Las Vegas is a city famed for its status as an adults’ playground. It started out as a small collection of farms and ranches but quickly adapted during the construction of the Hoover Dam as it catered to the hoards of workers who flocked to the city in search of entertainment and a way to blow off some steam.
This led to the creation of the first casinos which were little more than sawdust-covered floors in saloons where patrons would play cards. The rudimentary facilities didn’t put off players who enjoyed the ability to have a flutter, as well as enjoy other forms of entertainment at the desert outpost.
Over time, these casinos grew and matured, leading to a lot of innovations. An early example of this is the creation of the card game blackjack. Most of us will be familiar with it as it’s offered in almost every physical and online casino on the planet, with many leading sites like PokerStars Casino featuring multiple variants, including Classic, Premium, and High Roller, for their players to choose from.
These variants have differing limits, maximum hands, and side bets but they all use the same basic blackjack rules and mechanics. These mechanics are found in games like 21 and Pontoon that made it across the Atlantic and, eventually, to Vegas, but they became “blackjack” after casinos in the city started offering a separate prize for hands that contained a black jack. This bonus has gone but the name has stuck, giving us the game we know today.
Las Vegas’ innovations haven’t ended at games. The city and its casino owners have continually pushed the boundaries of what is possible in every area. This has seen them build bigger and bigger resorts, turning their casinos into one-stop shops of entertainment that include hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, cinemas, shopping malls, theatres, swimming pools, gaming floors, thrill rides, roller coasters, and even golf courses, all with the aim of attracting players to stay and visit the casino floor.
This led to many of the biggest operators in the city beginning to host live sporting events and performances by A-list artists, including top rock and metal bands. Here are the most spectacular names to perform in the city so far.
MÖTLEY CRÜE
MÖTLEY CRÜE recently announced that they were returning to Las Vegas for a residency in the spring of 2025.
The band first appeared in Las Vegas in 2012 when they took up residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in February of that year before heading off for a co-headline tour with Kiss. Following the success of the first residency, the band returned to the city in the final few months of 2013.
Come 2014, MÖTLEY CRÜE began its farewell trip around the globe that they aptly named The Final Tour. The tour, which saw them perform in Japan, Australia, Brazil, Europe, and across North America, ended with a concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and three appearances at the Staples Center across the state border in Los Angeles.
However, despite Vince Neil declaring that the band was “completely done”, a decade on, MÖTLEY CRÜE has returned and will perform at the Park MGM in March and April 2025.
Guns N’ Roses
Guns N’ Roses are a band that have endured plenty of turbulence over the years, epitomised by the fact that Slash claims he was turned away by security when attempting to watch one of their first concerts in Las Vegas back in 2001.
That year, Guns N’ Roses played a total of four nights, two in January and two towards the end of the year, but it wasn’t until 2012 that they took up residency in the city for the first time. This was followed two years later with a return to The Joint for two more weeks of performances.
With the return of MÖTLEY CRÜE to the city, there is renewed hope fans will see Guns N’ Roses back in the desert sometime soon.
