Eddie Vedder again jabbed Motley Crue during a concert the Pearl Jam singer played on Sunday (Feb. 6).
Last week, a war of words erupted between Vedder and Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx after the Pearl Jam vocalist said in an interview he “despised” most hair metal bands of the 1980s. He specifically singled out Motley Crue and their 1987 single “Girls, Girls, Girls” from the album of the same name.
Sixx struck back on Twitter on Feb. 5, calling Pearl Jam “one of the most boring bands in history” and making fun of Vedder’s singing style. Pearl Jam responded with a tongue-in-cheek tweet on Feb. 6 that said, “We [love] our bored fans.” It included a video of excited concertgoers at a Pearl Jam show.
Now, Vedder has taken a swipe at Motley Crue once more, as UCR reported. It happened at the Pearl Jam singer’s solo performance in Newark, N.J., at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, in support of his upcoming solo album, Earthling, out on Friday (Feb. 11).
Ahead of a drum solo from current Vedder band drummer and Red Hot Chili Peppers member Chad Smith, Vedder told the audience, “That drum kit — that silver, beautiful machine that he is the engine of — does not need to elevate or rotate to do its job. Let me just point that out.” (See fan-captured footage below.)
The comment was undoubtedly making fun of Motley Crue’s well-known stage theatrics, which has regularly included drummer Tommy Lee‘s kit being lifted, suspended and even revolving on a roller coaster.
Vedder started the Pearl Jam–Motley Crue spat on Jan. 30 when he told The New York Times Magazine, “I used to work in San Diego loading gear at a club. I’d end up being at shows that I wouldn’t have chosen to go to, bands that monopolized late-’80s MTV. The metal bands that — I’m trying to be nice — I despised. ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ and Motley Crue: [expletive] you. I hated it.”
Vedder’s Sunday New Jersey concert was part of a brief U.S. solo tour the Pearl Jam vocalist embarked on this month. See the rest of the dates here and pre-order Earthling here. Pearl Jam are already planning a follow-up to their 2020 album, Gigaton.
This summer, Motley Crue plan to mount their already twice postponed Stadium Tour. Singer Vince Neil recently returned to performing after falling and breaking his ribs during a solo show. Crue recently sold the rights to their song catalog for $150 million.
Eddie Vedder Introduces Chad Smith Drum Solo – Feb. 6, 2021
14 Rock Bands + Artists Who Pioneered Hair Metal
