2007-06-22

Whatever grasp they had on reality? Long gone, baby...

Legendary heavy metal band Motley Crue filed a 20 million dollar lawsuit against of their managers in Los Angeles on Monday, accusing him of "greed" and poor career guidance.

In the lawsuit lodged at Los Angeles County Superior Court the band -- Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee -- accused manager Carl Stubner of "extortionist tactics".

The suit also alleged Stubner persuaded Lee, the ex-husband of "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson, to sign on for a series of reality television projects that tarnished his and the band's image.

The suit said the two reality television shows starring Lee -- "Tommy Lee Goes to College" and "Rock Star: Supernova" portrayed the drummer in an unflattering light.

Lee's television commitments left him unable to tour with Motley Crue because of scheduling conflicts, causing the cancellation of several concerts and around eight million dollars in ticket and merchandise revenues.

The conflicts were "real and concocted" by Stubner in order to "leverage his control over Lee to his financial advantage and to Motley Crue and Lee's detriment" the suit claimed.

Motley Crue are one of the most successful US rock bands of all time, selling more than 40 million albums worldwide and 25 million records alone.

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Okay, first of all -- "legendary"??  Now, I admit to very much enjoying the first couple of Crue rekkids.  And that "biography" they put out a couple of years ago is one of the best goddamn bathroom books in the history of ever -- seriously.  Next time you have a party, stick a copy of that within arm's reach of the can.  Do this only if you want a line snaking into the living room from the bathroom door.  It is THAT GOOD.

But let's not get carried away here with the hyperbole.  Motley Crue are not "legends."  In the grand scheme of things I'd say they fall somewhere above Tesla and below a-ha (because let's face it -- the video for "Take On Me" is still pretty fucking awesome after all these years.  "Home Sweet Home," while arguably the catalyst for what became known as the "power ballad," just doesn't hold up as well).

So they're not legends, but nobody can deny that for a brief shining moment, there was no fucking escaping them.  In that regard, one might could muster a bit of sympathy for them, and others of their ilk.  There are very few things sadder than watching these demoted neon gods of thunder continue to mercilessly flog the hobby horse of their relevancy in the lunatic twilight.

"Um...so our tour didn't go off the way we thought it would.  We're not filling stadiums anymore.  It can't possibly be that our lead singer looks like Jon Lovitz in drag and can barely sing anymore.  It's...uh....BAD MANAGEMENT!  Yeah!"

They should've packed it in after "Theatre of Pain."  Rest on your laurels, gents.  I still love "Shout At The Devil" and all its teenaged suburban satanism. 

What they should've done was get Samantha Maloney on drums again.  That lineup was actually pretty fucking sweet.

lisamcc at 12:04 p.m.



1 comments so far
Lexi
2007-06-22 18:13:52
"...demoted neon gods of thunder continue to mercilessly flog the hobby horse of their relevancy in the lunatic twilight." Fucking awesome. Lunatic twilight. I am so stealing that, Red.
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