MOTELY CRUE LIVE AT THE SAVE MART CENTER IN FRESNO, CA ON 12/17/15

Motley Crue “The End is Here” 1981-2015

The band that started in 1981 and brought us “The Decade of Decadence” comes to the end of an era. Motley Crue leave their mark in the history of rock music. The band finished “The Final Tour” with the last show on New Year’s Eve in LA vowing to never tour again and have signed legal binding contracts to make sure they commit to doing so. Being a fan of the band since their debut album, I made sure to catch the band one last time. Motley is playing their eighth to last show in Fresno, Ca. at The Save Mart Center and Mayhem Music Magazine is approved to photograph the show. As I headed there, I thought about the times through the years that I spent photographing, partying with, or just hanging out with the members of Motley Crue. Like many of my peers, Motley Crue has been a staple in my music catalog and it is bittersweet to know this was the last time I would be seeing the band perform. Nikki Sixx will now focus on his band Sixx:AM. Singer Vince Neil will continue to perform as a solo artist. Mick Mars will be releasing a solo album and drummer Tommy Lee has ventured into other avenues of drumming and dj’ing and we wait to see what direction he follows. The fact is putting these four people together has worked musically for nearly thirty five and it really is an end to an era. The band mixed the factors of rock, glam, shock rock, melodies, & pop to give us something new with every album. Motley was always willing to take chances and they not only stayed ahead of the trends but helped create many.

The band has released many anthems and hit songs like “Shout at The Devil”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”, “Home Sweet Home”, and “Dr. Feelgood” to name just a few. As I see the band for the last time, I was hoping to hear these songs one last and I was not disappointed. The Save Mart center was a packed event and a great venue to see any band. Motley Crue played hit after hit from the star of their show until they finished. That is to be expected with a music career almost expanding a thirty five year period. As the band signed off and I was driving home. I missed the days of my youth hanging out all day in the concert parking lot drinking, meeting new people, and cranking your car stereo as loud as you can to let others know you were a hardcore fan. Those days are gone for not only me but for the present generation and that is why it is not only the end of Motley Crue but the end of an era. We thank the band for giving us so much and bowing out gracefully with the original four that started the band in the first place.