Tommy Lee Part 5: The Dr. Feelgood Drum Solo

As far as awesome concert spectacles go Tommy Lee was not likely to top the spinning drum set stunt from the Crue’s 1987 tour. He sure came close though with the Dr. Feelgood drum solo of 1989-1990: on a track, suspended over the heads of the audience, Tommy & attached drum set would make their way around the arena while he played along with snatches of some of his favorite Rock songs.

The solo culminated with Tommy taking a long bungee jump off his drum set, dangling just above the audience. One night, a miscommunication with his roadie almost resulted in Mr. Lee cracking his noggin’ open like a cocoanut.

(from Chronological Crue)

‘7/4/90
At the end of his flying drum solo in New Haven, Connecticut, Tommy descends as usual on his bungee rope but has a feeling his roadie will not pull the brake on it in time. He panics and lets go of the rope to reach his foot strap, turning him upside down. When the rope’s brake is pulled on his twenty-foot plummet, Tommy’s head cracks into the head of a person in the audience, before he hits the ground head-first and blacks out. He gets taken to hospital for observation of his concussion, which not only signals the end of this show, but forces the cancellation of another show.’

Just as the 1987 drum solo was featured in the video for ‘Wild Side,’ Motley made sure those of us who didn’t see them on their massive Dr. Feelgood tour at least got a peek of Tommy’s latest trick.