Mötley Crüe to Retire Following Massive Tour
One last tour for the metal misfits — they mean it. Also announced: A country tribute album and film adaptation of “The Dirt”After 30-plus years of world-class debauchery and spinning drum kits, Motley Crue is calling it quits with a 72-city North America tour and a legally binding agreement that prevents any of the four members from touring under the name. The tour starts July 2 in Grand Rapids, Mich., and runs through Nov. 21 in Vancouver, B.C. with Alice Cooper opening the shows. Their hometown gig will be at the Hollywood Bowl on July 21.
“We’ve talked about this for years,” bassist Nikki Sixx said Tuesday at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel. “It’s because we are on top, holding it together. We wanted to leave a legacy (and) we feel there are a lot of bands that don’t have dignity. We want to call it a day and be proud.”
Added singer Vince Neil, “We don’t want to be one of those bands where one guy is left. We wanted to go out with the four founding members and go out on top.”
Tickets for most dates go on sale Jan. 31.
Attorney Doug Mark said they started talking ending their touring days a few years ago after doing the Sunset Strip Music Festival. “We’ve all seen too many diluted trademarks,” Mark said, noting that never in 230 years has he heard of a band signing a legal document such the one he has dubbed a “cessation of touring agreement” that kicks in in 2015. “We had t come up with a methodology for these four guys, joined at the hip, to do something that other bands haven’t done.”
Drummer Tommy Lee and guitarist Mick Mars told Billboard the four band members own the name and their master recordings and any future decisions regarding Motley Crue will be made by the four of them. “Like the Beatles,” Mars said.
Tying in with the final tour will be a country tribute album, the start of a film based on the 2002 book “The Dirt” and marketing link with Dodge for the song “Kickstart My Heart.”
“Bad Grandpa” director Jeff Tremaine has signed on to adapt and direct the film version of “The Dirt.” The band members, who will receive scripts within weeks, will produce along with Rick and Julie Yorn, Erik Olsen and 10th Street Entertainment. Tremaine hopes to get started on the film in June.
Nashville label Big Machine Records will release a country tribute album to Motley Crue that will feature Big Machine acts Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore, Eli Young Band and Cassadee Pope. LeAnn Rimes, Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta told Billboard, “has a great idea for one of their biggest hits. It will shock people.”
Rimes is currently without a contract, which has Borchetta thinking her track could become a single “if the stars align right.” He anticipates the rest of the album will be artists not associated with Big Machine and will include several collaborations.
“I want them all to strip down the songs to just the acoustic guitar and then rebuild them with their own vision,” he said. “The songs are that good they can stand up to that kind of treatment.”
After the band and Alice Cooper addressed the media, Billboard asked Lee and Mars for a list of highlights in their career. For them, it was every step of the way impressed them, from playing the Whisky A Go-Go, the Country Club in the San Fernando Valley for their first festival, and the US festival in 1983 that attracted nearly 700,000 people over three days.
“The first time you do anything is big,” Lee says. “First time to Russia was ‘whoa dude, this is crazy.’ Nominated for a Grammy was big. First time to Japan, to Europe, Australia.”
THE FINAL TOUR Dates
7/2/2014: Grand Rapids, MI: Van Andel Arena
7/4/2014: Milwaukee, WI: Summerfest
7/5/2014: Noblesville, IN: Klipsch Music Center
7/6/2014: Cincinnati, OH: Riverbend Music Center
7/8/2014: Columbus, OH: Schottenstein Center
7/9/2014: St. Louis, MO: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/11/2014: Des Moines, IA: Wells Fargo Arena
7/12/2014: Wichita, KS: INTRUST Bank Arena
7/13/2014: Tulsa, OK: BOK Center
7/15/2014: Cedar Park, TX: Cedar Park Center
7/16/2014: Dallas, TX: Gexa Energy Pavilion
7/18/2014: Albuquerque, NM: Isleta Amphitheater”
7/19/2014: Phoenix, AZ: Ak-Chin Pavilion
7/21/2014: Los Angeles, CA: Hollywood Bowl
7/22/2014: Irvine, CA: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/23/2014: Mountain View, CA: Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/25/2014: Reno, NV: Reno Events Center
7/26/2014: Ridgefield, WA: Sleep County Amphitheatre
7/27/2014: Auburn, WA: White River Amphitheatre
7/29/2014: Wheatland, CA: Sleep Train Amphitheatre
7/30/2014: Chula Vista, CA: Sleep Train Amphitheatre
8/1/2014: Salt Lake City, UT: USANA Amphitheatre
8/2/2014: Denver, CO: Pepsi Center”
8/3/2014: Kansas City, MO: Sprint Center
8/5/2014: Sturgis, SD: Sturgis Buffalo Chip
8/6/2014: Sioux City, IA: Tyson Events Center
8/8/2014: Tinley Park, IL: First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8/9/2014: Clarkston, MI: DTE Energy Music Theatre
8/10/2014: Toronto, ON: Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
8/12/2014: Cuyahoga Falls, OH: Blossom Music Center
8/13/2014: Burgettstown, PA: First Niagara Pavilion
8/15/2014: Pelham, AL: Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
8/16/2014: Alpharetta, GA: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park
8/17/2014: Tampa, FL: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/19/2014: Charlotte, NC: PNC Music Pavilion
8/20/2014: Virginia Beach, VA: Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
8/22/2014: Bristow, VA: Jiffy Lube Live
8/23/2014: Camden, NJ: Susquehanna Bank Center
8/24/2014: Mansfield, MA: Xfinity Center
8/26/2014: Saratoga Springs, NY: Saratoga Perf. Arts Center
8/27/2014: Allentown, PA: Great Allentown Fair
8/29/2014: Wantagh, NY: Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
8/30/2014: Holmdel, NJ: PNC Bank Arts Center
8/31/2014: Darien Center, NY: Darien Lake Perf. Arts Center
10/10/2014: Oklahoma City, OK: Chesapeake Arena
10/11/2014: The Woodlands, TX: Cynthia W. Mitchell Pavilion
10/12/2014: Bossier City, LA: CenturyLink Center
10/14/2014: Louisville, KY: KFC Yum! Center
10/15/2014: Nashville, TN: Bridgestone Arena
10/17/2014: Hollywood, FL: Seminole Hard Rock Live
10/19/2014: Jacksonville, FL: Veterans Memorial Arena
10/21/2014: Greenville, SC: Bon Secours Wellness Arena
10/22/2014: Greensboro, NC: Greensboro Coliseum
10/25/2014: Atlantic City, NJ: Borgata Event Center
10/26/2014: Montville, CT: Mohegan Sun Arena
10/29/2014: Syracuse, NY: The OnCenter Complex
11/5/2014: Biloxi, MS: Mississippi Coast Coliseum
11/6/2014: Southaven, MS: Landers Center
11/9/2014: Moline, IL: iWireless Center
11/11/2014: Green Bay, WI: Resch Center
11/12/2014: Madison, WI: Alliant Energy Center
11/13/2014: Omaha, NE: CenturyLink Center
11/15/2014: St. Paul, MN: Xcel Energy Center
11/16/2014: Fargo, ND: FargoDome
11/18/2014: Edmonton, AB: Rexall Place
11/19/2014: Calgary, AB: Scotiabank Saddledome
11/21/2014: Vancouver, BC: Rogers Arena
Source: Billboard
