The name Vince Neil should conjure up either the image of an ‘80s glam metal party boy or the modern adult who, between public turmoils, devotes time to charity. I had the chance to see a unique hybrid of the two one snowy night in Connecticut and it was the Dr. Feelgood hit of the season. I haven’t been to too many shows of the ‘80s metal variety so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as someone who is all for new experiences and free tequila, I was down.
That’s right, Vince Neil is currently promoting his book/album Tattoos & Tequila with a tour of the same name. While there were no free tattoos to be found, the lobby of the beautiful Ridgefield Playhouse theater contained a pre-show tequila and Guinness Black Lager tasting. While sampling the goods, I had a chance to survey the audience. While there were the expected black leather jackets and tan leather boobs, I was surprised at the audience’s diversity. From the longtime fans who’ve followed Neil for 30+ years to the high schoolers living out a past they were born too late for to even kindergarteners seemingly at their first concert, the Playhouse offered a safe environment for everyone to enjoy themselves.
Station, a dynamic young band who marry ‘80s rock theatrics with excellent musicianship, opened the show. While lead singer Patrick Kearney introduced the group as “from New York City” to complete silence, once he acknowledged that Connecticut was his home, the place erupted in applause that they kept up for the duration of their set. While they won the crowd with entirely original material, acoustic cover band Whisky Preacher followed with a Guitar Hero-unplugged set whose familiarity got the audience singing along, ready for the main event.
The room went pitch black. All that could be heard was the speakers blasting Samuel L. Jackson quotes from Pulp Fiction intercut with AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock” as Neil and company took the stage. Once the lights returned and Neil began blistering through the Crüe’s 1981 hit “Live Wire,” the first several rows ran to the front of the stage. When much of the crowd pulled out their iPhones and fiddled with them for a good two minutes before figuring out how to take a picture, it hit me how old many of them were. Further confirming this was during “Dr. Feelgood” when several of the adults around me asked how to take a picture on their phone and if I could assist them in doing so. I happily obliged.
Neil told the crowd “We have a lot of songs you haven’t heard in a long time. Do you want some old shit?” generating immediate approval. With the exception of a Cheap Trick cover, a single new song and a medley where Neil left the stage to let his band play, his set consisted entirely of his Mötley Crüe work. It shouldn’t be as surprising, but Neil knows what his crowd wants and is more than happy to deliver. This includes his wardrobe, a Shout At the Devil T-shirt and oversized sleeveless jean jacket, giving us an image of Neil we’re more than happy to remember.
With his voice and charisma as on-point as in eras past, anyone with the slightest interest in attending a Vince Neil show will likely not be disappointed. As a music fan in 2012, it’s also refreshing to see live music in front of an entirely unpretentious crowd who cling to songs they love and sing them proudly for over three decades.
