Despite tragedy, the Crue continue
by Ben Liemer

Rock historians of the future will write about last December as a month that will live in infamy. Unthinkable tragedies stunned three of rock's most promising bands, Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Hanoi Rocks - tragedies causing such repercussions that they called into question the very future of these three youthful bands. And neither Rick Allen nor Vince Neil's car crashes could have come at a worse time, for Leppard and Crue were both gearing up for the sequels to their multi-platinum breakthrough albums. For both musicians, it might mean the end to their careers. In some ways, Neil was more fortunate than Rick Allen. The physical injuries he sustained in his December 8,1984 Redondo Beach, California, accident were relatively minor. There is no question about Vince's physical ability to continue as the lead singer for the Crue. However, the injuries suffered by Vince's passenger, Razzle of Hanoi Rocks, were substantial - the drummer now lies buried under England's soil, his powerhouse drums silenced forever. And Daniel Smithers and Lisa Hogan, the two young people injured when Vince's car slammed into theirs, were slowly recovering from broken bones and brain damage as Circus Magazine went to press.

Two possible consequences are that Neil may be forced to stand trial for criminal charges arising from the accident and, if tried and convicted, Vince may be facing up to eight years in prison. Things appear to be bleak in the Crue camp. At press time, the outcome of Vince's scheduled February 20 pretrial hearing, at which a judge was to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial, was as yet unknown. In the meantime, the Crue have ploughed full steam ahead on recording album number three. The shaggy-haired rockers entered the recording studio on February 17 to begin laying down tracks under the supervision of producer Tom Werman, the man responsible for capturing their sonic fury on Shout at the Devil (Elektra). One veteran of the California metal scene spoke with a Crue member recently. "I said, 'Why are you going into the studio so soon? Are you ready?' He said, 'We have to get an album out now, because who knows what's going to happen?'" And a member of Ratt, a band very friendly with the Motleys, reported that "the Crue are doing what they can do, and that is to keep working and to try to be positive. They're trying to make the best of what they've got."

Many rumors circulated in the wake of Neil's accident. One claimed that Vince's voice was shot from the combined effects of the long Shout at the Devil tour and his hard-living lifestyle. Others stated that Hanoi Rocks' blond lead singer, Mike Monroe, would replace Vince because of Neil's supposed throat problems and personality conflicts with other band members. But the rumors of a Crue/Rocks supergroup proved to be just that. Motley Crue's manager, Doug Thaler, reported that while the members of the two bands were commiserating the death of Razzle, Nikki, Mike Monroe and one of the Rock's guitarists started casually jamming with acoustic guitars and harmonica. When their enthusiasm grew, the musicians grabbed electric guitars and bass. Almost before they realized it, they had collaborated on four or five songs. According to Thaler, the tunes could possibly end up on albums by both or either group, but the Motleys' lineup will remain unchanged. As for Neil's reportedly damaged vocal chords, a close friend of the band stated, "No, that's not true. Nikki never told me anything about that, and believe me, I would have heard about it." Despite the tragedy, optimistic reports about the LP have filtered out of the Motleys' camp. One insider who has worked closely with the group noted, "I know they really spent a lot of time on this record. Nikki's really happy with it. I know it's his most serious musical effort," - the insider commented about the band's maturation away from its garage-band roots.

In a Circus Magazine article dated June 1984, correspondent Jeff Tamarkin noted: "In the case of the Motley mob, their penchant for coming as close to the edge as possible in everything they do might do them in before they have the chance to get old and boring. But they're not worrying about the future. And. all that Vince Neil will say about their potential longevity is simply, 'We'll go on as long as we can without any of us kicking the bucket.' " Unfortunately, Tamarkin called the cards correctly. A trial could be postponed for several months inside the bogged-down judicial system, so there is little doubt that we will see a new Crue album, possibly even before the summer. But trouble has been brewing in the band for some time now. "I don't think people will soon forget us, because we are true to our art. We live it and breathe it," Sixx told a California reporter in December, 1983. "We are Motley Crue twenty-four hours a day." Naturally, Sixx's attitude has been perceived by legions of fans, who assume that the Crue "are for real". Few would question that their attitude has been an essential ingredient in their success. Is there a difference though, between the quotes that make great publicity and the way the band members act offstage, in their private lives? Our insider recently noted some personal differences among the Crue members: "Vince is real young, he's retained more of a kid's sensibility. He acts much younger than Nikki. Nikki definitely has that real wild, 'Let's-get-fucked-up-dude' side to him. But Nikki's definitely smart. Sometimes I think that he puts on that wild side - not that he doesn't have it in him. But he can be very serious, like when it comes to business matters. Also, Nikki knows when he's speaking to the press that he has a certain image [to maintain].

"Vince is a victim of his own cliche, his own stereotype of the rock & roll lifestyle, isn't he?" the insider speculated. "I think Nikki can see when to pull it in." A similar observation was made by People Weekly/ Village Voice journalist Deborah Frost, who spent several days interviewing and hanging out with the Crue. "There seemed to be a very sweet side to Vince," Frost said. "After we got to know each other, he'd come over and greet me, give me a nice little kiss on the cheek and be like a really sweet boy. But my primary impression of him was of someone who had gotten very lucky. He really didn't know what to make of it [success]. I think it was very clear that he was not the brains of the group."

One music veteran observed that Neil was repeatedly cautioned about his behavior by record company executives: "For two years they've been saying, 'Vince, Vince, get a grip, be a man, grow up, stop all this shit. Stop reading your own press and trying to be offstage what you are onstage." Vince's auto accident was not the first time he or the other members of Motley Crue have encountered problems with the law. There have been previous arrests, including Sixx and Neil's for various incidents at a favorite LA watering hole. "The L.A.P.D. all know the band," Frost reported. "And he [Vince] was proud of that too. 'They beat me up,' he said. 'But even when they were beating me up, one of them was coming down with the night stick and asking me for tickets to the show.' " Car accidents have also plagued the band. Neil's crash may have drawn national media attention beyond the usual rock press-for example, it was prominently featured in the New York Daily News, some 3,000 miles from the accident scene - but both Sixx and Lee have been involved in one recorded wreck apiece. Sixx reportedly broke his shoulder when he crashed his Porsche at 70 m.p.h. into a wall, but still emerged from the wreckage laughing. And in Tommy Lee's crash of a 280-Z, reported in last month's issue, the hand of Armored Saint's bass player, Joey Vera, was severely mangled. After surgery, it was two months before Vera could pluck a string again.

No one, not even the rich and famous, is above the law or immune to lawsuits. One doctor gave some perspective on the potential lawsuits Neil could be facing, regardless of whether his case actually goes to trial. Speaking of Hogan, 18, and Smithers, 20, the doctor said, "They're young people with their whole lives to live. If they've suffered permanent damage with an expected fifty years of life remaining and if their future earning capacity is affected, a lawsuit like that often runs into millions of dollars. Even if it's only temporary damage, a suit could be for hundreds of thousands of dollars." After the February 20 hearing, more will be learned of the condition of the injured. "Lisa Hogan and Daniel Smithers will have to be contacted for that," said Sgt. Paul Rossiter, one of the Redondo Beach police officers who was at the scene of the accident. The band, the record company and fans alike can only wait to see what the future brings. For now, it's worth returning to the words of Nikki Sixx from a December 14, 1983 BAM Magazine interview: "We could just fall apart tomorrow, or go straight to the top because we're such extremists as personalities. It's like riding a roller coaster twenty-four hours a day. Every time you turn around, somebody's in jail or 100,000 kids are buying our album."