Motley Crue – Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines, Iowa – July 11, 2014

Motley Crue is playing the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. It is their stop in the city in what is being hailed as their final tour. Everyone knows that artists have a habit of having numerous “final” tours, so we will see if this holds true with Motley Crue or not. The fact that it is labeled as such draws large audiences and makes for an excellent set list full of all the hits throughout the years.

Alice Cooper has joined them on this tour. Anyone who has seen Alice perform knows that he is a serious treat to behold. His shows are theatrical in nature and this one is no different. It is complete with monsters, a beheading, and all the hits people have come to love over the years. A number of people in the audience have never seen Alice Cooper and thoroughly enjoy him as an opening act.

Motley Crue takes the stage with “Saints of Los Angeles”. I find it an odd number toopen with, having hoped that they would introduce themselves with more of an old hit. The set list is amazing. They play something off all their albums, nearly every hit, as well as a cover of “Anarchy in the U.K.” which is absolutely amazing. Several of the members of the audience make mention of the absence of “Ten Seconds to Love”, however, it doesn’t cloud their overall judgment of the show.

There are several highlights to the show, including a great moment in which Nikki Sixx sits on the side of the stage and recollects when he first met all the members of the band. It’s rather heartfelt, really thinking of how long it has all been going on. Think about having a band and music encompass your entire life. It’s seems so crazy that it is what they have been doing for so long. One of my favorite parts of show is when Vince declares that many people got married or pregnant to the following song. About half the audience can guess what it was, myself included, and half can not, depending on the age group. The song is, yes, you guessed it, “Without You”. That alone shows how the band has affected generations of fans and feels appropriate in this final tour.

Of course, the true focus of the show comes when Tommy Lee decides to do his drum solo. Anyone who has seen Motley Crue in the past knows not to get a beer during this drum solo. It’s always a spectacle. This is no different. For this tour, Tommy has himself strapped to the drum set, which elevates to the ceiling. The set then flips upside down and he rides over the entire crowd on what can only be described as a roller coaster style track. After he goes across the crowd, the set flips back so he can be settled back onto the stage.

The only negative aspect I would have to mention regarding the concert is Vince’s voice. However, that has been an issue for decades now and no one seems to care anymore, the whole fact seems moot. Everything else is fantastic, from the extreme pyrotechnics to the encore of “Home Sweet Home” on the B stage. If we never get another tour from Motely Crue, I will be happy to have seen them off on this one.