first thing I noticed upon entering the venue was Tommy’s roller coaster, Cruecify, was nowhere to be seen. This was curious because the Crue had said on this year’s portion of the farewell tour they were doing venues that could accommodate the coaster. Both Kandy and I wondered where the coaster was.
Right on schedule the Crue hit the stage with “Girls, Girls, Girls”. I never thought I would like another show opening as much as “Kickstart My Heart”, but I am enjoying this show opening. The members of the Crue are shown in a backlit way – Nikki with his hand raised, Mick on guitar and Tommy with his drumstick before Vince comes out to start the vocals. This time, however, I noticed Tommy Lee wasn’t behind the drums. The crowd didn’t know why until after the third song when Tommy came on stage to explain he woke up that morning with tendinitis and was advised by a doctor to rest his wrist. He was apologetic and assured the crowd he was sorry and really wished he could play. Kandy and I joked that perhaps the Crue should have asked drummer Ziggy Crued from the cover band to fill in. After all he knew most of the drum parts. However, the Crue opted to go with Glen Sobel from Alice Cooper’s band who did an excellent job filling in on short notice. In an interview Glen said he found out at approximately 12:30 pm he would be filling in and, therefore, spent the afternoon making cheat sheets and practicing. He also noted Tommy was cueing him from side stage to help things along.
The show was good, however, even I could tell Tommy wasn’t drumming. Still Vince’s voice was not too bad. Without the roller coaster, the show moved along at a good pace. There was no need for the break while Tommy is strapped into the rig. I did feel sorry for the crowd in Buffalo who won’t get to see the coaster. It is rather amazing and one of the show highlights. I was happy because I finally got a pick from Nikki.
Tommy did make another appearance when he came out for the encore to play piano with his good hand on “Home Sweet Home”.
On the way out of the venue, I overheard some fans discussing the fact Tommy did not play. Should the Crue have cancelled the Buffalo show if Tommy could not play? That got me thinking – at what point does a band cancel a show – if Nikki can’t play or Mick? As a Vince fan (don’t send me emails telling me what a crappy singer he is – I’m not an idiot) I would hate it if Vince wasn’t able to perform. How do you decide that the show can and must go on? It’s not like the Crue would be able to play Buffalo on the next tour. I’m sure there were lots of disappointed Tommy fans, but I for one was happy the show went on. Another show under my belt bringing me closer to the final event on December 31. Next stop for me is the following week in Quebec City, Quebec.
Set List
So Long, Farewell – Rodgers and Hammerstein
Girls, Girls, Girls
Wild Side
Primal Scream
S.O.S. (Same Old Situation)
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Smokin’ in the Boys Room (Brownsville Station cover)
Looks That Kill
Mutherfucker of the Year
Anarchy In the U.K. (Sex Pistols Cover)
In the Beginning
Shout At the Devil
Guitar Solo
Saints of Los Angeles
Live Wire
T.N.T.
Dr. Feelgood
Kickstart My Heart
Encore Home Sweet Home
My Way – Frank Sinatra
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