On This Day: Mötley Crüe Headlined Historic Venue in 1989 Under an Especially Phallic Band Name, Because of Course They Did
· Vice
By 1989, the members of Mötley Crüe had been through hell and back. Especially bassist Nikki Sixx, who had one too many close encounters with death. On December 23, 1987, Nikki Sixx technically died for about two minutes during a drug overdose. Following this near-fatal experience, Sixx entered rehab in January 1988, but it didn’t quite stick just yet. He and drummer Tommy Lee went so far as to inject Jack Daniel’s into their veins when they realized this was the lowest of their lows. One year later, in January 1989, all four members of the rock group entered rehab together.
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After rehab, the band agreed to record their next album in Vancouver, far away from the LA lifestyle that placed them in rehab. On September 1, 1989, Mötley Crüe released their fifth studio album, Dr. Feelgood. Sobriety did wonders for the group, as the album went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Ultimately, it remains the band’s best-selling record. Based on his 1987 near-fatal overdose experience, Nikki Sixx penned the hit “Kickstart My Heart”.
Mötley Crüe released the album’s lead single, “Dr. Feelgood”, on August 28, just before the full album release. The title track peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the Mainstream Rock chart. In anticipation of another hit with their second single, “Kickstart My Heart”, and an upcoming world tour, the band played a secret show at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California.
The Secret Show Became a Music Video Shoot
On October 5, 1989, the band was billed as The Foreskins at the Whisky a Go Go. Not only was this a secret warm-up show, but fans were unexpectedly involved in a music video shoot. The band opened with “Kickstart My Heart”, filming the music video during the song’s live debut. This was also the live debut of other new album tracks, such as “Rattlesnake Shake”, “Same Ol’ Situation”, “Slice Of Your Pie”, and “Dr. Feelgood” to close out the set. This proved to be a successful warm-up show ahead of the world tour, which would be their most successful.
Iconic 80s comedian Sam Kinison made a special appearance at the start of the music video. As the band is being chauffeured to the venue, Kinison is seen in the driver’s seat. This wasn’t Kinison’s first time making a special appearance in a music video. One year earlier, he appeared at the beginning of Bon Jovi’s “Bad Medicine” music video, hyping up the crowd outside of the concert.
“Kickstart My Heart” and the band’s new music video were both released on November 20, 1989. Although it only peaked at No. 18 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, it continues to be one of the band’s most well-known hits today. In 2019, the 30th anniversary edition of Dr. Feelgood was released; the track peaked at No. 9 on the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
Sadly, the band wouldn’t maintain their sobriety after the tour ended. In the 1990s, the band struggled with internal conflicts and relapses. Therefore, the Dr. Feelgood era feels like the band’s bookend to their legendary run in the 1980s.
Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images
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