Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil continues to trot his solo band out on the road for shows in less-than-optimal vocal shape, to put it kindly. Fan-filmed footage from a recent show in California that surfaced earlier this week continues to show that the singer has not made good on his pledge to improve his performances, struggling to stay on key and quickly running out of breath.
You may recall that Neil’s performance back in May, his first since the pandemic began, was so disastrous it went viral. Telling the crowd, “Hey, guys… I’m sorry, you guys. It’s been a long time playin’. My fuckin’ voice is gone… Uh… We love you, and we’ll hopefully see you next time, man. Take care,” Neil walked off stage during Crue’s “Dr. Feelgood” and let his band finish the song before the set ended. Neil then canceled his next performance, nearly a month later, without giving a reason.
While Neil has been slightly better at a handful of shows since — he actually finished them — he was still up to the same shenanigans (and invisible backup singers) he’s been employing for the past couple of decades, including pointing the mic towards the audience to sing key lines, skipping words, and sounding generally out of breath and off key.
Neil’s most recent performance, at the 2021 Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach on September 25, unfortunately showed no improvement. You can watch some clips of the show below including classics “Dr. Feelgood” and “Looks That Kill” that display Neil struggling to hit notes and keep up.
Neil made headlines in September when he revealed that he was attempting to get in physical shape by using a “a revolutionary non-invasive fat burning and muscle building device that helps trim, strengthen, define, lift and tone your body with incredible ease.” Its creators claim that half-hour treatments “can help you achieve your dream body without sacrificing your lifestyle — because who has time to spend hours at the gym?”.
The singer’s physical and vocal shape had been a frequent topic leading up to Mötley Crüe’s planned 2020 stadium tour with Def Leppard, with the band and Neil both promising that he was practicing and getting in shape. That tour was rescheduled to 2021, of course, and now 2022, giving Neil more time to get up to speed vocally, which he clearly hasn’t utilized yet.
Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen recently pointed out that Neil has a year to go before the two bands’ co-headline tour, saying about the Crüe singer, “Hopefully everything is cool by then. I hope so. Fingers crossed.”
Neil was recently announced as a headliner at the inaugural DrinksGiving celebration and free concert in Las Vegas this coming November, an event that also features “soon-to-be announced drink specials, pub crawls, drinking games and more.” Neil has famously struggled with alcohol addiction in the past. In 2016, he was charged with misdemeanor battery for drunkenly assaulting a fan. Just last year, a Cameo video he was hired to make for a fan’s birthday went viral because Neil is very clearly intoxicated in the clip.
Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts tour dates for 2022:
6/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Suntrust Park [tickets]
6/18 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium [tickets]
6/19 – Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium [tickets]
6/22 – Washington, DC @ Nationals Park [tickets]
6/24 – Queens, NY @ Citi Field [tickets]
6/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park [tickets]
6/28 – Charlotte, NC @ Bank Of America Stadium [tickets]
6/30 – Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium [tickets]
7/2 – Jacksonville, FL @ TIAA Bank Field [tickets]
7/5 – St. Louis, MO @ Busch Stadium [tickets]
7/8 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field [tickets]
7/10 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park [tickets]
7/12 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium [tickets]
7/14 – Cleveland, OH @ First Energy Stadium [tickets]
7/15 – Cincinnati, OH @ Great American Ballpark [tickets]
7/17 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Field [tickets]
7/19 – Kansas City, MO @ Kauffman Stadium [tickets]
7/21 – Denver, CO @ Coors Field [tickets]
8/5 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park [tickets]
8/6 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park [tickets]
8/10 – Buffalo, NY @ New Era Field [tickets]
8/12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park [tickets]
8/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium [tickets]
8/19 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park [tickets]
8/21 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome [tickets]
8/22 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Park [tickets]
8/27 – Inglewood, CA @ Sofi Stadium [tickets]
8/28 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park [tickets]
8/31 – Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park [tickets]
9/7 – San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park [tickets]