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Friday, 11 March 2011 17:49

Written by Scott Mervis

Oh, to be a fly on the wall during the Motley Crue/Poison/New York Dolls tour this summer.

This one has layers of intrigue, based on the bad blood between the two bands at the top.

Motley Crue has been outspoken about its contempt for Poison. As late as 2004, Motley bassist Nikki Sixx stated, “No way in [bleeping] hell would we ever, ever tour with a [bleeping] band like Poison…That would be the death of us… I will not be attached to that kind of fake [b.s.]…”

Well, hell hath now frozen over again.

The bands will patch things up this summer and hopefully make it to Pittsburgh in one piece for the July 24 date at Stage AE. In advance of tickets going on sale March 18, Poison frontman and Butler native Bret Michaels, who had a brush with death in the spring of 2010, talked with us about the unlikely tour.

Here is a portion of that interview:

First of all, what was it like to play that homecoming show in Pittsburgh last summer?
It was the most exciting night ever. Here’s why. For me being out there solo and having my family with me and all my buddies I grew up with, it was just an amazing feeling. And you know what added to it, besides the normal tailgate barbecue I have with the 150 members of my family backstage: I went up with Lynyrd Skynyrd at the end and sang ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ with my kids and when they something is priceless, that’s priceless. Pittsburgh to me, besides being a true homecoming where I was born, it’s always an exciting show. Good energy.

How did this summer tour come about?
Very simple. I was going out solo this year. I have a brand new tour and CD, Bret Michaels, ‘Get your Rock On.’ I was going out solo and we’re going to do a couple dates with Poison for our 25th anniversary. Well, I mentioned at a couple venues that I thought it would be great if Motley and Poison toured together for our 25th and 30th anniversaries. And I took a lot of flack [laughs] from certain members of Motley Crue, who vowed they were never going to do it. Well, here we are doing it.

I look at everything I do as a music fan. I think Motley and Poison touring together is going to be an amazing summer tour. The bottom line is, all that matter is that we have a good time and the fans get completely rocked.

So what has the relationship been like with the bands over the years?
Here’s the funniest thing. Vince has toured with Poison many times solo. We get along great. As far as Motley and Poison, there hasn’t been much of a connection. This is the first time we’ve ever done a tour together. I know over the years that Motley has a certain way they want to brand themselves or want themselves to be seen. With Poison, we just want to go out to play for fans and the people who show up. If there’s going to be a friendly competition as far as wanting to go out and put on a great show, absolutely. As far as saying anything bad about them, I just don’t.

As far as getting along, I’m not around them enough to know or really care how they feel. Even if they like Poison or don’t like me, I’m playing to fans who show up. It doesn’t have to be a lovefest between our two bands. I don’t want the fans to be separated. Motley fans are Poison fans are rock fans. Music is a universal language.

Look, I’ve toured with Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice in Chains, you name it, Kiss, and we’ve always had great time. I think the bottom line, Motley probably made a couple bold statements in the press that were probably unnecessary, and I think the bottom line is, it all came around to us going and out and playing to a lot of fans, and I think it will be the tour of the summer. I know I’m going out there to have a good time after all I’ve been through.

What about the Dolls? Were they any kind of inspiration for you?
New York Dolls were a very big inspiration. I think they have a couple really good songs. I was probably more of the AC/DC-Led Zeppelin-Skynyrd guy. I think our drummer Rikki [Rockett] was really influenced by them, as was C.C. [DeVille]. We were definitely influenced by some of that sound — that Ramones/Dolls glam-punk sound and I think it had an effect on our music. I think they have some really cool riffs and songs that affected Poison and Motley Crue somewhere in our career.

So, how do you feel now after what you went through last year?
You mean almost dying? [laughs] Let’s just go through it.

After being life-long diabetic (four shots a day), emergency appendectomy, brain hemorrhage, mini-stroke — right? — then the hole in my heart, which it turns out I had for a long time. After all those operations were out of the way, I’ll tell you the truth, and I say this and I mean this, grace of God, meaning it just wasn’t my time to go yet, good medicine and great family, and I have a fighter instinct — coming from the Pittsburgh area we all got a fighter instinct — that’s what kept me in the game.

I’m thankful to be here and to still be rockin’ and I feel pretty damn good.

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