Motley Crue Posters
After 34 years together, the men of Motley Crue are almost ready to call it quits. The influential hair metal band originally announced its plan for retirement in 2014, and now more than a year later, the end of the Motley Crue Final Tour is in sight. On New Year’s Eve, the concert venture will wrap up in Los Angeles, back where it all started more than three decades ago.
Since forming in 1981, Motley Crue has performed thousands of concerts around the world. The Los Angeles-based group, comprising Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, and Mick Mars, has gone on more than 30 tours in as many years, including a handful of co-headlining treks with acts like Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, and KISS.
The end of the ongoing Motley Crue farewell tour--and the band’s 30-year touring career--is just a couple months away. When they first announced the tour, the four band members signed a legally binding document so the New Year’s Eve concert will legitimately be Motley Crue’s last concert ever. Before the band plays its final show, we salute these hard rock icons with a photo gallery of some of their best concert posters over the years.
Dec. 31, 1981: Live at the Troubador in Los Angeles, Calif.
This Motley Crue concert poster comes from the group’s first year as a band. The Troubadour had been the site of the band’s notorious first concert just eight months earlier.
Nov. 8, 1984: Live at Walter-Köbel-Halle in Rüsselsheim, Germany
Motley Crue got a big break as supporting act for Iron Maiden’s World Slavery Tour in 1984. The next year, Motley Crue would earn its first top 40 hit in the U.S. with the single “Smokin’ in the Boys Room.”
Dec. 13, 1987: Live at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.
This hometown Motley Crue concert in 1987 was part of the band’s international tour in support of the album “Girls, Girls, Girls.” The opening act was another Los Angeles-based band that would soon make a huge impact on the world of rock: Guns N’ Roses.
Aug. 12-13, 1989: Live at Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Soviet Union
The Moscow Music Peace Festival wasa huge two-day rock festival put together by Motley Crue’s then-manager Doc McGhee. The all-star lineup also featured Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row, Scorpions, and more.
Oct. 5, 1989: Live at Whiskey a Go Go in West Hollywood, Calif.
This stateside concert was the first stop on the Motley Crue Dr. Feelgood World Tour. The band kicked things off in its hometown before fully embarking on the trek’s first leg in Europe.
Jan. 11, 1990: Live at Expo Square Pavilion in Tulsa, Okla.
The second leg of the Dr. Feelgood World Tour launched in Nov. 1989 and lasted all the way through mid-April. Over the course of five months, Motley Crue played 89 concerts to fans in the U.S.
May 14-16, 1990: Live At Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan
The third leg of the Motley Crue Dr. Feelgood Tour brought the band to Australia and Asia. Before heading back to North America for a fourth leg of the tour, the band wrapped things up with three back-to-back concerts in Tokyo.
Aug. 7, 1991: Live at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England
Motley Crue teamed up with rock greats AC/DC, Metallica, and Queensryche for the 1991 international Monsters of Rock Tour. In addition to playing this main show in the U.K., Motley Crue co-headlined concerts in four other European cities that summer.
Nov. 30, 1997: Live at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colo.
The 1997 Motley Crue vs. The Earth Tour followed the release of the album “Generation Swine.” It was the band’s first album and concert venture to feature the return of singer Vince Neil since he left in 1992.
Dec. 7, 2006: Live at Toyota Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
Tommy Lee returned to the ranks of Motley Crue in 2004 after a five-year absence. Two years later, the fierce quartet teamed up with glam metal predecessors Aerosmith for the co-headlining Route of All Evil Tour.
Aug. 27-28, 2009: Live at Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Fla. And Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa, Fla.
These two shows took place near the end of the Crue Fest 2 touring festival. A follow-up to the 2008 tour of the same name, this second edition featured support from contemporary metal bands like Godsmack and Drowning Pool.
Dec. 31, 2015: Live at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
This winter, the Motley Crue Final Tour will end with two nights of performances at the Staples Center. Check out the full schedule of concerts leading up to these final shows for your last chance to catch this iconic band live.
