Look Back: Long before Party on the Patio, Mötley Crüe rocked Pocono Downs

Ed Lewis, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.Times Leader

Aug. 23—Soon after the Plains Township zoning/hearing board allowed an Allentown-based music promoter to host a concert at Pocono Downs, tickets went on sale.

It wasn't just any concert held in the middle of the horse track on Aug. 24, 1987.

It was Whitesnake and as Nikki Sixx would say, "Mötley (blank) Crüe."

The music promoter estimated a crowd of 8,000 for the double-header concert. More than 15,000 showed up.

Behind the scenes, the township zoning/hearing board approved the concert despite the promoter being late in submitting their application. The promoter was mandated to have one security officer per 100 concert-goers and have a $1 million umbrella liability insurance policy to protect Plains Township from any liability related to personal injury and/or property damage.

The Pennsylvania State Police, along with Plains Township police, prepared for Armageddon.

Soon after the zoning/hearing board approved the concert, on July 25, 1987, tickets began to be sold at Gallery of Sound record stores, Ralph's Record, Liz Rock Tours and Ticket Plus. The cost of each ticket was $17.50, plus an additional service charge.

In the popular era of the late 1980s with teen boy mullets, Aqua Net skyscraper hair for the teen girls, jean jackets and muscle cars, along with the hair metal rock, tickets sold out within 48 hours.

"Monday night's invasion by more than 15,000 Mötley Crüe fans took a smaller toll than might have been expected," the Times Leader reported Aug. 25, 1987.

State police cruisers were lined up on both sides of state Route 315, while Plains Township police heavily patrolled Pocono Downs. Just after 2 p.m. on Aug. 24, 1987, Route 315 began to experience heavy traffic that became heavier during the day.

The parking lot at Pocono Downs quickly filled as several neighboring businesses took advantage and charged concert-goers a small parking fee.

"Township police reported only a few minor traffic accidents, none with injuries," the Times Leader reported.

Security guards at three gate entrances frisked concert-goers and searched their bags, confiscating alcohol, drugs, knives, chains, studded bracelets and other potentially dangerous items.

Whitesnake took the stage at 7:30 p.m. and sang their hits of the time, "Here I Go Again," "Still of the Night," "Is This Love," and some of their older tunes.

After a half-hour intermission to allow the set-change on stage, Mötley Crüe's drummer Tommy Lee arrived first, pounding his drums inside the cage-like set.

"Three rows of amplifiers glowed with flashing lights and brightened the stage to reveal the Crüe's lead singer, Vince Neil, decked out in leather pants and boots, black tank-top and red bandana," the Times Leader reported.

To Neil's left was the Crüe's bassist and founder, Nikki Sixx, and on the right was guitarist Mick Mars, along with two leggy blonde back-up singers on stage.

With Sixx yelling into the microphone, the first song Mötley Crüe played was "Live Wire" from their debut album Too Fast for Love.

Mötley Crüe played nearly 24 songs during their two-hour set.

"Despite an occasional muddy sound mix (which could be blamed on the complexity of putting on a show outdoors), the Crüe were in top form," the Times Leader reported.

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