They Tried To Destroy The Metal But....
So after two years of delays, it appears the Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett stadium tour got off to a good start last night. When it was first announced in 2020 the dates sold out faster than another stadium tour of Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and Weezer.
Part of the latter tour selling stronger volumes is easy to explain: The target audience is older and older folks (myself included) tend to have more disposable income for what can be very expensive concert tickets. For the record, I am not planning to see this hard rock/hair metal nostalgia fest. Part of it is because the closest date is 3 hours away but the bigger one is I saw 2/3 of the bill just 5 years ago and I saw Motley Crue at the top of their game -- and reasonably sober -- on the Dr. Feelgood tour many, many years ago. It's like I've told my sons, "If you can, try to see a band either when they're on the rise or on top. It's a cool story to tell when you saw a future arena band in a club or if you saw so and so when they had a #1 record. It's less fun to see them on the slide."
There is a difference between a slide and finding the venues they can comfortably sell out. For example, Motley Crue booked arenas in the early 90's with their new singer, only to get demoted to theaters, and even those weren't selling. Bands have pride. Better to see, say, Gin Blossoms circa 2022 when they can fill a 500 seater no problem and know their fans are psyched to hear those old songs all over again then a few years removed from playing 5000 seaters and suddenly their star has fallen.
As someone who really got into music as a teenager during the peak years of hair metal's run I kinda like that Crue, Def Lep, and Poison are getting to have the last laugh. These bands got wiped off the face of the earth when grunge and alternative rock hit. They went from multi-platinum to multi-punch line. It was ugly. As a fan, I totally got it though. Music particularly rock, had gotten stale. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, etc. were a jolt of fresh air and had darker themes from a generation coming of age amid the social and economic hangover over the 80s. In the grand scheme of things that early 90s wave was short lived, as were other waves that followed (Creed, Limp Bizkit, Korn, etc.) And it might just be my opinion but a lower percentage of songs and albums from that time have held up as well the silly hair metal. Maybe the Bon Jovi's and Crue's and Def Leppard's just had catchier choruses? Or maybe its because they're just more fun.
Anyway...chock one up for the old guys. I wish them well on the nostalgia train. Given all we've been through these last several years I don't think there is anything wrong with some "Wild Side", "Nothin' But a Good Time" or "Rock of Ages". Rise up, gather around... right?
J
Part of the latter tour selling stronger volumes is easy to explain: The target audience is older and older folks (myself included) tend to have more disposable income for what can be very expensive concert tickets. For the record, I am not planning to see this hard rock/hair metal nostalgia fest. Part of it is because the closest date is 3 hours away but the bigger one is I saw 2/3 of the bill just 5 years ago and I saw Motley Crue at the top of their game -- and reasonably sober -- on the Dr. Feelgood tour many, many years ago. It's like I've told my sons, "If you can, try to see a band either when they're on the rise or on top. It's a cool story to tell when you saw a future arena band in a club or if you saw so and so when they had a #1 record. It's less fun to see them on the slide."
There is a difference between a slide and finding the venues they can comfortably sell out. For example, Motley Crue booked arenas in the early 90's with their new singer, only to get demoted to theaters, and even those weren't selling. Bands have pride. Better to see, say, Gin Blossoms circa 2022 when they can fill a 500 seater no problem and know their fans are psyched to hear those old songs all over again then a few years removed from playing 5000 seaters and suddenly their star has fallen.
As someone who really got into music as a teenager during the peak years of hair metal's run I kinda like that Crue, Def Lep, and Poison are getting to have the last laugh. These bands got wiped off the face of the earth when grunge and alternative rock hit. They went from multi-platinum to multi-punch line. It was ugly. As a fan, I totally got it though. Music particularly rock, had gotten stale. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, etc. were a jolt of fresh air and had darker themes from a generation coming of age amid the social and economic hangover over the 80s. In the grand scheme of things that early 90s wave was short lived, as were other waves that followed (Creed, Limp Bizkit, Korn, etc.) And it might just be my opinion but a lower percentage of songs and albums from that time have held up as well the silly hair metal. Maybe the Bon Jovi's and Crue's and Def Leppard's just had catchier choruses? Or maybe its because they're just more fun.
Anyway...chock one up for the old guys. I wish them well on the nostalgia train. Given all we've been through these last several years I don't think there is anything wrong with some "Wild Side", "Nothin' But a Good Time" or "Rock of Ages". Rise up, gather around... right?
J