Mötley Crüe in Brazil for the first time: why it took so long?

There is nothing more appropriate to define Mötley Crüe than the following verses of their song Kickstart my heart:

When we started this band
All we needed, needed was a laugh
Years gone by...I'd say we've kicked some ass
When I'm enraged
Or hittin' the stage
Adrenaline rushing
Through my veins
And I'd say we're still kickin' ass

Yeah! They are still kickin’ ass! In a cold Tuesday night in São Paulo city, they played for the first time in Brazil, after a long, long wait for the Brazilian fans. In view of a Credicard hall almost sold out, considering it was a Tuesday night, and also considering the fact that this gig has not been announced by the conventional media, only by the traditional Rock sites/radios, it is difficult to understand why they didn’t visit Brazil before.

This is was a question made by the members of the band during the show. The drummer Tommy Lee even left his drum kit, went to the front of the stage and asked: “let me take a look at your faces”… And yes, those were all happy faces.

They opened the concert in full force, with “Wild side”, with the crowd singing along each and every word. This is something Brazilians like to do: sometimes we even “sing” the guitar solos. Just after, they played “Saints of Los Angeles” and came back to the 80s, playing “Livewire”.

It was just the beginning of the show and they were already giving the fans everything they were hoping for. This is something that must be said about Mötley Crüe: they sing their old songs with the same energy and honesty of old times. They just don’t care if they have “teen lyrics”. And they are absolutely right, because we just don’t care either.

We care about Vince’s voice, which was perfect that night, Mick’s riffs and solos, and the chemistry between Nikki’s bass and Tommy’s drum. Talking about Mick, I have to say: he has my admiration as a musician and a professional that struggles against his medical condition to still present us with memorable performances.

I only wish they had played  some more songs, like Shout at the devil, or even Save our souls, from Theatre of pain, one of my favorite records, but it doesn’t matter, because it was another perfect Rock’n’roll night and what warms my heart is to meet a lot of young people in the crowd. It always convinces me that this kind of music is immortal, no matter what!

Setlist (Credicard Hall, São Paulo, May, 17^th 2011)

01. "Wild Side"
02. "Saints of Los Angeles"
03. "Live Wire"
04. "Shout at the Devil"
05. "Same ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
06. "Primal Scream"
07. "Home Sweet Home"
08. "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)"
09. "Dr. Feelgood"
10. "Too Young to Fall in Love"
11. "Ten Seconds to Love"
12. "Smokin' in the Boys Room"
13. "Girls, Girls, Girls"
14. "Kickstart My Heart"

Encore:

15. "Looks That Kill"