Laura Mann at The Dallas Observer has filed a report on highly anticipated MÖTLEY CRÜE / POISON / NEW YORK DOLLS tour kick-off show at the Gexa Energy Pavilion, pegging the Crüe as having delivered a "sub-par performance." An excerpt is available below:

"The past 15 years have found the aging Crüe relying more and more on their stage set to mask the sloppiness of their live playing, and last night was no exception. Singer Vince Neil was a complete mess, forgetting lyrics left and right and getting so out of breath that he even stumbled over the lines he did remember. Nikki Sixx looked like he was going through the motions.

Meanwhile, Tommy Lee, far and away the most talented member of the Crüe, has always had drum rigs that are the stuff of legend, and, on this tour, his kit attaches to a giant circular structure at the back of the stage. When Tommy's strapped into this thing, the whole kit goes up in the air and upside down before descending on the other side. The drum rig, pyro, backup dancers, and costume changes are a complicated act to pull off, and the Crüe took long breaks between songs to adjust everything, which threw off the pacing of the set.

In their defense, though, had they eased up on the gimmicks (which also included Neil at one point donning a Dirk Nowitzki jersey, and the band copvering Cee-Lo's 'Fuck You' at another) and just played, their shortcomings -- especially Vince's -- would have been more glaringly obvious."

Go to this location for the complete report.

Tour dates are as foillows:

June

10 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
12 - Albuquerque, NM - Hard Rock Casino Presents The Pavilion
14 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
15 - San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
17 - Phoenix, AZ - Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Red Rock Casino Resort
19 - Salt Lake City, UT - Usana Amphitheatre
21 - Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
22 - St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
24 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
25 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
26 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
28 - Toronto, ON - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
29 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre

July

1 - Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
2 - Noblesville, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center
3 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
5 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Live
6 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
8 - Biloxi, MS - Mississippi Coast Coliseum
9 - Birmingham, AL - Verizon Wireless Center
10 - Atlanta, GA - Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
12 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
13 - Hershey, PA - The Star Pavilion at Hersheypark Stadium
15 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
16 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center
17 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
19 - Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center
20 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
22 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
23 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
24 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
27 - Cheyenne, WY - Frontier Park
29 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Centre
30 - Frederick, MD - Eventplex at the Frederick Fairgrounds
31 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion

August

2 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
3 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
5 - Sparta, WI - Fort McCoy Army Base
6 - Moline, IL - iWireless Center
7 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center
11 - Ridgefield, WA - Sleep Country Amphitheater
12 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
13 - Nampa, ID - Idaho Center
16 - Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center
17 - San Diego, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Mötley Crüe recently checked in with the following update:

"If you have a ticket to one of the upcoming Mötley Crüe shows, you have a chance to show the entire venue your best shot!

For a chance to see your picture live on-screen during the show, just take a photo on your smart phone at the concert and send it to fanphotos@motley.com. We'll put pictures up every night and make you part of our show!"