Crue look for happy funeral

Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee wants every show on their final tour to be like a "happy funeral."

The band kicked off their run of global farewell performances at the beginning of this month, backed on the US dates by Alice Cooper.

They’ve signed a legally-binding deal that means they can never appear as Motley Crue after the end of 2015 – although it’s not certain whether they’ll undertake other activities afterwards.

Lee’s feelings have been inspired by attending the wakes of friends and family. He tells the Reno Gazette Journal: “I find it so odd that after somebody’s funeral, everybody gets together and has drinks and celebrates and parties.

“You’re like, ‘This is fucking weird.’ But there’s something real cool about it because everybody’s celebrating a life and death simultaneously – the beginning of something new and the end of something old. So I think we’ve figured out that’s how we want this to play out: much like a happy funeral, a celebration.”

And Lee remains determined that every show will go with a bang, even if his use of an over-the-top drumkit has been ruled out at several venues.

“People can blindly buy a ticket knowing full well, when they get there, they’re going to be like, ‘Holy shit – that was insane.’” he says. “Not a lot of guys in bands put on shows like we do. Just know that it will be mindblowing.”

Freelance Online News Contributor

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.