Thursday, August 18, 2011

Motley Crue honored on Sunset Strip this weekend

It’s a Motley Crue-fest all its own this weekend as the rockers are feted as the 2011 Elmer Valentine Award honorees and the focus of the 4th Annual Sunset Strip Music Festival.

Things kick off Thursday night with a Crue tribute at the House Of Blues; among those on hand to pay tribute and roast the group will be Ray Manzarek of The Doors, comedian Dane Cook, and Crüe’s tour mate this summer, New York Dolls frontman David Johansen.

Part of Motley’s tribute will be charity-based, as the band has teamed up with Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey to provide a one-of-kind offering at the House Of Blues event.

A special barrel of the world famous Tennessee whiskey was selected and donated to the Skylar Neil Foundation in honor of the Crue celebration. Approximately 290 commemorative bottles will be available at the SSMF Tribute Night for a recommended donation of $100 to the Skylar Neil Foundation. Each bottle will include a medallion with the engraving, "Specially Selected for Motley Crue."

In addition to the commemorative bottles, a Jack Daniel's barrel signed by the band and a framed Jack Daniel's Sunset Strip street pole banner will be available at the silent auction on the Tribute night, as well.

On Saturday, Crüe headline the outdoor portion of the festival, which will also feature Bush, Public Enemy, Matt & Kim, Escape The Fate, She Wants Revenge, the Dirty Heads and more.

“Unless they’re giving out an award for the most stumbling done between clubs on Sunset Boulevard – we definitely hold the record for most stumbles – I’m not sure what they’re honoring us for,” drummer Tommy Lee tells Rolling Stone. “No, it’s cool, man. I actually was a part of the one with Ozzy. I got to go up and roast, honor, have fun with him.”

Kidding aside, Lee does have more than a few favorite Sunset Strip memories.

“The very first time we sold out a Friday, Saturday and Sunday – that goes down as pretty landmark, because in my green-ass, naive, 17-year-old way, I literally was calling my parents, calling everybody I knew. I had no clue – I thought we'd made it,” says Tommy. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, we sold out a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Dude, I’m done.’ Little did I know, what an idiot (laughs). I don’t think we ever paid for anything while we lived on the Sunset Strip. It was always free drinks, free food, free everything, everywhere we went. So you gotta mark that up as a highlight. We never paid for anything, ever. Maybe the club owners and such saw something there, who knows (laughs)? Either that, or we were just really nice guys.”

More of Lee’s session is at Rolling Stone here.

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe

Motley Crue – Wild Side
Carnival of Sins DVD


See also:

Motley Crue: Vince Neil Vegas battery trial delayed
Motley Crue: Vince Neil schedules 2011 solo shows
Motley Crue: Tommy Lee turns down Dancing With The Stars
VIDEO: Nikki Sixx attacks fan filming Motley Crue show
VIDEO: Motley Crue’s Vince Neil joins Warrant for Led Zeppelin classic
Motley Crue: Vince Neil talks classic rock, new rock and future plans
Motley Crue: Vince Neil to receive lifetime achievement award
VIDEO: Cee Lo Green joins Motley Crue at the Hollywood Bowl
VIDEO: Inside Tommy Lee’s 360 vertical drum roller coaster
Tommy Lee on Motley Crue and the end of making albums
VIDEO: Motley Crue/Poison tour opens, Tommy Lee plays 360 drum roller coaster
Motley Crue: Vince Neil battery trail set for August