Nobody can turn a rock concert into a full-blown three-ring circus like Mötley Crüe, and they did just that on Saturday night, September 19, at the new F&M Bank Amphitheater in Long Beach, CA, with fellow ’80s rockers Tesla and Extreme. Returning to the road after signing a cessation of touring agreement in 2014, the Crüe titillated audiences during the Stadium tour back in 2022 and are now rocking across the USA with the Return of Carnival of Sins tour in 2026.
Extreme kicked off the night with a high-energy 50-minute set as the sun set with the Queen Mary nearby and the glow of downtown Long Beach in the background. Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt, Pat Badger, and Kevin Figueiredo put on a kick ass rock ‘n’ roll show opening with “Decadence Dance” and never looked back. Cherone still has the vocal chops, and Bettencourt is six-string royalty, and they had no intention of easing anybody into this night of rock ‘n’ roll.
Bettencourt dominated the set with his guitar mastery, and he and Cherone took center stage for “More than Words” and, of course, the crowd woke up a bit during “Get the Funk Out.” The band ended their time onstage with an Ozzy Osbourne medley to honor the late Prince of Darkness with “I Don’t Know,” “Bark at the Moon,” and “Crazy Train.” Extreme set the bar high with their performance, proving they are as potent as ever in 2026.
Tesla followed with a completely different kind of energy, but no less dynamic. Where Extreme brought technical precision and flash, Tesla’s sound feels more bluesy, melodic, and unmistakably American. Starting with the hard-hitting “Modern Day Cowboy,” all in attendance were on their feet as guitarists Frank Hannon and Dave Rude belted out one of the most memorable guitar solos from the “hair metal” era.
Vocalist Jeff Keith still sounds crisp and on point, while the rhythm section of Brian Wheat and Steve Brown was tight and thunderous. Like Extreme, Tesla’s set was nothing but hits: “Hang Tough,” “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out),” and of course the radio smash hit “Love Song.” The set was no-filler, all-killer as they wrapped it up with the Five Man Electrical Band cover of “Signs.”
Now it was time for the Carnival to begin. The stage production for The Return of Carnival of Sins deliberately reaches back to the band’s infamous 2005-06 Carnival of Sins era, but with a modern twist. The result is a distorted combination of rock show, circus, theater, and controlled chaos. Tommy Lee’s drum intro of “Red Hot” echoed through the Amphitheater as Nikki Sixx and John 5 walked down the runway and jammed out the beginning riffs before Vince Neil’s vocals took over. What a killer song to kick off the show.
The opening stretch of songs after “Red Hot” was every fan’s dream come true: “Louder Than Hell,” “Wild Side,” “Shout at the Devil,” “Too Fast for Love,” “Looks That Kill,” and “Too Young to Fall in Love”—nothing but hits and rockers, and the show was just getting started.
Neil’s voice sounded good enough to be enjoyable, and he did a fine job leading the band throughout the night. John 5 adds a new dynamic to the band, is very active onstage, and is, without a doubt, one of the premier guitarists on the planet. John 5 and Sixx’s onstage interaction was infectious, as these guys are not only bandmates but also great friends. John 5 showed off his exceptional talent with a brief guitar solo that kept everyone in attendance fully focused on him throughout. And of course, Lee’s power and dynamic drumming anchor the Mötley sound in every song.
There were female dancers and backing vocalists on stage, and lots of cool video graphics across the enormous video backdrop. Sixx and Lee offered a little insight into the writing of “Home Sweet Home” before the band delivered a spine-chilling rendition of their biggest hit. The main set ended with the party vibe of “Girls, Girls, Girls,” and the Hollywood badboys returned to close the night with “Dr. Feelgood” and “Kickstart My Heart.”
Three bands, one damn good night of rock ‘n’ roll. What made this show special was the combination: Extreme brought the musicianship, Tesla brought the straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll, and Mötley Crüe brought the spectacle. Three very different bands from the same generation, all sharing one stage decades after their original heyday, proving this era of music will never fade and always be relevant—that’s what made this night exceptional.
TESLA
EXTREME
