Motley Crue (photos by Fran Lazartic)

Cruefest Concert Review featuring Buck Cherry, Papa Roach, Motley Crue, Trapt & SixxAM
by Kristyn Clarke

Imagine all the baddest boys in rock gathered together in one place jamming out with thousands of screaming fans! Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to CrueFest! This heavy-hitting rock tour was organized and headlined by Motley Crue, and featured the supporting acts of Trapt, Sixx: A.M., Papa Roach, and Buckcherry. Definitely not a tour for the weak of heart, as these bands are sure to get your adrenaline pumping. The tour has been referred to several times as the "loudest show on earth" and they certainly aren't lying! Motley Crue has just recently released their new album "Saints of Los Angeles" and this is the first time in ten years that the band has recorded and toured with all four original members. If you have not had a chance to check out the new album, what are you waiting for! Check out PCM's review here! The band had toiled over the idea of putting together a festival for several years, but now all the pieces seemed to come together and CrueFest was born. As Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil announced on stage, CrueFest is looking to become an annual touring event, so be ready for the boys to rock even harder in the years to come.

I had the opportunity to attend CrueFest on July 12th in Camden, NJ, and I am still coming down from all the raw energy and electricity that was packed into this show. The sold-out show at the Susquehanna Bank Center started off slowly, but gained momentum as the evening progressed. The show opener Trapt put on a solid performance as concert attendees were still trickling into the venue, they mostly grabbed the crowds attention when playing hit songs such as "Headstrong" and "Still Frame". A few weeks before the show I had the opportunity to chat with Trapt frontman Chris Brown about their upcoming album "Only Through The Pain" and what is was like to be chosen to partake on the inaugural CrueFest tour. Brown spoke with enthusiasm about the tour, and was excited to preview tracks off the new album for fans coming out to the shows. I was happy to hear the single "Whose Going Home With You Tonight", as I feel it showcases a more mature sound from this band. All in all, however, I can't say the crowd was particularly fascinated with Trapt's performance, but they certainly gave it a good shot.

Next up on the stage was Sixx: A.M., Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx's side project. Let me just say that these guys were incredible, with only a thirty minute set time, they were able to play several songs off their debut album "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" which chronicles, along with the book by the same title, Sixx's battle with drug addiction throughout the years. Lead singer James Michael and guitarist DJ Ashba had such a strong stage presence paired with someone of Nikki Sixxs' stature that you know you have a winning combination. Personally, I have been a huge fan of DJ Ashba since his days in the all but forgotten band Beautiful Creatures, so it was great to see him back on the stage again. Songs from the set included "Pray For Me", "Accidents Can Happen", and "Tomorrow". Of course as you can imagine they closed their set with the their hit song "Life is Beautiful" with the crowd eagerly singing along to every word. As an added note about Sixx: A.M. it was great to see that they were so friendly and approachable. On my way back from a trip to the bathroom, I happened to bump into James Michael and DJ Ashba who were walking around the venue signing autographs, taking photos, and interacting with the crowd. I think that type fan interaction is very important so, thanks for the photos guys! You rock ..... (continue on page 2).

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Trapt - Papa Roach - Sixx A.M. - Buckcherry - Slideshow