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Tommy Lee’s Drum Rig: An Evolution of Madness

Tommy Lee celebrates his birthday on October 3, and what better way to honor the Motley Crue drummer than with a series of wild videos of Tommy doing what he…

Tommy Lee of Motley Crue performs onstage.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Tommy Lee celebrates his birthday on October 3, and what better way to honor the Motley Crue drummer than with a series of wild videos of Tommy doing what he does best. (No, you perv! Not those kind of videos!)

Few drummers have brought the live theatrics quite like Lee over the years. The infrastructure surrounding his kit has evolved over time. We can't even imagine the type of engineering and testing that went into some of these rigs. Even thinking about it makes our head spin more than Lee literally spinning in the air while never missing a beat.

To our knowledge, Lee's drum rig has seen three significant phases over the years. Below, we take a look at those phases. Spoiler: Prepare to be in awe!

Early Beginnings: Rotating Rig

Tommy Lee's drum rig had humble beginnings, in hindsight. However, at the time, the simple rotating rig was revolutionary.

The 360 Roller Coaster Rig

A significant upgrade from the rotating rig, the 360 roller coaster rig is quite large. Also, we'd love to know just how Lee is strapped into his kit to prevent him from falling out.

The 'Cruecifly' Rig that Floated Above Crowds during Motley Crue's Not-So 'Final Tour'

The "Cruecifly" is nothing short of insane! This rig was unveiled during what was referred to as Motley Crue's "Final Tour." While that proved to be incorrect and the band returned to the road years later, the "Cruecifly" is truly an engineering feat. Lee must have nerves of steel to even attempt playing while in something like this.

Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights