Concert Review: Poison With Vince Neil - June 14, 2003

During the summer of 2003 I would witness Poison live for the fifth year in a row. As they had in years past, Poision was taking other classic 80s bands out with them to revisit the great hair metal movement of my youth. This time around it was Vince Neil taking the stage before Poison. Skid Row was the opening act sans Sebastian Bach. Skid Row had a new vocalist Johnny Solinger singing for the band and the reviews were relatively positive. I was hopeful for this concert, but also reserved. In years past Poison had hit the road with Cinderella, Warrant, Ratt, and had great undercards in Dokken, Enuff Z’Nuff, Slaughter, and Winger (just to name a few). Skid Row, without Sebastian Bach, and Vince Neil, without the rest of Motley Crue, just didn’t excite me the way the Poison bills of the past had. Still I went with an open mind, full of hope.

Perhaps I had grown contempt because I had seen Poison so many years in a row, but this show was definitely a low point for the band and their hair metal tours. It appeared that it was getting harder and harder to get big (or semi-big) name acts to go out on the road with them. And while Vince Neil is exciting to some, he lacked the marquee status that came in years past. Vince Neil was okay, but that’s just it. He was okay. He wasn’t making me buy tickets. I think I attended this show for the pure fact that I had gone every year. It was another opportunity to travel nostalgia avenue and remember the hair rocking days of my youth.

I honestly don’t recall much about this concert overall. I’m sure I sang along with the songs and pumped my fist in the air during key hard rocking songs, but there is nothing emblazoned in my memory that makes this night stand out. That tells me this concert was average at best.

Vince’s set was filled with plenty of Motley Crue standards, which the crowd went crazy for, but without the rest of Motley Crue, it just wasn’t as special. And Poison gave their standard set filled with hits from the 80s and a couple of new songs that they were pushing. They closed with a cover of Kiss’ “Rock And Roll All Nite” which is always cool to hear, but overall there was nothing spectacular in their set. Even the order of songs was anticipated.

That’s not to say it was a bad show. A standard Poison concert is still a whole lot of fun. It’s just that there wasn’t anything that shook it up from years past. All of the shows from that time period start to blend together after a while. And it must have shown in ticket sales as well. By 2003, it seemed that the end of the Poison party was close at hand. Poison would go out the next year as the opening act for KISS and they wouldn’t tour at all in 2005. It was certainly fun while it lasted, but all good things must come to an end.

These days, I get my 80s fix by attending the M3 festival in Maryland every spring. It’s a two night event that is filled with all of the great bands from back in the day. And while I hope that poison will headline that festival one year, they haven’t to date. I am still hopeful though. As I can no longer witness their travelling hair metal bonanza, it would be nice to see them appear at M3. Maybe next year will be the year that it finally happens.

Vince Neil Setlist

Shout At The Devil

All In The Name Of…

Too Young To Fall In Love

Girls, Girls, Girls

Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)

Home Sweet Home

Wild Side

You’re Invited (But Your Friend Can’t Come)

Looks That Kill

Dr. Feelgood

Teaser

Kickstart My Heart

Poison Setlist

Look What The Cat Dragged In
Squeeze Box
Ride The Wind
I Won't Forget You
Your Mama Don't Dance
I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine
Something To Believe In
Stand
Fallen Angel
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Unskinny Bop
Talk Dirty To Me
Rock And Roll All Nite
Encore
Nothin' But  A Good TIme