Dr. Feelgood
Photo by Drew Ressler
In an age when the term “rock star” epitomizes a vaunted standard of living (to “party like a rock star” is to reach the pinnacle of contemporary Western leisure), one man, perhaps more than any other, personifies those words: Tommy Lee. His vitae loco: enviable endowment, an AVN Award-winning video, Pamela in her prime, Mötley Crüe ruling the hair-metal era, and “Girls, Girls, Girls.” Oh, he also played drums in a band that sold 40 million records. So what does Lee – el rockero mas chingon – see in our little corner of the world, electronic dance music?
I get him on the phone to find out. I ask how he paired up with DJ Aero, with whom he’s headlining super-clubs these days as part of their “Electro Mayhem Tour.” He starts to tell the story but quickly interrupts himself. “Wow,” he says. “Dude, the hottest girl ever just walked by. Stay focused, Tommy.”
Ah. There’s girls in them there dance clubs, too. Where the Sunset Strip’s ’80s rock epoch attracted skinny babes and men dressed like them, contemporary electronic dance music has a similar hedonistic energy that’s rarely outdone by other music subcultures. The sounds may be different, but the sexual electricity isn’t. So, what better candidate to tap into it than Tommy Lee?
“With Aero and I, there’s nothing but energy and dirty bass and sexy shit – and people are getting off on it,” the rocker says.
Indeed, the pair spin and tweak “electro house” music like they’re making a soundtrack for cyber-porn. A recent performance on Sirius Satellite Radio showed that their sound is crunchy, banging, and relentless. The drummer sticks to complementary duties in the DJ booth – he mostly adds electronic effects, drum-machine beats, and DVD visuals to Aero’s well-mixed stream of sound.
“I don’t do anything to disrupt the groove,” Lee says, “but I want to add to it.”
“He’s not just a DJ,” Aero says. “We’ve got an actual drummer at our shows.”
Lee and Aero met in 2000, when Lee’s band, Methods of Mayhem, needed a DJ for its tour. Champion spinner Mixmaster Mike, who contributed to Mayhem’s record that year, wasn’t available, but Aero’s similar DJing style fit the bill. Lee had always had an ear for electronic dance music, and Aero’s sound evolved to include electro house. So they paired up once more in 2004 to perform at Miami’s big-stage DJ-palooza, the Ultra Music Festival. Aero mixed up-tempo dance records while Lee did his thing. The drummer was hooked.
“Once you get a taste of 20,000 kids bouncing up and down, you say, ‘OK, I’m in,’” Lee says.
He’s all in. That same year, he was forcibly removed from the turntables of a Vegas club where he’d been booked to spin: Apparently, management didn’t appreciate his skills. Lee, in turn, reportedly continued to order Cristal without paying. (What happened that night might not have been proper dance music, but it sure was rock ’n’ roll.) In 2005, as legend has it, Lee gigged at a resort outside Zagreb, Croatia, with superstar DJ Erick Morillo. The refund-seeking owner of the resort was not pleased with Lee’s performance and allegedly held him against his will, until Lee and company fled with the help of local authorities. That year, Lee starred in the short-lived NBC reality show Tommy Lee Goes to College, which was executive produced by dance-music legend BT. More recently, Lee contributed some electronic drum beats to the production work of breakbeat star Adam Freeland. And when Lee and Aero aren’t on the road, they’re in the studio, working on original material they hope will someday land on their own mix-CD. Toronto-based friend and dance phenom Deadmau5 stayed at Lee’s L.A.-area home last week so he could pitch in with the music making.
“I must say, I’m over rock music,” Lee proclaims. “I just like everything. I love beats – I live for them.” Spoken like a true dance star.
Tommy Lee & DJ Aero bring their “Electro Mayhem Tour” to Crash Mansion, Sat. at 1024 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Doors at 9 p.m. 21+. Tickets: $25. Info: Crashmansionla.com.
Published: 12/20/2007
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