American rockers THE RASKINS have recently announced that they will open for MÖTLEY CRÜE on their upcoming Final Tour, which is already sold out in many markets and also features very special guest Alice Cooper.
In anticipation of such a huge tour and career crossroads, THE RASKINS (which is comprised of Logan and Roger Raskin) have brought in respected producer Brett Hestla to re-mix 4 tracks from their self-titled debut album (released May 13th via MIRAL Records distributed by BDG/RED Distribution, LLC – a division of SONY Music Entertainment).
CONFIRMED DATES OF MOTLEY CRUE/ALICE COOPER/THE RASKINS TOUR:
07/02/14 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
07/04/14 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
07/05/14 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center
07/06/14 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
07/08/14 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
07/09/14 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
07/11/14 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
07/12/14 Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena
07/13/14 Tulsa, OK Bok Center
07/15/14 Cedar Park, TX Cedar Park Center
07/16/14 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion
07/18/14 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater
07/19/14 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion
07/21/14 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
07/22/14 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
07/23/14 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
07/25/14 Reno, NV Reno Events Center
07/26/14 Ridgefield, WA Sleep Country Amphitheater
07/27/14 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre
07/29/14 Wheatland, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre
07/30/14 Chula Vista, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre
08/01/14 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
08/02/14 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
08/03/14 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
08/05/14 Sturgis, SD Sturgis Buffalo Chip
08/06/14 Sioux City, IA Tyson Events Center
08/08/14 Tinley Park, IL First Midway Bank Amphitheatre
08/09/14 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
08/12/14 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
08/13/14 Burgettston, PA First Niagara Pavilion
08/15/14 Pelham, AL Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
08/16/14 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
08/17/14 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
08/19/14 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
08/20/14 Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live
08/22/14 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
08/23/14 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
08/24/14 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
08/26/14 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
08/27/14 Allentown, PA The Great Allentown Fair
08/29/14 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
08/30/14 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
08/31/14 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
10/10/14 Oklahoma City, OK Chesapeake Arena
10/11/14 The Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
10/12/14 Bossier City, LA CenturyLink Center
10/14/14 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
10/15/14 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
10/19/14 Jacksonville, FL Veterans Memorial Arena
10/21/14 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
10/22/14 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex
10/24/14 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Event Center
10/25/14 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Event Center
10/26/14 Montville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
10/28/14 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
10/29/14 Syracuse, NY The Oncenter Complex
11/05/14 Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum
11/06/14 Southaven, MS Landers Center
11/08/14 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
11/09/14 Moline, IL iWireless Center
11/11/14 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
11/12/14 Madison, WI Alliant Energy Center
11/13/14 Omaha, NE CenturyLink Center
11/15/14 St Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
11/16/14 Fargo, ND FargoDome
11/22/14 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena
MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee has announced his engagement to girlfriend, singer and dancer Sofia Toufa, who goes by the stage name SOFI (Some Other Female Interest).
Earlier today, Lee Tweeted the news: “There comes a time in a mans life when you just know your partner is for LIFE!! Say hello to my fiancé and soon to be wife @SOFIofficial .”
This will be Lee’s fourth marriage. He previously tied the knot with Elaine Margaret Starchuk, Heather Locklear, and Pamela Anderson.
While Lee is 51 years old, Sofia (pictured below) is only 30. A wedding date has not yet been confirmed.
Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars have insisted MOTLEY CRUE’s final tour is the band’s sole focus and there are no plans for a new album to go alongside the global tour.
Last month the band rolled out plans for a 72-show final tour in North America with overseas dates to follow in 2015. But the rock veterans will not be hitting the road with any new songs with Nikki Sixx casting doubt on the worth of any band in their position making an album in todays climate, citing the difficulty of getting radio play as the main barrier preventing bands reaching an audience.
Nikki Sixx tells Classic Rock in an interview printed in full next issue: “We’ve written some songs. But this is difficult to say and probably harder to hear: when you spend nine months working on an album, all the work that goes into it and recording it, mixing it, mastering it, then you release it and it falls on deaf ears. Radio is so fuckin’ formatted, if you don’t have a banjo and a beard they’re not playing you over here. If you’re this kind of band at this stage of your career you can’t be played on Active Rock; if you’ve been around for more than fifteen years you’re classic rock, but classic rock radio doesn’t play new music. You just think, “Fuck, man, this sucks.”
“I have the belief that I would rather have less music reach more people through different opportunities, whether it be through movies, through sponsorships or co-sponsorships through integrated marketing with other types of companies that want to use your song specifically to reach tens of millions of people. I’d rather work on two songs under that plan than do eleven songs that only reach 100,000 people.”
Mick Mars echoed Sixx’s sentiments to Artisan News in their video report below: “I don’t know … maybe I’m retarded or something, but I like to put a lot of effort into this last, farewell tour…”
The band marked the announcement of their final tour with each of the four members penning a formal ‘cessation of touring’ contract which goes into effect at the end of 2015 and prohibits the members of the group from going on the road again under the Motley Crue banner.
Just days after tickets for iconic rock ‘n’ roll band MÖTLEY CRÜE’s The Final Tour went on sale, eight shows have sold out. The band has also added a November 8th date at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich. due to overwhelming demand. Tickets for the Joe Louis Arena show will go on sale Saturday, February 15th at 10 AM, local time.
The sold out shows are:
August
9 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
10 – Toronto, ON – Molson Canadian Amp
October
7 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live
25 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Events Center
26 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
November
15 – St. Paul, MN – XCEL Energy Center
16 – Fargo, ND – FargoDome
18 – Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place
19 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Mötley Crüe announced The Final Tour and the band’s ultimate retirement, solidified when the band signed a formal Cessation Of Touring Agreement, effective at the end of 2015, in front of global media in Los Angeles on Janruary 28th. Celebrating the announcement of The Final Tour, the band performed on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live later that night and appeared on CBS This Morning on January 29th.
With over 80 million albums sold, Mötley Crüe has sold out countless tours across the globe and spawned more than 2,500 Mötley Crüe branded items, sold in over 30 countries. Mötley Crüe has proven they know how to make a lasting impression and this tour will be no different. Fans can expect to hear the catalogue of their chart-topping hits and look forward to mind-blowing, unparalleled live production.
“When it comes to putting together a new show, we always push the envelope and that’s part of Mötley Crüe’s legacy,” explains Nikki Sixx (bass). “As far as letting on to what we’re doing, that would be like finding out what you’re getting for Christmas before you open the presents. We think in an age of too much information, we’d like to keep some surprises close to our chest until we launch The Final Tour.”
The Final Tour, presented by Dodge and produced by Live Nation, will kick off in North America on July 2nd in Grand Rapids, MI and reach 73 markets before hitting international territories in 2015. To Live Nation,Mötley Crüe tours are not only box office successes but artistically have set the bar for production and entertainment value. “There’s no arguing that Mötley Crüe have been and always will be the definitive bad boys of rock ’n’ roll,” says Rick Franks, Live Nation’s regional president of North America concerts. “But behind all those notorious stories is a legendary rock band that has revolutionized heavy metal and created some of the biggest hits in music history. They are a hugely successful global brand and a touring powerhouse. Everyone at Live Nation has a tremendous amount of respect for these hard-working and extremely talented gentlemen. The music industry will never have another Mötley Crüe.”
The Dodge Brothers were a notorious duo, so it seemed only natural to partner with the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band. “Whenever I talk to people about Mötley Crüe, the common thread is how cool and relevant the band remains, even after 33 years,” said Tim Kuniskis, president and CEO, Dodge Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “This irreverent ‘staying power’ resonates deeply with the Dodge brand as we turn the corner on our 100-year anniversary. What better way to celebrate the band’s final tour and the 25th anniversary of Kickstart My Heart than to do it together?”
Fans can look forward to very special guest ALICE COOPER joining Mötley Crüe for an incredible package; Alice invented the rock ‘n’ roll genre and Mötley Crüe put steroids in it! “Real hard rock bands are hard to find these days,” said Alice. “Mötley has always gone on stage with one attitude and that’s to blow the audience away. That’s exactly how we do it. Putting Mötley Crüe and Alice Cooper together is going to be just what this summer really NEEDS. We’re going to go out there and tear it up, and I can’t wait to see Mötley on stage. Mötley Crüe and Alice Cooper—a match made in…Armageddon?”
As documented in the Cessation Of Touring Agreement the band signed at the January 28th press conference, the band will not tour after this final tour. Band attorney Doug Mark of Mark Music & Media Law explains: “Other bands have split up over rancor or the inability of people to get along, but this is mutual among all four original members and a peaceful decision to move on to other endeavors and to confirm it with a binding agreement.”
Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars will go their separate ways after the lengthy two-year touring cycle. Tommy Lee (drums) explains: “Everything must come to an end!! We always had a vision of going out with a big f***king bang and not playing county fairs and clubs with one or two original band members! Our job here is done!!!” Of the band’s tumultuous history, Mick Mars (guitar) adds: “(It has been) more drama than ‘General Hospital;’ it keeps ‘em watchin’ and they keep comin’ back.” Vocalist, Vince Neil says of the Finality of the tour: “I’ll miss playing with the guys, but I won’t quit playing rock ‘n’ roll!! I feel there are a lot of great opportunities and exciting projects after Mötley.”
Tour dates:
July
2 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
4 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
5 – Noblesville, IN – Klipsch Music Center
6 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
8 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
9 – Maryland Heights, MO – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
11 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
12 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena
13 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
15 – Cedar Park, TX – Cedar Park Center
16 – Dallas, TX – Gexa Energy Pavilion
18 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
19 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
21 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
22 – Irvine, CA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
23 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
25 – Reno, NV – Reno Events Center
26 – Ridgefield, WA – Sleep County Amphitheater
27 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
29 – Wheatland, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheatre
30 – Chula Vista, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheatre
August
1 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
2 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
3 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
5 – Sturgis, SD – Sturgis Buffalo Chip
6 – Sioux City, IA – Tyson Events Center
8 – Tinley Park, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
9 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
10 – Toronto, ON – Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
12 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
13 – Burgettstown, PA – First Niagara Pavilion
15 – Pelham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
16 – Atlanta, GA – Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
17 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
20 – VA Beach, VA – Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
22 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
23 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
24 – Mansfield, MA – Comcast Center
26 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
27 – Allentown, PA – Great Allentown Fair
29 – Wantagh, NY – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
30 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
31 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
October
10 – Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Energy Arena
11 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
12 – Bossier City, LA – CenturyLink Center
14 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
15 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
17 – Hollywood, FL – Seminole Hard Rock
19 – Jacksonville, FL – Veterans Memorial Arena
21 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
22 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
25 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Events Center
26 – Montville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
29 – Syracuse, NY – The OnCenter
November
5 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
6 – Southaven, MS – Landers Center
8 – Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena
9 – Moline, IL – iWireless Center
11 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center
12 – Madison, WI – Alliant Energy Center
13 – Omaha, NE – CenturyLink Center
15 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
16 – Fargo, ND – FargoDome
18 – Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place
19 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
21 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil appears to have backtracked over the band’s upcoming permanent split.
Last week they appeared determined to emphasise there would be no coming back after they complete their Final Tour and release a movie based on celebrated biography The Dirt.
They signed a legally binding agreement in front of press witnesses, allegedly making it impossible for them to regroup after the end of 2015.
Last year bassist Nikki Sixx vowed the Crue would “blow its own brains out” to ensure there was no chance of a comeback. And since the January press conference he’s stated that his side-project Sixx AM will become his main focus, while guitarist Mick Mars has said he’ll concentrate on solo work.
But Neil tells 93.3KDKB: “Here’s the thing – Motley Crue’s not breaking up. We’re still going to be making music. We’re still selling merchandise and stuff.
“We’ll make music; do songs for certain things. Motley Crue will still be around. We’re just not going to tour any more. That’s really kind of it.”
He even says there’s a chance of the band performing together after their self-imposed deadline. “Somebody brought that up. They said: ‘If you’re inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, would you get back together?’ Probably so, but that would be it.”
At least he’s firm with his colleagues on one matter: “They go: ‘If a Saudi prince gave you ten million each, would you do it?’ No. Everybody’s looking for the loophole, the grey area. We’re done. There’s no more touring.”
Crue’s Final Tour is expected to reach the UK and Europe next year.
In the new video report below from Artisan News, ALICE COOPER talks about sharing the stage with MÖTLEY CRÜE during The Final Tour, what he thought of the band when they broke out in the early 1980s, and what constitutes good rock and roll.
On January 29th, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee and Alice Cooper were featured guests on the San Francisco rock station 107.7 The Bone. They discussed their upcoming tour on the Lamont And Tonelli Show; a clip is available below:
On Tuesday afternoon (January 28th), Mötley Crüe held a press conference in Los Angeles confirming their retirement, as well as a 72-date North American tour alongside Alice Cooper. Cooper checked in with the following:
“Hello my Loyal Sickthing,
It’s Me, Alice Cooper here! As you no doubt have heard, Motley Crue has announced their final tour, with yours truly as Special Guest! We’ve never done a tour together which is something I’ve always wanted to do. This was our last chance to tour together, and it’s your last time to see them live! I, on the other hand, am booked into the next century.
The news caused a frenzy of folks looking for information. In fact, the response yesterday was so overwhelming that the demands on AliceCooper.com were great enough to take the site down for a short time immediately following the press conference. Sorry if this caused any inconvenience, and though it was a bit of a bummer at least we’re not signing people up for health insurance… yet! For the time being we have suspended the membership features on the website due to the high traffic. My technical folks tell me that we’ll be reinstating that in the near future.
Back to the music – I’m really looking forward to these shows. This is really the shot in the arm to the world of rock that this summer really needs! We’re going to give Motley a run for their money; I’m not letting them off easy! You can expect a typical Alice Cooper show with executions, monsters, reptiles, and the occasional surprise.
What’s that you say? VIP? YES, I AM offering a limited number of VIP packages for these shows. Funny you should mention it because they have JUST gone on sale. I mean just look at that list of dates below! I can smell the backstage area already. Click the VIP link on the show of your choice for more information on how to purchase them! I hope to see you on the road!
Concert Ticket Presale:
Our Presale for the Motley Crue All Good Things Must Come To An End Tour begins on January 30th at 10AM local time. Use the presale code “SICKTHINGS” if/when prompted. Note, there are some Ticketmaster/Live Nation presales and some that are our own. The ticket link below is set for the correct place to purchase presale tickets.
-A Meet & Greet with ME after my show! -Your photo taken with ME! (My crew will provide a quality camera and a capable photographer so please no cell phone shots! You’ll be happier with our camera believe me!) -Autographs (I’ll sign your stuff if you promise not to sign mine) -2014 Exclusive VIP Merchandise (We’re working to get some new VIP stuff for this year!) -A set list from your show (Because who knows… You may need a fire starter somewhere down the line) -$50 Webstore Coupon via email -Early entry into the venue in many cases (But not early entry to my dressing room!) -Plus, you could be chosen to appear on stage with ME to throw balloons at the end of my show! (One winner per show and you can’t chicken out. Or TOSS a chicken!)
I am looking forward to seeing all of you out there again this year, and oh yes… in case you didn’t notice… There’s a hole in our schedule right around Halloween… I wonder what that means? I guess you’ll have to keep up with me to find out!”
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