Troubled television actor Charlie Sheen was booed off the stage during the opening night of his narcissistic “Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option” tour at the Fox theater in Detroit.
The disorganized show started with video clips, a guest comic and a rapper (Simon Rex) who failed to hype the crowd. Fans began booing lustily minutes after Sheen brought out his porn star goddesses who shared a passionate kiss onstage.
Sheen played a music video he recorded with rapper Snoop Dogg entitled “Winning”. It was embarrassing to watch as Sheen told one heckler, “I’ve already got your money, dude.” Hundreds of people walked out to chants of “we want a refund!”
Things were much improved the following night in Chicago, as fans who paid upwards of $1,000 (for private booths) cheered the former “Two and a Half Men” star with chants of “Detroit sucks!”
For last night’s show, Sheen did away with the video clips, including the Snoop Dogg music video. Instead of displaying his usual grandiose personality, he sat quietly in a chair while his tour manager, Joey Scoleri, interviewed him.
Sheen managed to avert a minor disaster in Chicago, but critics doubt the tour will last through the remaining 18 cities.
“Not really a trainwreck, just a little bit sad and more than a little bit tedious,” wrote Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times after Sheen’s performance in Chicago.
Roeper noted that Sheen, who is not a stand up comic, was painfully “out of his league.”
Getting a little impatient with the constant interruptions from the crowd, Sheen displayed a hint of narcissistic rage when he barked: “I f-cking talk, you listen!”
“Finally, Sheen read a long letter from a fan saying how great he is, the lights went up, and that was that,” wrote Roeper.
The writer pointed out that no one got up and walked out during the Chicago show, but, he added, “to command a stage in front of a large audience, you have to bring it — or you’re toast.”
Charlie Sheen’s “Violent Torpedo of Truth Tour” rolls into Atlanta on April 21 at the Fox Theater. Lots of tickets are still available.
