Mötley Crüe made their way back on stage in Las Vegas on Friday, September 12, launching their long-awaited residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM.
The shows had initially been set for spring but were rescheduled after frontman Vince Neil revealed he’d suffered a stroke last Christmas.
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Neil opened up about the health scare for the first time. “I had a stroke. My whole left side went out… I had to learn to walk again, and that was tough,” the 64-year-old shared. Doctors even doubted he’d return to performing, but Neil insisted otherwise. “I go, ‘No, no, I’m gonna do it. Watch and see,’” he told the outlet.
Neil described the difficult recovery process, from being carried to the bathroom to moving through various walking aids. “I went from people carrying me to the bathroom, because I couldn’t walk myself, finally to a wheelchair. I graduated to a walker, and then I had a cane. Now I don’t need anything. But it’s like a full-time job getting back to where you feel good again,” he shared.
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“It takes a while to get your brain to start moving your legs, for them to do what your brain wants to do. You try to walk but it doesn’t come out right,” he said, adding that he’s now about “90, 95 percent to where I was before.”
The Crüe’s residency runs through October 3 and marks their third time setting up shop in Sin City, following runs in 2012 and 2013. Neil hadn’t performed with the band since October 2024’s Aftershock festival. The band’s lineup also now includes John 5, who stepped in after guitarist Mick Mars retired from touring in 2022 due to ongoing health challenges.
Neil and John 5 join Mötley Crüe’s other iconic members onstage — bassist Nikki Sixxand drummer Tommy Lee.