Luxe Life Blog
Photo Gallery: We salute The Doors, Theory of Flight and Vince Neil
Vince Neil performs with his Vince Neil Band at The Rio.
Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com
Even though Motley Crue is on a tour break until early next year, frontman Vince Neil will hit the road solo with his own band. He’s also using the hiatus to begin work on his solo album and the group’s 30th anniversary projects for next year.
When our hometown rocker and I had dinner at Ago in the Hard Rock Hotel, Vince told me the group isn’t splitting up as they go solo. “It’s simply a break from the touring. We’ll still be together out there right through the end of the 10-year contract,” he said. “Don’t misread anything into this. We are all excited about celebrating 30 years of Motley Crue.”
Vince, who is my neighbor here in Las Vegas, was en route to Texas appearing with the Toadies, Crooked X and Nico Verga at Texas A&M International University’s fifth annual festival on the Mexico border in Laredo.
“All of us are working on solo projects for a while,” Vince continued. “I’m working on a new solo album. Then we’re working on a new Motley Crue album to be released for our 30th. When that’s done, we’ll start Crue Fest 3. It might look all of a sudden we’re not busy because of the temporary hiatus from touring on Crue Fest, but we’re using the break to actually work just as hard, but totally differently.”
Meantime, Motley Crue will release a greatest-hits collection on Nov. 17 with 19 of their hits, including “Shout at the Devil,” “Dr. Feelgood,” “Kick Start My Heart” and Vince’s big hit “Girls Girls Girls.”
Now that Vince is home for a while, he’s also concentrating on his fifth annual poker benefit tournament. The Skylar Neil Foundation fundraiser is on Nov. 8 at The Rio. Vince promises a lineup of rock, adult and poker stars, and he’ll host a silent and live auction. Items will include personal memorabilia and Motley Crue donations.
The Doors circa 2009
It was two nights of rock icons and music legends at Carey Hart’s Wasted Space in the Hard Rock Hotel. Contributing photographer Erik Kabik was backstage for an photo shoot with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger from the original The Doors.
Now The Doors are Ty Dennis, former Fuel frontman Brett Scallions, Phil Chen, Robby and Ray. They group is called Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors.
Singer Brett Scallions, of the band Fuel, with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, of The Doors, backstage at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Erik told me: “The band was better than I have heard them in years. ... I've been following them since they re-formed with Ian Astbury of The Cult. Brett Scallions of Fuel replaced Astbury a few years ago. I think Brett on vocals has truly become comfortable as lead singer and embodies the spirit of this music, making it truly fresh and real in a way I never heard it before. It’s not a nostalgia trip act with two guys from The Doors. It’s the real deal, and with legendary bass player Phil Chen in the band and Ty Dennis on drums, Ray and Robby have formed a fantastic foursome to perform this music, taking it to the level and intensity as it should be played. They simply blew the roof off Wasted Space and left the crowd begging for more.”
Before arriving in Las Vegas, Ray and Robby played with the Phoenix Symphony. They told Erik that they would like to do The Doors music with other orchestras across the country because their rock sound really lends itself to the orchestrations.
Theory of Flight
First it was The Killers and then Panic at the Disco. Now comes the six-man Las Vegas group Theory of Flight. After the buddies scored gigs at the Hard Rock and the House of Blues here, it was only a matter of time before fame and fortune looked to be just around the corner. Those nights at Jillian’s and Diablo’s Cantina are about to pay off with the upcoming release of their debut album Within Reach.
Theory of Flight.
Frontman Beau Hodges formed the group two years ago with lead guitarist Vince Casas and bassist Joey McMahon. Then drummer Tyler Williams, rhythm guitarist Stephen Goodrum and keyboard player John Colombo were added.
Famed L.A. record producer and engineer Mark Needham, with a mile-long resume with Fleetwood Mac, The Killers and Chris Isaak, has perfected five EP tracks and is mixing seven new tracks for the album, including the powerful love song “Next to You” that will be the single being played on rock stations coast to coast.
The rockers hope it all leads to a large-scale stadium tour of some 30 arenas with their Bald Heads & Big Hearts show. They plan to use the tour to raise money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and our Nevada troops serving overseas.
Just like the album’s title, fame is within reach for Theory of Flight, and we’ll be hearing a lot more of them in the future. That would make it three in a row for our music community. Congratulations!
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
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