Motley Crüe

10/30/98

Beacon Theater, New York, NY

-Chris Kelly

Although it wasn't yet Halloween, it certainly felt like it at New York's Beacon Theater on October 30th. With some audience members dressed in their costumes already, the night was an experience from the start. As the Crue took the stage, the audience lit up with excitement as they heard the opening chords to the Crue's #1 hit, "Dr. Feelgood". The lights cut through the fog, as the band shot glitter and water into the crowd.

As they cycled through their hits, which include "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Wildside," "Primal Scream," "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)," "Kickstart My Heart" and "Shout at the Devil," the full audience, new fans and old, sang along with Vince Neil's every word.

The new songs, "Bitter Pill" and "Enslaved" probably generated the most negative responses from the audience, yet were both great performances nonetheless. As an encore, MTV's Jesse Camp joined the Crue for a "Smokin' in the Boys Room" sing-a-long.

The wild audience, however, was hardly a match for Motley Crue's antics. As Tommy Lee ran across the stage, thanking the audience for supporting him through his time in prison, he stated "It's so fuckin' good to be out!". Nikki Sixx, who was openly embracing the audience members that jumped onstage, declared that "In New York, it's always Halloween!". Maybe true, but at a Motley Crue concert, it's always Mischief Night.