Vince Neil Returns to the Stage After Thwarted Festival Performance
Motley Crue's Vince Neil triumphantly returned in concert on Thursday (Aug. 5) following a May festival gig many saw as an embarrassment when the vocalist left the stage amid a less-than-stellar solo performance.
Rock radio personality Eddie Trunk shared clips that showed Neil singing strong at a closed-to-the-public event in Austin, Texas, on Thursday. And Neil wasn't the only famous rock singer in the house — "Private show I hosted tonight with Vince and [Sammy Hagar]," Trunk relayed in a series of updates on social media.
See the footage near the bottom of this post.
Next year, Neil will lead Motley Crue on the band's anticipated Stadium Tour with Def Leppard and more. The trek was already twice postponed, because of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, before fans worried this spring if Neil had hurt his voice.
Fellow musicians were concerned about the Motley Crue singer too. (Neil canceled his concert directly after the May misfire, only his second planned show of 2021.) After all, the Shout at the Devil trailblazers remain an influential force in the world of rock and metal.
"I feel bad for Vince," Nonpoint drummer Robb Rivera said in June. "Motley Crue is such a great band. He's got a year to get it together for next year. I mean, it's sad, but I still love Motley Crue, regardless. I know he's had some struggles and getting older … it happens."
It was at Iowa's Boone River Valley Festival on May 29 that Neil struggled to sing Motley Crue's "Girls, Girls, Girls" and other songs before walking offstage, reportedly telling the audience, "My fuckin' voice is gone." He's scheduled to perform with his solo band at Tennessee's Monsters on the Mountain Festival this fall.
Hopefully all is well with the singer now. Below, see videos of Neil's onstage return, with the performer belting out Crue's "Dr. Feelgood" and "Looks That Kill." Hagar performed Van Halen's "Poundcake," as also shown in one of Trunk's updates from the event.