fnLEE wrote:

04:30 PM, Aug 24, 2009 |

Date of Concert: 8/23/2009 | Location: Raleigh, NC, USA

“Crue Fest 2”
Motley Crue
Godsmack
Theory of a Deadman
Drowning Pool
Charm City Devils
Walnut Creek
Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009

The only Festival to hit The Creek in 2009 is this “Crue Fest 2” and it not only kept the ball rolling but there was no posing about it, it was full-on all day, cranking up with Raleigh’s own EFFIGY opening on the upper parking lot stage.

The people parked in that lot had a choice tailgating location, hang at their
car with all their personal party equipment and the bands on stage were right
there in front of them. It was like a Drive-In Rock Show, what a concept.

The upper stage cycled through a couple of bands then the CHARM CITY DEVILS
were on the main stage before 5:00pm. You have to love when the Rock Star
Lead Singer John Allen is putting shout-outs to 96rock as he is taking straight
shots from his 5th of Captain Morgan and the visits with The Captain were a
recurring theme throughout this section of the evening.

Since they just played DownTownLive CCD know all about Raleigh even announcing the Deep South after party and went into their great schtick describing how much they need us all to buy their CD because, then going into their lyrics: “It’s All About The Money”.

After each main stage band another act would crank-up on the parking lot stage
but at some point bouncing back and forth in between was taking too much time
especially when you add in all the distractions that lay between them so I planted myself down front to be ready for the next big act.

DROWNING POOL, the little ole metal band from Texas is up with their 3rd new
lead singer: Ryan McCombs and he works the stage like he has done it before and
he has with other bands like SOIL and from what you read band break-ups can be
as nasty as divorces. Maybe worse.

Ryan uses a long chrome mic stand with an old style ’30 mic and the man throws
it through the air like he is the Drum Major leading the parade down Bourbon Street.

The lead guitar player C. J. Pierce thrashed his Flying-V and what a wild look he wore with a full black beard, Chinese braid coming out of the back of his head and everything else was shaved.

Some of their captivating songs had a haunting, rhythmic sound that built from
beginning to end and all went wild when they played: “TEAR AWAY” with the lyrics:
I don't care about anyone else but me I don't care about anyone or anything

And why not hit us with the Big Guns for the finale: “LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR” and after it was over people were stunned looking around saying, “All this and it’s not even dark yet.”

We saw the light and it was good, for it lead us to the upper parking lot for the band: CAVO and they had more people rushing there when they played their #1 Billboard Hit: “CHAMPAGNE”
Well Coulda been the champagne
The champagne
Coulda been the cocaine
The cocaine
Coulda been the way you looked at me
That told me we were through

The cycle continues with THEORY OF A DEADMAN and their badass song: BAD GIRLFRIEND but I did not know just how bad she was until I looked at the lyrics and if this was not such a Wicked Distribution I don’t know that I could print it:

My Girlfriend's a d**k magnet, My Girlfriend's gotta have it
She's hot, can't stop, up on stage, doing shots, Tip the man he'll
Ring the bell, get her drunk she'll scream like h@ll.
Dirty girl, gettin' down, dance with guys from outta town.
Grab her axx, actin' tough. Mess with her, she'll f**k you up.
No one really knows if she's drunk or if she's stoned, but she's
…She's a bad, bad girlfriend!

Man does she have a Identical Twin Sister? A cousin that looks a lot like her? Is her Mother young? I’m reaching here help me.

Lead singer: TYLER CONNOLLY looks completely different from most metal mania
singers, his hair in a greased down ‘50’s pompadour style which never moved but you thought it might come alive at any minute.

They kept sampling opening riffs of other artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin
and Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water” but they never ran through one, which was disappointing.

Now the Sun was setting and you could feel the energy level of the crowd moving up
a notch with GODSMACK up next. The talk was everywhere, so many had been waiting for this their first time or a renewal of the metal celebration with GS now back
out on the road after a stretch of off time.

Lead Singer: SULLY ERNA did not get fat and happy during their hiatus, this man was in shape to rock the venue and they brought all the explosives and the root cause of the talked about global warming is here tonight because the Pyro Man rarely removed his finger from the flame throwers.

There was a big “GODSMACK” banner hanging behind all the equipment and the raging inferno kept it blowing around to the point that you thought it might fire-up itself and people would have loved that added entertainment.

Sully is a Leader, “We are going to do ‘Whiskey Hangover’ and if your radio station
is not playing that one call them.”

And then he went on to bait us, “The Tour stops next in West Palm Beach and if you
want me to go there and talk about how much hell Raleigh North Carolina can raise
you have to do it now!” And if anybody is sitting down, get your ass up or get your
ass out!” and proceeded to kick our talked about ass with “SNAKEBITE”.

GodSmack had a drum kit on a circular drum riser that could be moved around by remote control going anywhere on the stage. Then they rolled out another drum kit so there were two independently moving drums running around, spinning in circles like bump cars and the crowd went wild, wilder, wildest.

The later the evening goes the harder my notes about it are to read plus add in the
fact that this Festival had a camera phobia so I have little to no pictures to spike
the memories. What is it, there is always a reason; maybe Tommy Lee did not want
pictures out there of someone else playing his drums. It looks like Rock Bands would be more worried when people do not want to take their picture.

Regardless we are here to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Motley Crue’s “Dr. FEELGOOD” album which if as advertised was played in its entirety but after several rotations in the beer line I will just have to take their word.

The original Dr. Feelgood Tour played The Dean Dome 20 years ago and it was the one where drummer and sex tape legend Tommy Lee ‘s drum kit was in a chrome metal frame which was lifted up to the ceiling of the coliseum, ran out over the crowd on a rail and spun in 360 degree flipping Zipper Ride gyrations as he ripped through his routine.

None of that tonight, since Tommy somehow trashed his left hand they rang up the bullpen and brought in reliever Morgan Rose from SevenDust who if you would ask Pamela Anderson, he is no Tommy Lee but he threw them across for strikes and put us in the win column.

Vince Neil, I’ve seen him when he was lame and either could not hit the note or remember the word so held out the mic for the crowd to carry him but tonight was not that night. He ran around the stage in fine form jumping up on anything that got in his way and reaching down to mix it up with the crowd.

Since I was on the right side Mick Mars was in front of me and he is serious about his business. Wearing the black hat, black shirt, black leather pants with platform boots he had his way with any and all of the guitars that the techs kept bringing him. After literally dying and having life kick started back to his heart these moments must be extra special like others could never imagine.

The Crue brought all the trucks with all the effects. Flame was everywhere, not only
did it burn when the pyro button was pushed but it seemed to have to keep burning until it burnt off. Under and around the stage there were massive jets of cold smoke that shot through the air like it was coming out of the back of a jet engine.

There were all the bells and whistles but The Crue knows how to use the old school Rock effects: aka: Very Hot Women in Very Wicked Outfits. This formula never gets old and always works. The guys like it, the girls like it and you can damn sure bet the Band likes it.

It’s not over until it’s over, but it’s over…

…LEE
http://96rockonline.com/sectional.asp?id=32723
http://www.myspace.com/funkyneighborlee