Rock icons Mötley Crüe are surprising fans with what appears to be a "secret" show on May 6. On April 29, the group posted a mysterious flyer to their social media accounts. The posts featured no caption, leaving fans to ponder the details of the event.
The poster displays a black and white drawing of a woman's face with the number "1981" plastered on her spiky hair. The words "Live @ the Bowery Ballroom" cover her eyes, leaving a fish hook earring and dark lipstick as her only exposed features. Text in the corner marks the event's date, May 6. The image carries a punk-y aura.
The website for Bowery Ballroom, a venue owned by Mercury East, shows that tickets for the event will go on sale May 3. That night, Mötley Crüe will play a concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the second night of shows at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino. The group will soon embark on a music festival tour across North America, with pit stops including Milwaukee's Summerfest, Minnesota's State Fair and Aftershock in Sacramento, California.
The band released their latest single, "Dogs of War" on April 26. The song is the group's first recorded track without former guitarist Mick Mars, who retired from Mötley Crüe in 2022, and its first with John 5, who took over Mars' role. "Dogs of War" is also Mötley Crüe's first release in five years. The group released their last album, Saints of Los Angeles, in 2009.
Mötley Crüe announced their retirement in 2013 before reuniting six years later.
In 2023, lead singer Vince Neil confirmed that Mötley Crüe had recorded three new songs, including "Dogs of War" as well as a cover of the Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)."
"The songs are f--ing heavy. I sound like a little excited kid right now, but they're heavy and they're mean. I can't wait for them to come out. I'm just so excited," said John 5 of the songs.
Bassist Nikki Sixx said that the band were in the mixing stage of a new album in 2023. In a later interview with Neil, the lead vocalist divulged that the group will "definitely" be putting out music in 2024, but that it may not be "an album but a few songs here, a few songs there, and that's good."
Mötley Crüe's upcoming "secret" show at Bowery Ballroom is the group's second time putting on a discreet, intimate performance for a smaller audience. The band performed at the Underworld in London last June. The Camden venue has a capacity of 450 people, while Bowery Ballroom can fit a crowd of just under 600.
Fans reacted with excitement at the sudden announcement.
"Take my money!!!!" posted one fan to X, while another wrote "Ahhh the good old days."
The event's title, "1981," is an apparent homage to the group's founding year.
Tickets for the 1981 show cost a cheeky $19.81.
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