Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Wembley Stadium 2023, Review And Photos By Dawn Osborne

Def Leppard and Motley Crue bringing it to Wembley!!

Motley F’N Crue… I could say no more, but I will. Let’s deal with a couple of issues first.

Vince has taken a lot of flack in the past. Well, guess what, despite a truck load of personal tragedy he has lots pretty much all the weight and he looks better and sounds better … and given that Motley always had a huge Punk streak about their look, sound and attitude, they were never, ever about musical perfection from the start. They were about dirty, sweaty Rock ‘n’ Roll in the extreme, staying alive when you are living on the edge and living your best life as a Rock Star. You could replace Vince with a better singer (and they tried), but the bottom line is that Vince’s nasally sneering delivery is an essential part of the Motley Crue sound. Pavarotti won’t do, the band needs Vince and his throat, end of story. And Vince brought it and he did good: he got some cool Japanese lookin’ clothes too! He is livin his best life as a Rockstar, still, and still stayin alive this time by cleaning up his act. Props to Vince.

We all know about the controversy with Mick Mars’ departure. We miss Mick for who he is, but I am focussed on the band I saw tonight. Some guitarists would let the situation weigh heavily on them, but John 5 seems to be wearing it lightly. Was it the original line up, no, but John 5 brought his own ice cool otherworldlyness to make the gig interesting. He is retro in his look and Classic Rock solos, but also brings a kind of unhinged edginess in the stiletto stabbing guitar effects and Blade Runner-style unhealthy aesthetic with fragile tear stain dripping eyeliner which wierdly modernises the band. I like the band with John 5.

And props to Nikki and Tommy who both have had health and public controversy along the way and who still look cool, play great, and have survived the infamy around them that circles the entire atmosphere of Motley Crue. The Dirt has helped to make the mythology mainstream, but most people at this gig knew it all, without the film. The thing about Motley Crue is that like Axl and Guns and Roses the mythology was a side effect of who they are and not artificially created. Fans smell authenticity and know that nothing about this band ever was fake. Even Vince’s vulnerability is on show for all to see, written large on his face and people love them for it. They are cool because of who they are (not because they paid a publicist to try to make them cool, which they would definitely regard as uncool, which it is.)

So the world is expecting a lot. And Motley delivered. They did not fall into the trap of giving the audience a lot of less well known stuff that maybe they fancied playing cos they never had, they delivered a tight set of their best original stuff and visceral Punk tracks that energised BOTH the crowd and themselves. They did not forget the fans when they were planning the set list, and with a great sense of timing, perfectly judged what to play when. They knew that being themselves was enough and that Tommy did not need a twisty roller coaster drum set when all the crowd wanted was the band themselves.

That’s not to say that the band forgot this was an entertainment spectacle, they had high quality screens (I never imagined I’d ever be able to see the band’s nose hairs), cutting edge high quality video effects (at one point with jerky cutting that had the feel of an unsettling horror movie with dramtical emotionally heightening effect), Nasty Habits of course, Hannah and Ariana, changing outfits every song with great voices and pole dancing attitude, and giant inflatable cyborg lady robots (like the ones from Autograph Sign In Please era). Crue concentrated on playing hard and never forgot that everything is, for and because of the fans, as Nikki said when he called up two stunned members of the audience. During his titty cam spot Tommy reminded the boys that he was their best friend for obvious reasons. No other band could get away with this in 2023!! Motley always have and always will. The band know how to play to the strengths, they know Tommy is a great communicator with the crowd and they let him run wild and free.

Did Vince forget some lyrics, yes he did and the camera was merciless in staying on him when it was happening, but did the crowd care no!! They love Motley Crue and they always will. And at other times Vince did great, such as ‘Home Sweet Home’ where his voice really stood up to the scrutiny of singing an epic ballad. Tommy also played perfect, beautiful piano at the end of the runway for that song’s intro before running like a teenager to the back to pick up the drums for when the song rocked up. To say that the band is not perfect, is to miss the point that neither is their audience, and that their fans will always love them more for their flaws, not less!! However, the band were heavy, engaged, live, dirty, sweaty Rock ‘n’ Roll, just what the doctor (Feelgood) ordered. If they suddenly sounded like Journey they would probably lose their fans. It was a big production, the stage craft was slick and it was spectacular in an old fashioned sense, striking, dramatic, compulsive viewing. The fact that things are teetering on the edge only makes them a cliff hanger to watch. Just like old fashioned carnivals, there’s a sense of something huge and breathtaking with a dark side, visiting for one night only, before it moves safely away. One girl fan near me, so taken with the atmosphere, broke rank from the seats and ran around in a circle with both fists aloft like a soccer striker that had just scored. My eyes were glued to the stage, I cut off someone who tried to talk to me during the set and I wasn’t bored for one second. People, that is a Rock ‘n’ Roll show. Take your perfection and go visit the Royal Ballet (without me). I already want Crue back (Please do another small show I am gutted I missed the Underworld the day before as I was already booked for Guns N Roses at Hyde Park.)

 

I really loved the first two Def Leppard albums and liked ‘Hysteria’. Then, unfortunately someone Chinese water tortured me with ‘Hysteria’ by playing it to me constantly for six weeks when I was staying with them at age 19 in America and couldn’t get away from them for about sixteen hours a day. For years I couldn’t listen to that album or those songs. Over the last ten years I have been slowly coming back and tonight I loved the band and its performance, they have won me back!!

Like the band from Sheffield they are, they played it straight, no gimmicks, no huge plumes of pyro or dry ice, no huge set or confetti shot out of cannons, no celebrity special guests, they relied on their songs and talent and their confidence was justified. Joe’s voice is in ‘excellent nick’ as they say in Liverpool. I think he is singing much better than when he toured with Whitesnake on that stadium tour (maybe that’s cos he’s not staying up late with David Coverdale – only joking DC). But really they were a top quality stadium act and have earned their place at Wembley through their achievements, perseverance, talent and hard work.

Just like Motley they had savvily thought about what the audience would want to hear and there was plenty of material from the first two albums and all the big hits, with a couple of tracks from the new album that easily washed their faces against the rest of the set. The musicianship is a given and everything works beautifully like a well-oiled machine. Furthermore, one of the bands USP’s is probably that they all still get on and their camaraderie and teamwork is another big part of their show onstage. Joe remembers to involve the crowd by talking to them and one aspect of that was giving them a little bit of the history of the relationships in the band, underlining their strength. There are not many bands that would have moved heaven and earth to literally pioneer a one armed drum kit, because they regard each other as irreplaceable, and this is something very special about the band.

They even manage to create a sort of intimate atmosphere in this vast venue by doing an acoustic version of ‘This Guitar’ with Rick Allen on a smaller drum kit at the end of the stage echoing their family-oriented, tight knit vibes. Rick literally has a big smile on his face as if he had won the lottery for the entire show!! Indeed, who wouldn’t want to be in that band.

Tonight’s version of Bringin On The Heartache reminded me that it is really one of my favourite Rock songs ever and to hear it played so well really did bring a little tear to the eye.

Towards the end of the show the band introduce some novel video effects, like some images of the band melting for ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and some Polaroid style photo framing of old shots of the band (including Joe drying his mullet with a barely there towel) for another one of my favourite Rock Songs ever ‘Photograph’. However, bravely, and very much justifiedly the band are only relying on their music and performance and, it really is enough.

Ironically as they leave and take a bow Joe says “Don’t forget Us. We Won’t forget You” and I realise that, rather by accident than design, I had forgotten how much I love this band. He adds “See You Next Time .. and there will be a next time”. That is a comforting thought in a world where most major Rock bands of this calibre are calling it a day. Ok Joe, I am very much on board, see you then.

One things for sure tonight was one of the tastiest packages on offer at the moment in a crowded market. What’s more after you got the wrapping off the meat was as satisfying as the glossy picture that tempted you in. Each band focussed and delivered and the crowd was left wanting more. There’s not much more I could ask of these bands.

Review and Photos by Dawn Osborne