Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil Falls Ill, Cancels Major Festival Concert

Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to cancel an upcoming appearance at a Key West music festival. Neil, 61, was scheduled to perform a solo act at the RokIsland Fest, which runs between Jan. 17 and Jan. 21. Lynch Mob and Slaughter were added to the Jan. 19 lineup to make up for the absence of Neil and “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” band Wig Wam.

“I am sad to report that yesterday I was diagnosed with Covid,” Neil said in a statement the festival’s staff shared on Jan. 12. “I am okay but this thing is really kickin’ my ass. All that being said, I am unable to perform at RokIsland Fest next week.I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to the RokIsland Fest organizers and most of all my friends and fans.I am disappointed, to say the least.I was so looking forward to this show.”

Neil said he hopes to appear at the Florida festival in 2024. “In closing, I wish all the attendees of RokIsland Fest 2023 a fun and exciting time with all the other amazing acts,” Neil added. The festival’s organizers added that they wish Neil a “speedy recovery and hope to see him back on stage soon.”

The remaining headlines for RokIsland Fest 2023 are Enuff Z’Nuff, Loverboy, 38 Special, Styx, and Tesla. The other acts performing are Jetboy, Pretty Boy Floyd, Steve Adler, Honeymoon Sweet, Helix, Quiet Riot, Extreme, Stryker, Black N’ Blue, Queensryche, Stephen Pearcy, and Autograph.

Neil toured North America throughout 2022 with Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard in the biggest stadium tour of the year. They plan to take their tour to European and Latin American arenas, with Alice Cooper as a special guest. They have another U.S. leg starting on Aug. 5 in Syracuse, New York.

Before they hit the road again, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard will perform at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Feb. 10 and 11. They also have an “intimate show” scheduled for March 12 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. These shows will be the first Mötley Crüe performances without guitarist Mick Mars, who is being replaced by Rob Zombie’s former guitarist, John 5.

“We had an incredible time playing ‘The Stadium Tour’ in North America this summer and we truly can’t wait to take the show around the globe with ‘The World Tour’ in 2023. Crüeheads get ready because we have a few amazing U.S. dates set for you,” Mötley Crüe said in a statement, reports Blabbermouth.

The tour has reinvigorated Mötley Crüe, Neil told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in September 2022. “We’re far from being over,” the singer said. “When we come back in ’24, we’re going to do it all over again.” Unfortunately, the band has no interest in recording new music. “We are strictly a touring band,” Neil said.