Remember how spectacular it is to have a big show to party at on New Year’s Eve? Ok, maybe you don’t…

Well, it’s been so long since we’ve had a big New Year’s Eve show that most of you probably thought they don’t do that sort of thing anymore.

Most people probably think New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate with friends and family, while watching some silly ball drop, and singing that “Auld Lang Syne” song that makes me want to jump off a building.

Nope, it’s not! It’s a better time than ever to go see shows. Who needs your drunken uncle, or drunken girlfriend, when you can pay obscene amounts of cash to see a band you could have paid 20 bucks less per ticket to see them earlier in the year.

The reason I am writing this in NOVEMBER, instead in about a month, is the fact that Detroit is getting a big arena show on New Year’s Eve for the first time in five years, when the loudest show of last year, Motley Crue, hits the Palace before the ball drops.

Ok, ok, I’ve had a change of heart about this reunion tour in the past couple of weeks, and it makes me want to give it a second chance. I saw them back in February, and was a little less than impressed. I don’t know if it was the snow; or the ten or eleven cans of Labatt’s that I drank before the show that hinder my viewing of the show; but I was still able to write a halfway decent review.

I checked out the “Carnival of Sins” live DVD two weeks ago, and walked away more impressed than I did from the February show. But giving them a second chance or not, the Crue’s show on December 31st may still never top these classic New Year’s shows:

Rage Against the Machine/ Helmet- Dec. 31, 1993- State Fairgrounds: Remember the good ol’ State Fairgrounds. It had a fine odor of 50 year old aged urine to it, and you could still see random strands of hay floating around four months after the State Fair. Anyways, the bands put on a strong show, and left an impression in my mind for years to come.

Nine Inch Nails- Dec. 31, 1994- Palace of Auburn Hills: If you were there; you remember the Noir Leather stage show on the concourse, back when they did those sort of things out in the open. You may also remember the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow, which defies the limits of gravity and skin. Oh yeah, and Nine Inch Nails played a good show at the height of their popularity.

Metallica/ Kid Rock- Dec. 31, 1999: Remember when the worst threat in the world was a bunch of computers crapping out? Those were the days…Metallica, along with Sevendust and Kid Rock (before the country days) demolished the 35,000 people at the Silverdome in an eight hour show that set the standard for the next century (too bad there hasn’t been a big New Year’s show since, unless you count Kiss’ 2000 New Year’s Eve show where about 6,000 attended). Oh yeah, Ted Nugent was there promoting beef jerky and screaming for anyone that would listen to him. I was not one of them.

I am glad the concert promoters in this area have done something right in this town; by bringing the big names back for New Year’s Eve. Hopefully, this becomes a trend, and at least I won’t have to sit and watch Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve with Regis Philbin at some party I can hardly remember.

(I'm taking some time off, but will be back the first week of December with plenty of venom for you. Have a good Thanksgiving!)