Behind the Poster: Mötley Crüe Whisky A Go-Go February 1982

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Mötley Crüe started their career on the world famous Sunset Strip, as they performed many nights at the iconic venue Whisky A Go-Go. Nikki, Tommy and Vince lived in an apartment up the street from the Whisky on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, holding wild parties at the apartment with members of the audience after gigs. 

When Mötley Crüe sold out a three-night stand at the Whisky in 1982, Nikki Sixx was so excited he phoned his grandparents. “You’re not going to believe it! We sold out three nights at the Whisky. We fucking made it,” Sixx said on the call, as told in The Dirt. To which his grandfather replied, “Made what? Nobody even knows you are.” However, fans and the whole world would soon know Mötley Crüe very well, and would be celebrating their career 40 years later.

On the final night of Mötley’s Whisky triptych, the band ripped through cuts from their debut LP, Too Fast for Love. “That was one of the highlights of our career,” Sixx told L.A. Weekly in 2011 of those '82 shows “We didn't see what was coming next.” Their Whisky buzz set the band on course for future stardom on sophomore LP Shout at the Devil. 

We're excited to share our official poster commemorating Crüe's three sold out shows at the Whisky, a pivotal moment in the history of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band: 

Selling out the Whisky A Go-Go three nights in a row was a defining moment for the legendary Mötley Crüe. It’s something Nikki Sixx has referred to as one of the highlights of their career. I wanted to keep the image simple and bold to reflect the rawness of band, and paying homage to the early DIY concert flyers. I was honored to be able to help celebrate this event with this official poster, my second for Mötley Crüe!  - Andrew Alekseev