Vince Neil Hospitalized During Motley Crue Concert

Vince Neil performs with Motley Crue.David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns via Getty Images

Mötley Crüe were forced to cut short their concert in Sydney on Sunday night when singer Vince Neil was hospitalized for a kidney stone attack.

According to Setlist.fm, the band was nine songs into their set when Nikki Sixx announced that Neil had been in pain throughout the show and needed to be taken to the hospital. Guitarist Mick Mars later apologized for the interruption on Twitter and explained the trouble with his bandmate's kidneys.

The 25 Boldest Career Moves in Rock History: Motley Crue Fire Vince Neil

"He has been having problems for the last few days with kidney stones," the band's manager, Allen Kovac, told CNN. "He was treated at the hospital after the show. It's the middle of the night there, and we will know more later."

Kovac, who called the 52-year-old singer a "warrior," said that the band is still planning to perform as scheduled on Tuesday in Brisbane. "If there is a way to safely perform, [Neil] always does," he said. "In nearly 20 years of managing Motley Crue, I can't recall a show the band has canceled." 

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KISS and Motley Crue Announce 'The Tour'

The members of KISS and Motley Crue announce a joint tour.

KISS and Mötley Crüe gathered today at L.A.'s Roosevelt Hotel to announce "The Tour," a joint summer package that kicks off July 20th in Bristow, Virginia and runs through September 23rd in Hartford, Connecticut. Each band will play about 90 minutes and KISS will close every night.

Calling it "The Tour" is a bold proclamation. But after more than 60 combined years on the road, both bands feel comfortable with living up to that title. "You will scream your head off until it’s no longer on your shoulder and then you’ll feel great. You’ll be drenched, exhausted, and completely satisfied without ever having anyone touch your schmekel," Gene Simmons told Rolling Stone.

KISS' Paul Stanley has loftier goals though, namely surpassing the band's reputation as one of the great live acts. "What we’re hoping for, and certainly I am, is whatever people’s expectations are, we blow them out of the water," Stanley told Rolling Stone. "I want people to hope for the legend that they’ve heard about and find out it’s greater than that. I think that the longer we’re around the more invincible we become."

This marks the first time the two acts have shared the same stage since Crüe opened five dates for KISS on 1982, 30 years ago. And while Crüe have since become hard rock icons in their own right, they are still the same KISS fans as back then. In a joint conversation with RS, Crue drummer Tommy Lee turned to KISS drummer Eric Singer and asked, "Are you guys gonna play 'Firehouse'?'" When Singer responded yeah cause Simmons was gonna blow fire, Lee's inner child started air drumming. "I fucking love that song," he said, tapping his hands excitedly.

The admiration and respect are mutual. "I'm a big Mötley Crue fan," Singer said. "I've always been a fan of Tommy's and a fan of the band, so I think it's really cool."

A double bill of KISS and Mötley Crüe promises to be over the top, "Elvis on steroids," it was called in the press conference. "I want people to leave and go, so this is what rock & roll is," Stanley said. "It’s dangerous, it’s loose, it’s not perfect. So whatever pop artist you see dancing around on a stage lip synching, that’s a con game and that’s not a live concert. If you want karaoke, go to a karaoke bar."

Simmons fired shots at pop singers in the press conference, saying, "We're sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes in back of them. No fake bullshit. Leave that to the Rihanna, Smhianna and anyone who ends their name with an 'A.'"

Crüe's Nikki Sixx didn't disagree, but took the more positive route, hoping it inspires young fans to see two bands who've persevered in both up and down times. "What I would like to see people take away from it is that if you actually practice your instrument and practice writing songs and put a hundred percent into your show and every aspect of it, from your clothes to your lyrics, if your singers sing, then this is what happens – you have a long career and you get to go out and do the real deal," he told us. "It’s real rock & roll."

Lee suggested those youngsters seeing both bands for the first time will be speechless. "They're gonna be tripping, for somebody who hasn't seen either band," he said. "They're gonna be walking out of there flipped out. I would."

It was the always quotable Simmons though who summed up what people can expect from a night with Mötley Crüe and KISS. "Come out, we’ll blow shit up, go home and fuck your girlfriend, that’s it," he said.  That's exactly what we'd hope for.

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KISS and Motley Crue Announce 'The Tour'

The members of KISS and Motley Crue announce a joint tour.

KISS and Mötley Crüe gathered today at L.A.'s Roosevelt Hotel to announce "The Tour," a joint summer package that kicks off July 20th in Bristow, Virginia and runs through September 23rd in Hartford, Connecticut. Each band will play about 90 minutes and KISS will close every night.

Calling it "The Tour" is a bold proclamation. But after more than 60 combined years on the road, both bands feel comfortable with living up to that title. "You will scream your head off until it’s no longer on your shoulder and then you’ll feel great. You’ll be drenched, exhausted, and completely satisfied without ever having anyone touch your schmekel," Gene Simmons told Rolling Stone.

KISS' Paul Stanley has loftier goals though, namely surpassing the band's reputation as one of the great live acts. "What we’re hoping for, and certainly I am, is whatever people’s expectations are, we blow them out of the water," Stanley told Rolling Stone. "I want people to hope for the legend that they’ve heard about and find out it’s greater than that. I think that the longer we’re around the more invincible we become."

This marks the first time the two acts have shared the same stage since Crüe opened five dates for KISS on 1982, 30 years ago. And while Crüe have since become hard rock icons in their own right, they are still the same KISS fans as back then. In a joint conversation with RS, Crue drummer Tommy Lee turned to KISS drummer Eric Singer and asked, "Are you guys gonna play 'Firehouse'?'" When Singer responded yeah cause Simmons was gonna blow fire, Lee's inner child started air drumming. "I fucking love that song," he said, tapping his hands excitedly.

The admiration and respect are mutual. "I'm a big Mötley Crue fan," Singer said. "I've always been a fan of Tommy's and a fan of the band, so I think it's really cool."

A double bill of KISS and Mötley Crüe promises to be over the top, "Elvis on steroids," it was called in the press conference. "I want people to leave and go, so this is what rock & roll is," Stanley said. "It’s dangerous, it’s loose, it’s not perfect. So whatever pop artist you see dancing around on a stage lip synching, that’s a con game and that’s not a live concert. If you want karaoke, go to a karaoke bar."

Simmons fired shots at pop singers in the press conference, saying, "We're sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes in back of them. No fake bullshit. Leave that to the Rihanna, Smhianna and anyone who ends their name with an 'A.'"

Crüe's Nikki Sixx didn't disagree, but took the more positive route, hoping it inspires young fans to see two bands who've persevered in both up and down times. "What I would like to see people take away from it is that if you actually practice your instrument and practice writing songs and put a hundred percent into your show and every aspect of it, from your clothes to your lyrics, if your singers sing, then this is what happens – you have a long career and you get to go out and do the real deal," he told us. "It’s real rock & roll."

Lee suggested those youngsters seeing both bands for the first time will be speechless. "They're gonna be tripping, for somebody who hasn't seen either band," he said. "They're gonna be walking out of there flipped out. I would."

It was the always quotable Simmons though who summed up what people can expect from a night with Mötley Crüe and KISS. "Come out, we’ll blow shit up, go home and fuck your girlfriend, that’s it," he said.  That's exactly what we'd hope for.

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Motley Crue Go Above and Beyond for Vegas Residency

Vince Neil of Motley Crue performs on the opening night of a month-long residency at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

When Mötley Crüe announced late last year they'd be taking up temporary residency in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel's Joint, it was one of those ideas that seemed so perfect the only question was, "What took so long?" This was, after all, a band whose celebration of the rock & roll lifestyle has been immoralized in a book and may still make it to film. So, what better place to lay down roots – even for just a few weeks – than in a town nicknamed Sin City?

As they hyped the residency, Crüe promised not just the usual exploits but to take the pyro and girls, girls, girls to new levels of excess. When it kicked off this past weekend, the debauchery was no greater than usual – women on stage several times throughout the show, aerialists and lots of confetti and pyro, but no more craziness than a typical Crüe show. After Saturday's show, drummer Tommy Lee told Rolling Stone the band is still working out the logistics.

"We’re doing production shit right up until doors open, fucking crazy," Lee said. "But it’s getting better. It’s gonna be sick in another show or two."

The band has decided to push their creativity and musicality. There were, of course, many of the expected hits, from "Live Wire," "Wild Side" and "Shout at the Devil" to "Kickstart My Heart," "Dr. Feelgood" and the closing "Home Sweet Home," which began with Lee on a piano that descended from the ceiling. Frontman Vince Neil had his own Peter Pan moment, sailing over the crowd during the song.

But there were also unexpected moments, including a brief acoustic set in the middle of the show that found them all huddled together in a similar manner to U2's stripped-down concert interludes. For the Saturday night performance, the Crüe turned three songs, starting with "On With the Show" and wrapping with "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)," into acoustic numbers.

"Doing the acoustic thing for us is something we’ve been wanting to do forever," Lee said.

Another new aspect of the performance was the inclusion of a narrator, Genocide, who worked his way through the crowd and stage, introducing the band members and providing occasional levity between songs. It's another new feature Lee was excited about.

"Being able to work the room with Genocide, our MC, we’ve never done anything like that in an arena, having people pop up here and there," Lee  said.

The quartet is using the stay at the Joint to live out some performance fantasies. "We’re able to place things strategically in the best place in the room, which we wouldn’t really be able to do in arenas," Lee says. "Being in one place for a while, we’re able to really figure out how to use this building. It’s been fun, interesting."

The Joint shows run through February 19th, but Lee hopes the band can take lessons from the residency with them on the road. "Now we kind of know what we’re getting into here. Hopefully this’ll set up something else in a bigger venue, a different place," he says. "You just never know."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Motley Crue Go Above and Beyond for Vegas Residency

Vince Neil of Motley Crue performs on the opening night of a month-long residency at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

When Mötley Crüe announced late last year they'd be taking up temporary residency in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel's Joint, it was one of those ideas that seemed so perfect the only question was, "What took so long?" This was, after all, a band whose celebration of the rock & roll lifestyle has been immoralized in a book and may still make it to film. So, what better place to lay down roots – even for just a few weeks – than in a town nicknamed Sin City?

As they hyped the residency, Crüe promised not just the usual exploits but to take the pyro and girls, girls, girls to new levels of excess. When it kicked off this past weekend, the debauchery was no greater than usual – women on stage several times throughout the show, aerialists and lots of confetti and pyro, but no more craziness than a typical Crüe show. After Saturday's show, drummer Tommy Lee told Rolling Stone the band is still working out the logistics.

"We’re doing production shit right up until doors open, fucking crazy," Lee said. "But it’s getting better. It’s gonna be sick in another show or two."

The band has decided to push their creativity and musicality. There were, of course, many of the expected hits, from "Live Wire," "Wild Side" and "Shout at the Devil" to "Kickstart My Heart," "Dr. Feelgood" and the closing "Home Sweet Home," which began with Lee on a piano that descended from the ceiling. Frontman Vince Neil had his own Peter Pan moment, sailing over the crowd during the song.

But there were also unexpected moments, including a brief acoustic set in the middle of the show that found them all huddled together in a similar manner to U2's stripped-down concert interludes. For the Saturday night performance, the Crüe turned three songs, starting with "On With the Show" and wrapping with "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)," into acoustic numbers.

"Doing the acoustic thing for us is something we’ve been wanting to do forever," Lee said.

Another new aspect of the performance was the inclusion of a narrator, Genocide, who worked his way through the crowd and stage, introducing the band members and providing occasional levity between songs. It's another new feature Lee was excited about.

"Being able to work the room with Genocide, our MC, we’ve never done anything like that in an arena, having people pop up here and there," Lee  said.

The quartet is using the stay at the Joint to live out some performance fantasies. "We’re able to place things strategically in the best place in the room, which we wouldn’t really be able to do in arenas," Lee says. "Being in one place for a while, we’re able to really figure out how to use this building. It’s been fun, interesting."

The Joint shows run through February 19th, but Lee hopes the band can take lessons from the residency with them on the road. "Now we kind of know what we’re getting into here. Hopefully this’ll set up something else in a bigger venue, a different place," he says. "You just never know."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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