Mötley Crüe Bring Out Machine Gun Kelly, Replace Injured Tommy Lee Mid-Set At Reunion Tour Kickoff
Mötley Crüe’s Stadium Tour with Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett And The Blackhearts kicked off in Atlanta tonight, but Crüe drummer Tommy Lee had to be replaced midway through the set due to pain from breaking several ribs just days before. He was replaced by session drummer Tommy Clufetos. Also during the show, Crüe brought out Machine Gun Kelly to play the live debut of their 2019 collab “The Dirt (Est. 1981),” from the Crüe biopic The Dirt.
“We did it! You did it, we did it, we’re fucking here!” Lee reportedly said to the crowd before describing his injury. “Okay, anyway, what I’ve got to tell you is about 14 days ago, I fuckin’ broke not one, not two, not three, but four fuckin’ ribs right here… I wish I had a fuckin’ badass story like me and Connor McGregor fuckin’ scrapping out in some fuckin’ bar or something, but I don’t,” Lee continued, before introducing his replacement, Clufetos, who has also played with Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, and Rob Zombie.
Lee went on: “Anyway, I hope you guys have a fucking great time. And my boy Tommy Clufetos back here, he’s gonna help me get through this. ‘Cause the doctors told me, ‘No playing, bro. No playing.’ And I was like, ‘Are you fucking high, bro? We’ve got a fucking tour to do.’ So anyway, I ain’t fuckin’ sitting out for shit. My boy’s gonna help me out here, and I’ll see you guys later. On with the goddamn show.”
Later, Lee shared a note on Crüe’s Instagram, writing, “Man, y’all ain’t gonna believe this shit! I broke 4 fucking ribs! But I’ve been resting and healing and even though the doctor tells me I shouldn’t play at all, you know I’m stubborn and I’ll beast through the pain every show for as many songs as I can! And have no fear, my boy Tommy Clufetos is here to help me out until I’m back at 100%. We’ve all been waiting years for this moment and there’s no way I’m missing this! On with the show!”
Watch that MGK and Crüe collab below.