Crüe And The Crowes Are Back!
And Kiss extend their farewell.
Mötley Crüe and The Black Crowes have both confirmed rumours of respective reunions. Despite famously signing a cessation of touring contract in 2014, the Crüe had been linked with a US stadium trek alongside Def Leppard and Poison – something that singer Vince Neil emphatically denied, Tweeting: “People, these rumours are false. I haven’t spoken to any band members since the premiere of The Dirt.”
And yet, on November 18 the band revealed they had “blown up” the legal document, effectively allowing them to tour once again. A YouTube clip narrated by Machine Gun Kelly, who played Tommy Lee in the movie, commented: “I never thought I would see the day when this would become a reality. But the fans spoke and Mötley Crüe listened.”
It’s tough to quantify the scale of this U-turn. During Mötley’s farewell tour, bass player Nikki Sixx boasted: “There is no amount of money that would ever make me [override the contract] because I have such pride in how we’re ending [things],” adding: “And if we did agree [to do so], the way we’ve set it up we’d have so much egg on our face.” You really couldn’t make it up…
Meanwhile, after weeks of speculation, the Robinson brothers buried the hatchet for long enough to go public with the news that the Crowes will celebrate next year’s 30th anniversary of their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, with a 46-date run North American tour – the group’s first concerts since 2013, save for appearances in New York and LA that tied in with the announcement.
Vocalist Chris and guitar-playing sibling Rich insist that despite their legendary feuding, genuine peace now exists. “No one is here to be a dick,” Rich claims. “We love this music. We’re musicians. We’re brothers. We love each other. We love this opportunity.”
The Robinsons have hired an all-new touring line-up featuring guitarist Isaiah Mitchell of psych-rock band Earthless and session bassist Tim Lefebvre of David Bowie fame, plus keyboardist Joel Robinow and drummer Raj Ojha.
In related news, Kiss have extended their farewell tour for another two years. The global trek, which includes a spot at Download on June 12, now wraps at an unspecified New York City venue on July 17, 2021. Band manager Doc McGhee recently revealed that discussions have taken place with the group’s former members about potentially appearing at this hometown swansong. “They’ve all been talked to about it,” stated McGhee. “It’s just a matter of the balance.”