In his third concert since returning to the stage, Vince Neil delivered a solo performance at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts in Bethel, New York, on Sunday, August 3. The Mötley Crüe frontman, who had been absent from live shows for nearly a year due to a medical issue, was part of a triple bill that also featured Poison‘s Bret Michaels and Ratt‘s Stephen Pearcy.
The concert in Bethel was the third in a series of comeback shows for Neil, who performed in Boston and Bangor earlier in the week. A full-length video of the entire performance has been shared online by the NY Gig Trippers YouTube channel, giving fans a comprehensive look at his set. During his performance of Mötley Crüe’s classic “Shout at the Devil,” Neil addressed the crowd directly, sharing the severity of his recent health scare. He told the audience: “You know what?! I’ve done a couple of shows, and I just wanted to let you guys know that I had a medical thing happen a few months ago. The doctor told me, ‘You’re probably never gonna go on stage again.’ And I said, I looked at him, I go, ‘F**k you, man.'” Neil continued, expressing his love for performing and his fans, saying: “This is what I do. This is what I love to do, ’cause you people out here make me wanna come back and see you time and time and time again. So, thank you. I love you guys.”
The seven-song setlist for the evening was a mix of Mötley Crüe hits and a cover, a format that has been consistent across his recent shows. The songs performed were: “Dr. Feelgood,” “Shout at the Devil,” “Looks That Kill,” a cover of Brownsville Station‘s “Smokin’ in the Boys Room,” “Kickstart My Heart,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” and “Wild Side.” Neil‘s solo band features his longtime collaborators Dana Strum on bass and Jeff “Blando” Bland on guitar, both from Slaughter, as well as drummer Zoltan Chaney.
The singer’s health issues, while not fully disclosed, led to the postponement of Mötley Crüe’s Las Vegas residency earlier this year. The 10-show residency, which was originally scheduled for March and April, has been rescheduled to run from September 12 to October 3 at Dolby Live at Park MGM.
