Motley Crue have played their first show since former guitarist Mick Mars launched his lawsuit against the band. The quartet – with new guitarist John 5 on board – played a short set at this year's NFL Draft, which took place at Union Station in Kansas City, MO.
The band played six songs during the 35-minute set, kicking off with Wild Side, Primal Scream, Live Wire and Home Sweet Home – during which drummer Tommy Lee's kit was the centrepiece of a spectacular fountain made of actual water – before the band took a long walk through the crowd to play Girls, Girls, Girls and Kickstart My Heart on a second stage.
For fans, much discussion centred around the band's alleged use of backing tapes, with commenters on YouTube pointing out that that Nikki Sixx plays an obvious bum note during Hone Sweet Home before swiftly readjusting his fingers with a sheepish grin, and John 5 doing the same a minute earlier.
Meanwhile, other commenters point out that Crüe appear to have slowed things down, perhaps to accomodate Vince Neil, who appears to struggle to keep up with the songs. In Neil's defence, he is clearly singing live, albeit somewhat tunelessly.
In legal papers filed last month at Los Angeles Superior Court, Mick Mars made a number of explosive claims, including that Sixx, singer Vince Neil and drummer Tommy Lee all used pre-recorded backing tracks during last year's run of US stadium shows.
Motley Crue's Stadium Tour with Def Leppard makes its way to Europe next month, before heading back to the US in August. Full dates below.
Mötley Crüe/Def Leppard Stadium Tour 2023
May 22: Sheffield Bramall Lane, UK
May 25: Mönchengladbach Sparkassen Park, Germany
May 27: Munich Koenigsplatz, Germany
May 29: Budapest MVM Dome, Hungary
May 31: Krakow Tauron Arena Kraków, Poland
Jun 02: Prague Rocks, Czech Republic
Jun 03: Hannover Expo Plaza, Germany
Jun 07: Solvesborg, Sweden Rock Festival, Sweden
Jun 09: Helsinki RockFest, Finland
Jun 11: Trondheim Rocks, Norway
Jun 14: Copenhagen Copenhell, Denmark
Jun 18: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium
Jun 20: Milan Ippodromo SNAI San Siro, Italy
Jun 23: Lisbon Passeio Maritimo de Alges, Portugal
Jun 24: Rivas-Vaciamadrid Auditorio Miguel Ríos, Spain
Jun 27: Thun Stockhorn Arena, Switzerland
Jul 01: London Wembley Stadium, UK
Jul 02: Lytham Festival, UK
Jul 04: Dublin Marlay Park, Ireland
Jul 06: Glasgow Hampden Park, UK
Aug 05: Syracuse JMA Wireless Dome, NY
Aug 08: Columbus Ohio Stadium, OH
Aug 11: Fargo Fargodome, ND
Aug 13: Omaha Charles Schwab Field Omaha, NE
Aug 16: Tulsa H.A. Chapman Stadium, OK
Aug 18: El Paso Sun Bowl Stadium, TX
