BLACK AND DECKER' MEETS MISS CLAIROL' POISON vs MOTLEY CRUE

BLACK AND DECKER' MEETS MISS CLAIROL' POISON vs MOTLEY CRUE

Ever notice just how many people think Poison reminds them of Motley Crue? Or how many people—folks like you and I—find absolutely nothing in common between the two bands other than the fact that they both put out great records, are damn good live, and in the past year or two, depending on which one you're talking about, have become uncontrollably popular? Makes it a difficult bout to score, indeed. The teams seem destined for a tie, but, guys, play ball!

Everyone's got to start somewhere, and for Motley and Poison, points of entry were as opposite as day and night. “We were both dying to get out of Mechanicsburg," recalls Pennsylvanian Rikki Rockett of his budding musical partnership with Bret Michaels. “It's a great town, but you can't express yourself there. We recruited Bobby Dali from Florida and moved to L.A. with our original guitarist." Later parting on mutually positive terms, the Poisoned ones auditioned 56 guitarists before New York exile C.C. DeVille entered their lives. Still, Poison had worked the East Coast for over a year before taking on Los Angeles.

Motley's saga, chapter one, came to fruition (no pun intended) in the middle of Hollywood. Granted, Vince Neil is the only native son, but Mars and Lee arrived in childhood; Sixx, by his seventeenth year. Before too long, Neil recalls, “We were playing the L.A. clubs for absolutely no money. We stuck out in Los Angeles because no one was doing this type of music. We were like this thing they came to see asa laugh." Nonetheless, advantage point goes to the West Coast, rock and roll breeding ground.

Now, every band has its influences, but when all is said and done, you must remember this: a KISS is still a KISS. Rikki Rockett: “Peter CJYiss was my idol, I remember trading a $35 belt buckle for a magazine poster of him." There's more. Bret Michaels: “Paul Stanley is the guy I worship." C.C. DeVille: "Seeing KISS was a magical experience. I said, This, I gotta do!'" Bobby Dali: “KISS has been such an inspiration." I'm not sure what any of this means in terms of Poison vs. Motley, but the probable focus is showmanship and attitude. And besides. Gene Simmons promised a home-cooked dinner to any writer who mentioned him this month.

The parts that've gone into the Crue package are slightly more varied. Put your finger on Nikki Sixx's pulse and you'll hear the beat of street-wise, sassy rock and roll. “What matters," he says, “is the That's all you need. The Stones have been proving that for years! So did The Beatles, Aerosmith, Sweet, T. Rex, Mott, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper." The down'n'dirty soul of Nikki Sixx has been bared— naked—in absolutely every Crue album. A good-time theme, but not without brutal honesty and more than a hint of hard-life experience. Idols shift, however, when Tommy Lee enters the picture. To wit: “When KISS came into my life, I remember beating out 'Firehouse'. That was my favorite song in the whole world...a great song!" Advantage point: KISS.

Of course, you can't have bands without songs, and when it comes to songwriting, we're dealing with cases of totally different forks in the road. Poison likes to share their duties.

Dali: “Each song is written with a different format and approach."

Elianne Halbersberg

Bret Michaels: "Did somebody say tall thin and blonde? Bring her in here!"

Approach, eh? How's this for approach? DeVille: “I wenffo their audition and I hadn't learned any of their songs, i had heard their tape; my songs were better. I told them, 'Why should I learn your songs? I'd rather play mine.' I played them Talk Dirty To Me' and the rest is history!"

For the Motley bunch, the bulk of writing responsibilities lie in the sweaty palms of Mr. Sixx, who pens every lyric that passes through Vince Neil's lips. He states, "My attitude comes out in my lyrics. You only live once, so live the way you want to. I don't want to look back and wish I had done or said something. Do it and think about it tomorrow! It might as well be tattooed on our arms: 'Sex, Drugs, Rock And Roll.' It will never change." Wait, wait, he ain't finished: "Some people write love songs, we write piss-you-off songs!"

Tommy Lee gives o more serious answer. "As a band, we're open and creative. Nikki's gotten seriously involved in his lyrics and he lets us work on the rhythms and melody lines. We've all learned so much and we all have input because our attitude is ’You can never have enough help from your friends.' We all want to go the same direction; no one will ever steer it wrong. We divide everything four ways—decisions, writing, money— that' something we've believed in from the beginning." Advantage point: Democracy.

A-HA! Democracy. Here's a topic both groups feel strongly about, and above all else, you've got to give them credit for mutual respect. "Poison is a collaboration," says Dali. "It's a four-way merge of talents, personalities, and creativity. It's a total unit, an equal split. I mean, I'm a fan of these guys! I not only play in a band with them, I idolize them! There are no egos here. We're honest-to-God best friends. We're a gang, a team, brought together by our likes and dislikes as much as by musical ability."

DeVille interrupts, "The truth is, no one else would work with us! No one else would take our bullshit! It's a warped togetherness; we really love each other. There's a bond from going through hard times together. We genuinely like each other.-Amazing!"

For Nikki Sixx, self-declared loner, the democratic, four-way split of Motley Crue is something he has sworn eternal devotion to: "Motley is the first team I ever played on and that's why I don't want to get off. I cherish the ground Motley Crue walks on. It's a great rock and roll band with staying power and honesty. We don't fuck up. Our fans know that, and that's all that matters. We've lived and breathed each other for years—we can't lie to each other. We wouldn't even try. We went through the 'first year success' a long time ago. By now... we've weeded out all the weeds." Advantage point: the weed-eater.

Is it live or is it Memorex? you ask. LIVE, LIVE, all the way LIVE. These be a couple of bands who live for the stageand they mightas well hitthe road on a double-bill, because any production manager can tell you these boys have one thing on their minds: entertainment! "What we're sharing with people is a good time. I see the audience smile and I swear my smile is as big as theirs," sez Bobby Dali. "You'd have to be really miserable not to enjoy one of our shows. People are rasing hell, having fun. It goes back to the entertainmentfactor of bands like Cheap Trick and how they inspired me. When I was a kid, I was the type who, when Grandma got out the camera, I got in front and stayed there until she ran out of film! We're all hams! We love what we do, everyone has a great time, every show is a big party, and that's why we're having this 'success'. Because we and the audience enjoy each other so much."

Nikki Sixx: “It's important to see a show, otherwise, you could sit home with the record. We want to give that extra bit. I'm a rocker, I get up in the morning and put on makeup, and take it further on stage because 100 rows back, what can you see? Excitement is the key word. You can touch on other things and take advantage of new ways to get better sounds, but the best sound and feel come from the roots. The simpler, the better. Give me a hell of a backbeat and a great song. I can get up there, do octave riffs all nights and people will go, 'That's nice, but rvextyear I'll bring my pillow.'"

As Tommy Lee sees it: "On stage, it's kind of like being in the driver's seat. When I lay down the bass drum, I'm pretty much in control of the whole thing. The band follows, the audience follows by clapping along, I'm up there.. .and to tell you the truth, I feel like I'm driving this huge tractor across the world. I feel so good! I swear, I get just as excited as the audience when I'm up on that stage! I look out there at all our fans going wild and I just love it! I'm so jazzed that I don't want to leave! Even when the show is over, I want to stay up there and play some more!"

Nikki Sixx: I cherish the ground Motley Crue walks on.”

Tommy Lee: "I feel like I'm driving this huge tractor across the world."

"Rock and roll is about playing live," agrees Neil. “And when we play, it's like a big party for us as well as our fans. We never worry that the visuals might overshadow the band. The stuff we do on stage is just icing on the cake. Our policy has always been that for a fifteen dollar ticket, you'll get a fifty dollar show. We enjoy going that extra mile; it's fun to come up with ideas, then see them come to life. The show is structured so that the people watch the four of us, sing along." Advantage point: Mars'all Amps.

Gene Simmons (incidentally, Gene, a lasagna, and a little salad would be nice.) recently told these ears, "When we formed KISS, our goal was...a four-wheel drive. All groups were based on the guy in front running around while the others stood still. In KISS, everyone is important and since then, the Motley Crues of the world have been based on that same principle, which is fine. The concept of'Everyone's a star' came from The Beatles."

Truer words never spoken, and that goes not only for the Motley Crues. The Poisons have developed a band concept of recognizable, unique individuals as well. Rikki Rockett insists, “What makes Poison special is that everything is a four-way split: money, songwriting, ideas. Each person has a job in the band, everyone has their strong area. We all live together, know each other, get the blues together. We're like four kids sitting around the campfire telling ghost stories— someone says 'Boo!' and everyone jumps—someone gets an idea and we all jump because we're in the same frame of mind. We are friends, which a lot of bands aren't.

Four distinct personalities make up the sum total an it would be difficult to replace anyone. "We love attention." DeVille chimes in. "It's good, because everyone has their own thing. Bobby is the businessman. Rikki is artsy. I'm the smart-ass songwriter, and Bret is a typical frontman—loud, flashy."

Bwana Sixx, for his part, offers the following Crue capsule commenfs. "Mick is very much into his guitar. He not only enjoys being mysterious, he is mysterious. He is very knowledgeable about a lot of things. Mick and I both had hard lives, sleeping in garbage cans or in the back of cars, but always with our guitars in our hands. Mick is very seasoned, and can play any type of music. He's a little quieter than the rest of us and a little twisted... and I like that.

"Vince is more.sultry; sometimes moodier than the rest of us. He enjoys the finer things in life, for example, Vince will enjoy a good meal in a French restaurant whereas I'm just as happy with a TV dinner. He works real hard and deserves to be able to enjoy these things. Women,

I must say, are his main motivation. He thinks about them a lot.

"Now Tommy is the complete opposite of Mick. Tommy is always loud and spontaneous, like a kid at heart. Musically, he is one of the most talented people I know. He can pick up an instrumentand pay it. But he's a rock and roll wildman! We hang out a lot and he'll bang on my hotel door, 'Hey, Sixx—let's have a drink!' 'But Tommy, it's only one o'clock in the afternoon!' And he goes, 'So?' Me, I'm the instigator of songs, parties, mischief. I'm a professional rock and roll brat."

To which Neil adds, "We're all pretty harmless! Mick is the quiet one, he hardly talks. No one really knows a lot about him. Tommy is like 'YAHOO!' all the time. He'll do anything! Nikki is known as 'Mr. Mood Man'—that says it all. And whatever you hear about me—it's all true! But it wouldn't be Motley Crue without these four members, and if one person were gone, there would be no Motley Crue." Separate but equal. Advantage point: The Beatles.

Women—the motivating force behind any band. Again, quoting Chef Simmons, "The only reason anyone picks up a guitar is because he wants girls to notice him Fair enough—after all, creativity can only do so much, and when Mick Jagger screamed, “I can't get no satisfaction,” you bet he wasn't talking about his auto mechanic.

Nikki Sixx: "It's a deep package in a one-dimensional presentation."

Bobby Dall: "This band was put together on personality."

Case in point—Bret Michaels: (overheard backstage) “Did someone say tall, thin and blond? Bring her in here!"

Vince Neil: "Happiness is a waterbed and a roomful of longlegged blondes!" Advantage point: Miss Clairol.

This being the high-tech 1980's, no rock and roll band worth its' hairspray would even DREAM of releasing product without a few glossy, glitzy, and ever-so-happening videos to spice up the mundane atmosphere of MTV or—even worse—network television! And when you're as flashy, sassy, and visual as the two bands in question, well, baby those cameras were invented for you! Poison's videotaped adventures (those deemed suitable for public viewing, that is) include “Cry Tough," "Talk Dirty To Me," "I Want Action" and the live "I Won't Forget You," featuring assorted on-stage and backstage action, including a close-up shot of their Texas Jam Special Guest, Paul Stanley, (Gee, these Poison guys will do ANYTHING to score some extra advantage points, won't they? Once again, though—each and every one of these Kodacolor gems feature lots and lots of blonde women frolicking with these guitar totin' near-Misses.

Motley Crue, those wicked gender experts, have been serving up hefty portions of vid-clips for quite some time. They've even packaged the goodies into a full-length videocassette. And, much like the Poison boys, Crue videos are also invaded by an abundance of wellendowed blondes. Hi Vince! Advantage point: Miss Clairol, again.

Of course, neither Motley Crue nor Poison would have ever made it to the revered pages of this publication had it not been for the devotion of the millions who buy their albums, posters, T-shirts, singles, magazines, videocassettes, cat food... Our rock and roll heroes are only as good as what their fans make the, and both Poison and Motley Crue deserve lots and lots of advantage points for going out of fheir way to meet, greet, and please their fans. They have been carefully observed by these allseeing eyes signing autographs, taking pictures, socializing and hosting streams of fans for hours at a stretch.

For Poison, that's taken them as far as a free-for-all in an arena parking lot post-show where they passed out (food and beverages, that is) cranked the music up to ten, and were still in full gear by two a.m.

"We try to put happiness in our music," says DeVille, "not dismal, grey, six o'clock news type of lyrics, We don't sing about Iran, the Contras, or being miserable. 'Cry Tough' says you've got to walk before you run. Take things one at a time and don't look back. A lot of small goals are better than one big goal that intimidates you, and makes you give up. Kids today are under too much pressure to grow up, be adults. We're saying take your time growing up! It's kay to be awkward, not to know everything."

Dali remarks, “This band was put together on personality. We grew up together, learned how to play and write together. The next album is going to reflect all that. The most important thing is that we write good songs, and that the fans like them. They're really what Poison is all about."

For Motley Crue, the subject of fans is a defensive one. "You won't find a band as close to their fans as this one," Sixx asserts. "I go out of my way. I have never refused to sign an autograph. Our slogan is 'The People's Band.' We're very down to earth, we're concerned about the fans. Not enough bands really care."

Neil adds, "We're on the same level and that keeps (band and fans) together. Our long-time fans know what to expect because they've seen us and know we entertain. New fans read about us, buy the records, and when they come to the shows, hopefully they're hooked.

We firmly believe that Motley Crue and our fans are one and the same," he adds. “We're on the same level; our feelings are the same. I'm proud of the fact that I never have and never will turn down taking a picture or signing an autograph. Some bands won't even take a minute to do something that simple, but it means so much to the person who's asking. What's the big deal? Those are your fans! I like meeting them, talking to people, all the stuff I get to do when we're on tour. Anyone who doesn't like all this should just quit the business!"

Every night we all go to the hospitality room, sign autographs, take pictures, party with our fans." Lee concurs “It's important. A lot of bands won't even show their faces around their fans. We tell each other, 'If I ever get like that, slap me!' This stuff.. .it's bigger than all of us, really, but we're still the same.

"I know what it's like to have a favorite group and to have their pictures plastered all over the walls of your room and buy all the magazines and merchandise," the drummer nods. "I can still relate to that. Hey, I'm just a regular guy. I still listen to everybody. It's not, 'Oh, yes, well my record is better than yours' or 'I'm more successful at the moment.' I don't care about all that. I just love rock and roll! I'm not worried about overexposure. Ifthefans want it, then by all means, give it to them! We appreciate the fact that they want so much of us! We're lucky! People think we've gotten egos now or something, but that's not true. Everything's changed except us—we're just along for the ride!"

"Our dedicated fans mean everything to me," Sixx agrees. "I'm excited to release an album and have people hear it, not for ego, but because it means they want to listen. I'd rather play for them on their stereo than for mainstream America on the radio. I hope our fans feel the sincerity. They understand that it's real—it's a now or never, excessive thing, whether we're expressing hurt or saying 'Yee-hal! It's great to be alive!' It's a deep package in a onedimensional presentation.

"Motley Crue is about the kid in suburbia with a dream. He sees us and thinks 'If they can, I can.' Motley Crue is more than a lifestyle—it has a life of its own." Advantage point: the fans.

All right, boys and girls, lets add up those advantage points and see who scored highest. Let's see, there's a total of nine possible points for the champ, and with zero for Poison and zero for Motley Crue, that means our winner is...me! Okay, Gene, let's eat!