Formation
The band came together in 1981 in Los Angeles when each of the members met after playing in separate local acts that had not experienced much success. The members began to come together as a cohesive unit by spending several nights partying and jamming, and they soon discovered that an over-the-top approach to music was a common bond that each of them shared.
Given this style, they attracted a local manager, Allan Coffman, who had a connection with one of Motley Crue’s first roadies, and they began to record tracks as well as play often in local clubs. Coffman helped the band gain notice in several ways, including mixing their first release on a small independent label and touring Canada. The Canadian tour got Motley Crue noticed because they stirred up controversy north of the border. They got into trouble in Edmonton when they arrived in their heavily-spiked stage gear and even arranged a hoax with local police where an anonymous caller stated that there was a “bomb on stage.”
Although their methods were far from orthodox, they did what they had set out to do by getting noticed. As a result of their first release and the buzz they created in Canada, the band landed their first recording contract with a major label, Elektra Records, and they immediately got to work on their first mass-marketed release.
Climbing the Ladder
With the new label came new management and it was in 1983 that the band really began to take the music scene by storm. They played the US Festival that year and began to establish themselves as a household name due to their outlandish outfits, notorious partying and raging live shows. Motley Crue tickets had become the next “hot” thing, and the band strategically began to release albums behind these legendary live shows.
Over time, the band released seven high-end studio albums, beginning with Shout at the Devil in 1983. Every one of their releases climbed towards the top of the album charts, and millions of Motley Crue albums have been sold worldwide. That doesn’t mean that Motley Crue didn’t deal with their share of struggles.
Hurdles
The band was highly successful, but they collectively dealt with one major problem that nearly tore the band and their individual lives apart - addiction and substance abuse. All the notorious partying began to take its toll, and several incidents caused problems.
In 1984, singer Vince Neil was charged with DUI and vehicular manslaughter when he was in a head-on collision on his way to the liquor store. The accident killed his passenger, and Neil was sentenced to 30 days in prison.
In 1987, bassist Nikki Sixx overdosed on heroin and nearly died. In fact, he was declared legally dead in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, but a persistent medic refused to give up, and managed to save his life with shots of adrenaline and vigorous CPR.
Eventually, management staged an intense intervention and refused to let the band continue to work until they had completed a hardcore course of rehabilitation. The members listened, and by the end of the 1980’s they had for the most part recovered from their addictions.
That doesn’t mean that this partying-style exuberance isn’t still present in their shows. If you want to see a band that’s as in-your-face as any in history, you need to secure Motley Crue tickets today.
