Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard‘s long-in-the-works Stadium Tour finally launched Thursday night in Atlanta after a two-year pandemic delay. While the concert marked the first time the “Kickstart My Heart” rockers took the live stage together since they played their “farewell” show in 2015, that reunion didn’t last the whole set.
Drummer Tommy Lee had to leave the stage early on in the show because, as he reveals in an Instagram post, he’d recently broken four of his ribs.
“I’ve been resting and healing and even though the doctor tells me I shouldn’t play at all, you know I’m stubborn and I’ll best through the pain every show for as many songs as I can!” Lee writes.
According to Setlist.fm, Lee played on the first five songs of the set before being replaced by Tommy Clufetos, who plays drums in Ozzy Osbourne‘s live band and for Black Sabbath on their final tour. Lee returned briefly later in the show to play piano on “Home Sweet Home.”
“My boy Tommy Clufetos is here to help me out until I’m back at 100%,” Lee says. “We’ve all been waiting years for this moment and there’s no way I’m missing this! On with the show!”
In addition to the Lee substitution, Thursday’s concert featured a guest spot from Machine Gun Kelly, who joined the Crüe for the live debut of their 2019 collaboration “The Dirt (Est. 1981).” Kelly, of course, played Lee in the Mötley biopic, The Dirt.
You can watch footage of the onstage collaboration via MGK’s Instagram Story.
The Stadium Tour, which also features Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts on the bill, continues Saturday, June 18, in Miami.
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