IRVINE, California — Dave Grohl can cross another item off his list of rock and roll fantasies.

"I can now say I officially opened for Mötley Crüe," the Foo Fighters frontman marveled at KROQ-FM's annual Weenie Roast.

(See photos from the 2005 KROQ-FM Weenie Roast.)

It's an accomplishment Audioslave, Queens of the Stone Age and several others can now also claim, although after Saturday's festival at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, they may not want to.

The Crüe proved to be heroes to many of the rockers on the bill — even members of Interpol were spotted watching their backstage interview with KROQ. But they were plagued by technical difficulties and perhaps a few too many shots of Jägermeister during their show-closing set.

Playing the Weenie Roast for the first time — and invited on by morning show DJs Kevin and Bean, who at one time had a "Screw the Crüe" mantra — the metal stalwarts came out all fire and brimstone with early fave "Shout at the Devil," but Vince Neil appeared to have forgotten most of the verses and just sort of wailed along where the words were supposed to be.

Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars, the sober Crüe members, kept the show going through a seriously rough "Live Wire," during which Neil had problems with his in-ear monitor and missed most of his cues. Later, Tommy Lee had issues with his drum set, inspiring him to throw a cowbell into the crowd and give the one-finger salute to a potentially now-unemployed drum tech.

The devoted who stuck around were treated to some serious pyro for "Wild Side" and Sixx's autobiographical "Kickstart My Heart," but there was no encore and no "Home Sweet Home."

Perhaps the Crüe's biggest challenge, however, was having to follow Audioslave and the Foo Fighters.

"Killers' Brandon Flowers Lets The Music Do The Talking").

MxPx, Jimmy Eat World, Interpol, Hot Hot Heat (who "named their band after today," according to sweat-soaked KROQ DJ Jed the Fish) and My Chemical Romance also took the main stage, offering a mix of punk-influenced styles. While between-song banter was rare at the festival, MCR singer Gerard Way had fun with it, rambling and thanking "Big Baby Jesus" and "the Academy" at one point.

On the side stage, dance rockers the Dead 60s, the Bravery and Bloc Party held a party with punks Alkaline Trio and the Transplants, who played their first show in a year. And then there was the Mars Volta, who, like Queens, drew a crowd of other bands.

"They were cool, but it's kinda weird to see them when the sun was shining," Jimmy Eat World bassist Rick Burch said. "They're a nighttime band."

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

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