A Motley Background Keeps Vince Neil in the Limelight

When Mötley Crüe surfed the rock and roll pop-metal waves of the 1980s they were the reigning champions of the scene. But like of lot of bands of their day, the waves got a little too big and things began to crash. After 12 years of a wild ride of sex, drugs and legendary hell-raising, Crüe front man Vince Neil parted ways with his bandmates in 1993 for a solo career.
That solo career makes a stop to Streeters Ground Zero Night Club in Traverse City on Friday, March 26. Neil will perform such hit songs from his Crüe days as “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Shout at the Devil,” and “Kick Start My Heart.”
A solo tour playing Mötley Crüe songs without Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars? What is up with that?
“I‘m out to do the songs people have asked for, and that’s the Motley Crue stuff,“ said Neil, “It‘s all about the people and fans wanting to hear what they want to hear.“
Why not just get the old gang back and go out on the road if that is what the fans really want?
“I have no relationship with those guys,“ said Neil. “Nikki‘s trying to get everyone back together. Tommy‘s already agreed to do it; Mick‘s already agreed to do it. I really don‘t want to do it.
“I‘m having too much fun doing this. There‘s no brain damage; it‘s fun, and you just go out and play. Basically nobody likes each other in Mötley Crüe, so why would I put myself in that kind of position when I‘m perfectly happy doing what I‘m doing now?“
Despite Neil’s assertion that Mötley Crüe won’t be reuniting anytime soon, there are signs that point otherwise. A few years ago the former bandmates formed their own label and re-released several Mötley Crüe albums. The band also has an official website which promotes Neil’s solo shows. Last year the group released a tell-all autobiography “The Dirt,” that made the bestseller charts. Now the book is being released in a full-length feature film by Paramount Films, to be released in 2005. Mötley Crüe’s bassist Nikki Six also affirms that the full band is reuniting in 2005 in conjunction with the release of the film.
“The plans are that we will get back together in 2005,” said Sixx. “It all depends on the release of the movie.”
Speculation is just that; reality is what counts, and for Vince Neil, that means bringing his frontman talents to town. Talents that keep his solo show touring the country and selling out at clubs and amphitheaters.
But after 25 years, does he still like touring?
“Touring is touring,“ said Neil. “It doesn‘t change from year-to-year or town-to-town. Rock fans are rock fans. They‘re there to have a good time and I just feed off that. Life on the road is hectic, but it is what I do.”
For rock stars, touring is where the money is made. Music industry accounting methods are such that touring -- not recording -- is where artists makes their dollars. In fact, Neil is vocal about the industry’s attack on file sharing:
“I just think it‘s terrible these big companies will go after 12-year-olds downloading songs off the Internet,“ said Neil. “It just boggles my mind that these companies would be so petty as to do something like this. It‘s pretty shameful.“
He adds:
“If you look at it in the real perspective, its pennies,“ said Neil. “You make your money on the concert tours, you‘re selling your merchandise; they‘re still going to buy your records too if they‘re fans.“
For Neil the wild ride of rock and roll stardom has had its ups and downs and the jury is still out on the benefits of being a rock star:
“People want to be a rock star for a day, not an entire life,“ said Neil. “I‘ve been on tours that have lasted 18 months and you‘re never settled down. You don‘t have a place to live and your work is your life. That‘s not easy. There are a lot of sacrifices.”
Neil isn’t complaining and he prefers the rock stage to that of television stage:
“Just like everyone I watch those reality shows, so when the WB approached me about ‘The Surreal Life,‘ I thought it would be fun, but what happened versus what is aired are two different things,” said Neil. ““Also it‘s hard to wake up and discover there‘s a camera on you. But these shows last because everybody‘s a voyeur. I won’t do another one of these shows, I am sticking to singing.“
For fans of Neil that is a good thing!

Catch Vince Neil as he rocks the Streeters Ground Zero Tribal Motors Entertainment Stage, March 26. For additional show information visit www.streetersonline.com or call the box office at (231) 932-1300.



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