Motley Crue’s Comeback
Motley Crue started their residency in Las Vegas on Friday evening, a show that was initially supposed to start last March. The reason for the six-month delay has now been revealed by singer Vince Neil, who suffered a minor stroke last Christmas.
A Long Road to Recovery
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Neil shared that he had a stroke in his sleep on Christmas night and woke up the next morning to find that his whole left side was paralyzed. The 64-year-old singer had to learn how to walk again, and it was a hard and challenging process. Neil said, "I had to learn to walk again, and that was hard. The doctors said they didn’t think I could go back on stage. I said, ‘No, no, I will do it.’"
The Residency Begins
Motley Crue started a 10-show residency at Dolby Live in the Park MGM on Friday evening, which will continue until October 3. The opening of the residency was first announced as postponed in the spring, with the reason given that Neil had to undergo "a necessary medical procedure." However, in recent interviews to promote the residency, other band members did not reveal the exact nature of Neil’s health issues.
Concerns About Neil’s Health
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, bassist Nikki Sixx spoke about Neil’s health problems and the concerns that fans had raised after his return to the stage with a solo show in early August. Sixx did not specify that Neil had a stroke but said that it was a serious problem. Sixx said, "He needed time to heal, and he worked very hard. You can say that he’s working up the perseverance, and many people say, ‘Oh, man, he’s not stepping into the ass as before,’ but it takes a lot of courage to have a doctor tell you that you’ll probably never go back on stage and that you’ll fight when you have some incomplete moments here and there."
Overcoming Adversity
Neil told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he underwent physiotherapy with the help of his girlfriend on his 30-acre ranch for many months this year. He said, "I went from people who carried me to the bathroom because I couldn’t go to a wheelchair myself. I got a hiker and then I had a stick. Now I don’t need anything. But it’s like a full-time job to get back where you feel good again." Neil said he is "90-95% back where I was before, and it will be great."
Dealing with the Past
Both Neil and Sixx’s interviews also touched on the topic of former guitarist Mick Mars, who left the band in 2022. Neil denied claims that the band had been using pre-recorded tapes of Mars’ guitar parts during live shows, saying, "No, we never did it." He claimed that Mars was "the only one on the band because he kept building things, so we had him on tape. When he started to go strange tangent, our sound type simply switched it on and switched on the tape."
The Road Ahead
Motley Crue has a new compilation album, "From the Beginning," which features material from their 1981 debut album, as well as a recent duet with Dolly Parton on the song "Home Sweet Home." Neil said, "I’m going to give it my best" regarding the residency. Fans are eagerly waiting to see how the band will perform, and clips from the Vegas opening are being closely watched in fan forums.
