Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard somehow always counted as a bit “cringe” at home.

The reasons might have been the feminine stylings, Crüe’s makeup (Aerosmith even wrote Dude Looks Like a Lady about them…), the loose bad-boy vibe of the California crew focused mostly on looks, or Def Leppard’s glam roots recalling T-Rex and Slade, their finer arrangements, soft vocals, increasingly electronic sound, and Joe Elliott’s Bundesliga haircut—unacceptable in any era.

Yet in summer 1991, when my friend Peti and I cornered Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx—the two pillars of Crüe—on the Danube promenade, there was nothing “cringe”about them. Two tall, handsome, insanely tattooed rockers (by the standards of the time),

descending from the universe of cool hedonism into the freshly post-commie streets of Hungary.

They were kind, patient, and unbelievably relaxed, and of course, we had no idea what chaos ruled their lives—or that it would intensify.

Photo: Our Author & the Twice-Dead Nikki Sixx on the Danube Promenade, 1991

We’re talking about two long and incredibly successful careers.

• Sheffield’s Def Leppard, working with excellent musicians and arrangers in every position, and
• Los Angeles’ Mötley Crüe, pioneers of the 80s glam/hair/sleaze metal wave,

are selling out tickets for their joint tour with only high-priced seating, showing that something has changed.

But is it in the hearts of Hungarian rockers or the world? After COVID, every concert counts—maybe the last one? Or perhaps the American tour success rippled over here? Who knows. Who cares.

A Series of Tragedies

Both bands boast huge sales (80–100 million albums each) and box-office smashing tours (especially in the U.S.), yet what connects them most is the dramatic turns and tragic events throughout their careers.

Def Leppard could be called the unluckiest band in the world, if they weren’t also one of the most successful. Many bands would have folded after what they went through. If anyone cursed them, the curse only partially stuck, because they still play together virtually unchanged for 32 years, four members together 43 years. Mötley Crüe could similarly be called the luckiest band in the world—or vice versa.

What they accomplished in sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll self-destruction could have wiped out small towns.

Let’s run through their rock’n’roll demolition-derby accidents—or why it’s no wonder we’ll see them live in Budapest on May 29.

The One-Armed Drummer – Rick Allen

December 31, 1984: 21-year-old Rick Allen, drummer of Def Leppard, cruises in his Corvette with his girlfriend to a New Year’s Eve party, enjoying the winter sun. Sunroof open, festive mood. Their album Pyromania sold 8 million copies, no English band had been this successful in America since Led Zeppelin. Nothing could ruin this day.

Well… except it did. An Alfa Romeo driver gets annoyed by the arrogantly driving star and overtakes them. Allen tries repeatedly to pass back, the cars clash, and the black sports car spins into a stone wall with massive force.

Rick’s seatbelt opens; he flies out through the sunroof, his left arm torn off, girlfriend trapped in the car.

By incredible luck, he lands in a nurse’s garden, another nurse happens by, and two policemen are there too (fun fact: one officer later marries one of the nurses). They find his arm, ice it (“we had lots of ice; we were heading to a party”), and the doctors sew it back on—but a few days later infection forces amputation.

Def Leppard delays recordings of the later 25-million-selling Hysteria by a year, costing £2 million, but they wait selflessly for Rick. 1986 Monsters of Rock in Donington: he returns; the crowd cheers for 10 minutes. Ever since, he’s been touring one-armed on a custom electronic kit, a symbol of brotherhood and willpower.

There’s no good footage from ’86, but the vibe comes across in this later video:

1988 soundcheck: watch closely how one-armed drumming works:

After recovering from their drummer’s tragedy, it seemed nothing could stop them. 1987’s Hysteria brought a breakthrough; the tour went well—but quiet, withdrawn, uniquely styled guitarist Steve Clarke had long been in a hole, struggling more as success grew.

“Steve had a sad, dark childhood; we didn’t know what heavy secrets he carried. By 1990 he had serious alcohol issues, and ‘Adrenalize’ recordings weren’t progressing. We gave him six months to settle into his new Chelsea home.” – Joe Elliott

January 8, 1991: Steve Clarke is found dead at his girlfriend’s place. Heavy drinking plus sedatives stopped his breathing. Grieving and guilt-stricken, Def Leppard pauses recordings until April 1992. Clarke’s replacement: Vivian Campbell, already successful with Dio and Whitesnake, still a member.

See Clarke at his peak, 1988, he is the long-haired blond guitarist:

In 1994, bassist Rick Savage suffers facial nerve paralysis, losing control over his expressions for a while. By now, symptoms are barely visible, but the recovery hit the handsome rock star hard. In March 2013, Vivian Campbell, who replaced Clarke, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. He continues chemo; his hairstyle often shows the stage of treatment, but his guitar and vocals remain unaffected.

Vivian: “I realized life is short. I’ve bought 12 Porsches, enjoy every moment, play every show like it’s the last. I’m grateful for my life.”

It’s hard to top that, but if any band has been equally battered by life, it’s Crüe.

An Accident

December 8, 1984: Vince Neil, slightly naïve singer of Mötley Crüe, rents a beachfront house in Redondo Beach. That evening they celebrate successes; Tommy Lee, girls from the house, and members of Finnish band Hanoi Rocks are there. Eating and drinking for three days, they run out of booze. Three blocks to the nearest store, Vince drives his newly bought 1972 Ford Pantera; Razzle, drummer of the Rocks, asks to join to see the vintage car. Both are wasted. At the 40-speed sign, car spins at 120 km/h, hits an oncoming VW Beetle.

The couple in the Beetle suffer life-altering injuries, Razzle dies at the scene. Vince pays $2.6 million to victims and families, serves 30 days in jail, which he now finds laughable. Before grumbling at life’s unfairness: in 1995, Vince’s 4-year-old daughter Skylar dies after a long battle with kidney cancer. The event hits him so hard it still shows.

An Overdose

December 23, 1987: Slash, Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Robin Crosby (Ratt), and Motley bassist Nikki Sixx celebrate a very white pre-Christmas in LA. Later, Sixx goes to Franklin Plaza Hotel; his dealer overdoses him with heroin.

Two endings exist; truth unknown:

1. Paramedic revives him with two adrenaline shots, shouting “Nobody throws up in my ambulance today!” Sixx escapes; fans find him naked and disoriented, take him home.
2. Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler drags him under a cold shower, hits his head with a plastered hand until he revives.

This wasn’t Nikki’s first brush with death: years before, a London dealer shot him, then tried to revive him with a baseball bat, eventually dumping him in a street dumpster.

A Child’s Death

Tommy Lee, the band’s lanky, childishly charming drummer, was initially famous for cute girlfriends. Married Heather Locklear, later Pamela Anderson. Their violent, dysfunctional relationship, plus home porno leaks, were bad enough. True tragedy: June 19, 2001.

At a Malibu pool party celebrating their son’s birthday, a 4-year-old guest is left unattended, found floating dead. Lee, not even in the band then, narrowly avoids prosecution.

A Terrible Disease

Founding guitarist Mick Mars suffers from Bechterew’s disease since youth. His spine and ligaments stiffen completely. Tours were hell. He’s 8 cm shorter, can’t move his head.

The underrated musician retired recently, ceasing active concerts. Sadly, legal battles ensue with former bandmates over shares and company positions.

Only the Def Leppard joint tour brought $170 million in revenue.

Enough with the survival tabloid drama—now everyone gets why it’s a big deal that they’re coming here and playing. Let’s talk music. Especially the time- and career-based parallels between the two bands, because their approaches to music couldn’t be more different. Mötley is all feeling and momentum, sometimes blues, sometimes punk, but always shaped by spectacular visuals, decadence, and extremes, often sacrificing musical refinement along the way.

Despite all their clumsiness, their early albums are still lovable, especially 1981’s Too Fast for Love or 1983’s Shout at the Devil. They mixed glam outfits recalling the New York Dolls with satanic symbols, simple but effective musical building blocks, stirring up a killer cocktail.

Booze and partying didn’t help, but 1983’s Theatre of Pain gave us Home Sweet Home, the genre-defining power ballad, which catapulted the boys into a whole new dimension.

1986’s Girls, Girls, Girls was recorded in full junkie mode, so yes, there’s filler, but Wildside and the title track saved the album from total disaster.

After the big sobering-up, 1989’s Dr. Feelgood remains the Crüe’s pinnacle. Canadian producer Bob Rock, who had previously worked as an engineer with Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and The Cult, found on this record the bombastic sound he would later perfect on Metallica’s Black Album.

Def Leppard – The Polar Opposite

The Sheffield five, inspired by Queen, Bowie, and Slade, are defined by perfectionism and extreme attention to every detail. Their gorgeous five-part harmonies, ever-fresh guitar tones, and ultra-fine arrangements form a style instantly recognizable anywhere. On 1980’s On Through the Night and 1981’s High ‘n’ Dry, almost everything is already there that would make them the most popular band in the U.S. for a while.

1983’s Pyromania is already a massive American success—so much that locals thought these Yorkshire lads were Americans. The album also introduces Rhodesian-born producer genius Mutt Lange, fresh off AC/DC’s Back in Black.

There isn’t a bad track on the record—you’d think this production couldn’t be topped. Then came Hysteria (1987), after three years of trials. Lange and the band spared neither time nor money—at the time, it was the most expensive album ever made—and produced a true masterpiece. Every note, beat, and effect is in place; the richness of musical details is dazzling, yet the album is surprisingly easy to digest.

“We wanted to make a hard rock Thriller,” said guitarist Phil Collen later.

They did. In America alone, 12 million copies sold, and with stages set in the center of the arena, Leppard became a superstar. This LP is totally deserted-island worthy.

The Classic Albums episode about this record is incredibly exciting as well.

The following 1991 Adrenalize continues that momentum and inspiration. Phil Collen recorded Steve Clarke’s parts, bizarrely evoking his recently deceased friend. Many still like 1996’s Slang for its unconventional sound, and there are memorable moments on later albums too, but the backbone of their concerts remains the albums mentioned above.

Still Going Strong

Before anyone thinks we’ll see burned-out old men at the end of May, rest assured: Leppard is still brilliant—watching them live is an experience. On 2024 May 19, they played their hometown club, Leadmill—their first show in a tiny venue in 35 years—and it worked beautifully. So no, this is no demolition derby!

If we can forgive chubby Vince Neil, whose voice occasionally resembles a  Chihuahua in labor, the new superstar guitarist (John 5), and the sexy dancer-vocalist-backed Mötley lineup will not disappoint. 

Photo: By Bjornsphoto – Own work, CC BY 3.0