Live Review: Mötley Crüe, Alice Cooper, Smokin' Mirrors

When you get the offer to play second support for Mötley Crüe and support for Alice Cooper, you no doubt lose your shit.

Local band Smokin’ Mirrors certainly did, but with just enough rock reverence. Alice Cooper took the stage just after eight and did near an hour of his greatest hits and stage antics – complete with a live python, simulated execution (well, two), a giant Frankenstein, fake money, giant balloons and cracker sing-alongs. Department Of Youth, Schools Out, Welcome To My Nightmare… he’s still got it – and is damn good at it.

About half an hour later (and after some epic set changes by a small army of crew), Mötley Crüe emerged. Pre-empting things with the house speakers playing So Long, Farewell from The Sound Of Music, the band spent the next two hours saying a heavy rocking goodbye. There were signs of age occasionally in the sights and sound (a few more ‘now let the crowd sing’ moments than in the past, perhaps), but given we’ve all gotten on a bit since the band began, no one seemed to mind. Highlights included Smokin’ In The Boys Room, Doctor Feelgood and Girls Girls Girls, while the rock clichés of long haired and long legged dancing girls were in full force (including a fan on the big screen who flashed the camera, just because she could). A giant rollercoaster track saw drummer Tommy Lee literally rise above the crowd and travel, drums still going, upside down and round about. It was impressive, if not a little longwinded, but props to him for trying to keep the energy fresh (“C’mon you fuckers, wake the fuck up,” he screamed). Ending onstage with Kickstart My Heart, they returned for their inevitable swan song, Home Sweet Home. Complete with video montage of days gone by, it was then Frank Sinatra’s My Way that finally played them out as the lights came up.