Motley Crue Unveil Crue Fest Summer Tour, New LP and Video Plans
In what can only be dubbed the loudest press conference on Earth, the four original members of Motley Crue unveiled plans for their first ever Crue Fest national rock tour and their first studio album together in ten years, Saints of Los Angeles, to a packed Avalon in Hollywood Tuesday afternoon. The forty-one-city North American Crue Fest kicks off July 1st in West Palm Beach, Florida, with some of the band’s favorite younger rock bands along for the ride: Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx’s other band Sixx: A.M., and Trapt. Taking a page out of the Warped Tour’s book, Crue Fest will also offer up low price ticket packages starting at $30.
• Click here for photos from the Mötley Crüe press conference
“Hopefully this thing transpires into somewhat of an Ozzfest and carries on for years and years and years,” drummer Tommy Lee said to a roaring crowd of fans, friends (including Sixx’s new girlfriend, L.A. Ink star Kat Von D.), and media, “which would be badass. And I could tell you one thing for sure, we are gonna have more fun than humans are allowed to fucking have!”
“We were also looking for bands that lived the rock and roll lifestyle because that’s what we’re taking around the country is rock and roll and the lifestyle,” Sixx said at the press conference. “And they all look and smell and, I imagine some of you will find out, will taste like rock stars.” On touring with a crew of younger bands, guitarist Mick Mars quipped, “I feel really old.” Later Mars, who has suffered from the degenerative bone condition Ankylosing Spondylitis, explained his comment to Rolling Stone: “No one was saying anything, so I had to say something. But, really, I feel really good these days. I am a comedian inside — a black comedian.”
Saints of Los Angeles, due June 17th on Motley Records, harkens back to the early days of the Crue — as does the black-and-white video for the title track, complete with scenes from the Sunset Strip, groupies and rock & roll decadence. Singer Vince Neil explains, “It represents us, Motley Crue, growing up in Los Angeles and the sights, sounds, and smells of Los Angeles. The songs are amazing. The stories are amazing. The songs are kind of based on stories in [the band’s best-selling memoir] The Dirt…” One thing fans will have to wait a little longer for is the movie version of The Dirt, which is being produced by MTV. “It’s still taking a while. MTV doesn’t really have their shit together. We don’t like to do anything half-ass so there’s been conflict on how to do it right,” Sixx tells us.
“We wanted to do a raw, dirty, rock and roll record. It was easy. I don’t think it sounds dated. It’s like new, dirty, rock and roll Motley Crue,” Sixx tells Rolling Stone of the band’s first studio album together in ten years. (For a full Q&A with Sixx about the record, click here.)
The band capped off the press conference with a two-song set — an oldie, “Kickstart My Heart” and the new single, “Saints of Los Angeles,” which features the singers of all of the opening bands on backing vocals and in the video.
July 1 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
July 3 – Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre
July 5 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
July 6 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
July 7 – Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
July 9 – Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
July 10 – Sarnia, ONT @ Bayfest
July 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Susquehanna Bank Center
July 13 – Washington, DC @ Nissan Pavilion
July 15 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 16 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
July 18 – Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis
July 19 – Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater
July 20 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
July 22 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
July 23 – San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 24 – Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center
July 26 – Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
July 27 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
July 29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
July 31 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
August 1 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center
August 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Glen Helen Pavilion
August 5 – Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Pavilion
August 6 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
August 8 – Seattle, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
August 9 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden
August 11 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
August 13 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
August 14 – Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome
August 15 – Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
August 17 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
August 19 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Amphitheatre
August 20 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center
August 22 – Boston, MA @ Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
August 23 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
August 24 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
August 28 – Toronto, ONT @ Molson Amphitheatre
August 29 – Albany, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August 30 – Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
August 31 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion