Mötley Crüe

I like live music, which usually means cover bands in bars and restaurants here (Filipinos are notoriously good musicians, and I have found several bands that produce great cover versions of classic songs). I had not gone to an “actual” concert, however, during my time in Singapore. But, when I saw that Mötley Crüe was to make their first appearance in Southeast Asia, I had to go! The Crüe is one of my favorite rock bands (from my formative days listening to glam metal), and I couldn’t wait.


And they didn’t disappoint. After a creditable local opening band, Vince, Mick, Nikki, and Tommy came out with a vengeance. The venue was the amphitheatre at Fort Canning Park, just down River Valley Road from me (interestingly, the last time I was there was for my company’s annual Kick Off dinner in January 2008; the gala dinner was held right where the stage was!). The crowd was pretty big (for an ‘80s metal band, even the iconic Crüe), and very boisterous! A good part of the crowd appeared to be rockers from Malaysia, who had made the trip down for the show. There were even a good many from my generation and older. The band’s appeal is timeless, I suppose.

Vince has lost a bit of his voice, although the band was never about his singing. Mick Mars is still the average guitarist I have always thought him. But, the band’s stage presence has not waned, anchored by Nikki Sixx on bass and the best rock drummer in the world, Tommy Lee. Tommy has not missed a beat (pun intended), and his solos are still great (not the full-blown 360-degree flip in his drum cage, a la 1990, but still awesome for the smaller stage). It was a great time.

My photos aren’t that great, as I only had my phone camera, so I have posted a couple from the internet, courtesy of PokeChild.com.



For you Crüe fans, here is the playlist. Most of the good stuff – I had no complaints.

Kick Start My Heart
Shout at the Devil
Saints of Los Angeles
Guitar solo – Voodoo Chile
Live Wire
Sick Love Song
Louder Than Hell
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Same Ol’ Situation
Primal Scream
Red Hot
Looks That Kill
Girls Girls Girls
Dr. Feelgood
Home Sweet Home (encore)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone. I am back in Singapore after a much-anticipated trip home that saw me go through 11 airports in 16 days. It was great seeing colleagues, friends, and family from California to Houston, Dallas, and Amarillo. I even got a dose of Panhandle snow during my stay.

My trip back to Singapore was testament to how far away Asia is. Wheels up in Amarillo to wheels down in Singapore was 28 hours (December 26 to 28), and that is by going the most direct route and arriving an hour early here. But, there was no time for rest. I was able to get home, re-pack, and get in a day at work before heading back to the airport for my new year's trip to Oz.