If the Motley Crue and Def Leppard show as a BBQ, Motley Crue would be the cheese platter and Def Leppard would be the meat.
The Def Leppard and Motley Crue albums were only a year apart. Def Leppard’s ‘On Through The Night’ was released in 1980, Motley Crue’s ‘Too Fast For Love’ in 1981. These were two rock bands from different worlds. Motley Crue is pure Hollywood. They were the entertainers of the evening. Def Leppard are the best of 80s British rock. They were the musicians.
The differences were obvious. Motley performed for the cameras. It was all about the near naked dancing girls (backing singers), props, loud outfits and stunts (Tommy Lee’s “show us your tits” bit felt like it was right out of ‘Animal House’. Def Leppard was all about the music. This was pure guitar, bass and drums without tits, without props and without stunts.
Both acts delivered a soundtrack to the 80s. Def Leppard ‘Pyromania’ (1983) and ‘Hysteria’ (1984) sold 22 million copies between them in America. Motley Crue’s biggest was ‘Dr Feelgood’ with 6 million sales. These are both huge numbers but even still for Australia this should not have been a stadium show. Marvel Stadium in Melbourne holds around 53,000 people. A half full Marvel is as big as two sold out Rod Laver Arenas. They could have had two Arena shows instead of one Stadium show, sold the same amount of tickets and it would have looked so much more impressive.
Both setlists gave the fans what they came for. A 90 minute each set of some of the best of American rock and best of UK rock of the 80s and 90s.
There is no denying Motley Crue were one of American’s great rock acts of the 80s and their set just wreaks of the smell of tar on Sunset Boulevarde. Being seen was an important as being heard in America, especially in Hollywood so all the Glam and Glam Rock was on display for the night.
Tommy Lee came out front for the “stand-up” enticing the females in the audience to “show their titties”. What’s even weirder in these ‘politically correct’ times is that many did and had no trouble being seen on the big screens doing so. Tommy threated to take his dick out, but then said “but you’ve all already seen it” (referring to his famous sex tape of the days gone by).
Vince Neil dropped the possibility of another tour of Australia a number of times, so despite being the last show on an 18-month world tour, I doubt Motley Crue is over.
Def Leppard was way more restrained. They were a true rock band performing the Art of Rock and Roll with anthemic hits dating back 40+ years. ‘Let’s Get Rocked’, ‘Armageddon It’, ‘Love Bites’, ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and ‘Rocket’ fuel rock radio to this day.
Both bands audiences have aged. This was definitely a 50+ crowd who came from an era when music was their lives … and still is.
The Motley Crue 15 November, 2023 Melbourne, Australia, setlist
Wild Side (from Girls, Girls, Girls, 1987)
Shout at the Devil (from Shout at the Devil, 1983)
Too Fast for Love (from Too Fast For Love, 1981)
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) (from Dr Feelgood, 1989)
Live Wire (from Too Fast For Love, 1981)
Looks That Kill (from Shout at the Devil, 1983)
The Dirt (Est. 1981) (with Machine Gun Kelly) (from The Dirt soundtrack, 2019)
John 5 guitar solo
Rock and Roll, Part 2 (Gary Glitter cover) / Smokin’ in the Boys Room (from Theatre of Pain, 1985) / White Punks on Dope (Tubes cover) / Helter Skelter (from Shout at the Devil, 1983) / Anarchy in the U.K. (from Red White and Crue, 2005)
Home Sweet Home (from Theatre of Pain, 1985)
Dr. Feelgood (from Dr Feelgood, 1989)
Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.) (from Dr Feelgood, 1989)
Girls, Girls, Girls (from Girls, Girls, Girls, 1987)
Primal Scream (from Decade of Decadence 1991)
Kickstart My Heart (from Dr Feelgood, 1989)
Def Leppard, 15 November, 2023 Melbourne, Australia, setlist
Take What You Want (from Diamond Star Halos, 2022)
Let’s Get Rocked (from Adrenalize, 1992)
Animal (from Hysteria, 1987)
Foolin’ (from Pyromania, 1983)
Armageddon It (from Hysteria, 1987)
Kick (from Diamond Star Halos, 2022)
Love Bites (from Hysteria, 1987)
Promises (from Euphoria, 1999)
This Guitar (from Diamond Star Halos, 2022)
When Love and Hate Collide (from Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits, 1995)
Rocket (from Hysteria, 1987)
Bringin’ On the Heartbreak (from High N Dry, 1981)
Switch 625 (from High N Dry, 1981)
Hysteria (from Hysteria, 1987)
Pour Some Sugar on Me (from Hysteria, 1987)
Rock of Ages (from Pyromania, 1983)
Photograph (from Pyromania, 1983)
Def Leppard And Mötley Crüe The World Tour – Australia 2023
Wednesday, November 8 Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (CONCLUDED)
Saturday, November 11 Giants Stadium, Sydney (CONCLUDED)
Tuesday, November 14 Marvel Stadium, Melbourne (CONCLUDED)
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