One of the lengthiest debates in the Rock-n-Roll world has been the Mötley Crüe shake up back in 1992 when the band parted ways with Vince Neil and brought in former The Scream vocalist John Corabi. Releasing their self-titled album with Corabi in 1994, the record did achieve top billboard rankings but failed to meet commercial expectations. Many hardcore Mötley Crüe fans never gave the album a chance when it was released and sadly a lots of tour dates in support of the record were cancelled. Twenty years later, those who did not give the album a fair shake are now admitting that the Corabi material is actually very good. One may wonder why so many were closed to the idea of the album which featured so many well composed tunes, the answer is simple, it did not have Vince Neil singing. Better later than never, those same fans are now major supporters of Corabi and hungry to hear that material performed live.
Dedicated to his craft for so many years, Corabi now brings audiences that very album from start to finish on stage. Assembling his own band, Corabi calls on some very talented musicians to emulate the playing on the album with guitarists Josh Dutoit and Jeremy Asbrock, bassist Topher Nolen, as well as his son Ian Corabi on drums. Causing quite a buzz in the Rock community, Corabi and company came to Revolution Bar & Music Hall in Amityville, NY on Saturday December 13th to treat a packed crowd of curious fans.
Sponsored by 102.3 FM, WBAB’s Fingers Metal Shop, Fingers himself MCed the evening as Long island’s VonHell opened playing some old school style Metal which had the audience’s attention. Veterans to the scene, these guys got the night off on the right off. Thereafter, another local product by the name of Mudcat was showcased. Bringing a strong following with them they played a set of classic Metal that everyone loved. Both bands can be seen playing in and around the Long Island area, so check them out.
Next up was fellow New Yorkers, Killcode. Considered one of the hottest Hard Rock bands in the New York City area, this band dedicate themselves to performing live. Uniting the whole room to rock and get revved up to see Corabi, they introduced some newer yet to be released material which will follow up their 2013 self-titled debut. Consisting of Tom Morrissey (lead vocals), Chas (guitar/vocals), D.C. Gonzales (guitar), Erric Bonesmith (bass/vocals), and Rob Noxious (drums), the band formed as a tight rhythmic machine. Playing songs such as “Slave,” “Answer,” “Truce,” “Bleed,” as well as “Show Me,” towards the end of their set, Killcode played those oh-so familiar tracks that their fanbase know and love, “Hands Up,” “Still Here,” “6 AM Again,” and “Devil’s Song.” Rocking out the latter with a few friends, fans joining the band on stage to sing the chorus “Running wild, running free, so fucking high!” a fun and rowdy time was had by all.
The time had come for Corabi to take the stage. Certainly creating excitement, many could be heard around Revolution speaking of their disappointment that they never had the chance to hear his lone album with Mötley Crüe live. The wait was final over, and two decade later Corabi offered up the entire album, track one to track twelve. Having everyone’s full attention, opening with “Power to the Music,” Corabi was energetic and powerful. Almost making the material three dimensional, guitarists Dutoit and Asbrock performed Mick Mars’ parts seamlessly while Corabi’s voice soared to heights that shocked the audience. Igniting a roar, when the band blasted out “Hooligan’s Holiday,” fans’ eyes widened and ears tingled to hear the tune that introduced them to Corabi way back when. Perhaps one of the five musicians on stage that evening that had the biggest shoes to fill was Corabi’s son Ian, performing the parts of beloved drummer Tommy Lee. Ian did a great job and then some, even having some fans playfully shouting “Tommy who?” As the set went on, Corabi mostly concentrating on vocals during this performance, however did pick up a double neck axe to perform alongside Dutoit and Asbrock on tracks “Misunderstood,” “Love Shine,” and set closer “Driftaway.”
Ending the show with the encore of “Babykills,” from the 1994 Quaternary EP, the audience was completely enthralled and applauded with appreciation. This was an evening fans had been waiting for a long time. Curiosity was satisfied in the most vivid fashion thanks to Corabi and company. It may not be the original line-up of Sixx, Lee, Mars and Corabi, but John assembled some great musicians to match it. No complaints, Corabi still has those killer chops singing the high notes, and tender tracks on the album.
From a fan’s perspective, Mötley Crüe always plays their ’80s and current classics whenever they have a live show, and rightfully so as Neil does not have the same vocal tone as Corabi. Imagine how it would sound if Neil sang “Hooligan’s Holiday.” So understandably, Mötley Crüe stays away from performing anything off that album during their live show, excluding Lee’s current drum solo, playing a couple minutes of “Hammered.” It is easy to see why Corabi’s efforts with Mötley Crüe are now getting the recognization they deserve. Greatness is measured over time and the panel of That Metal Show, Mars and Lee included, along with many fans agree the album has to be one of the top five Mötley Crüe records. So those tired of digging through YouTube hoping to find an old live clip of the songs being performed live should most definitely experience this show before it is too late.
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