Motley Crue has had to prove time and time again that it is the musical equivalent of a phoenix, the mystical bird that rises from the ashes of catastrophe stronger than ever.

Certainly, the band has had to endure its fair share of troubled times and tragedies. Consider some of the setbacks and problems it has overcome since its formation in 1980.

“We came out at a time when the public wanted something new,” guitarist Mick Mars said. “Our success was very quick. In a couple of months we went from not playing at all to playing large clubs and then it kept climbing from there.”

But then the troubles began.

Religious fanatics attacked the group in the mid-80s for using Satanic imagery on stage and in music videos.

Homophobics bashed the group for its trademark usage of leather, long primped hair, makeup, tattoos and body piercing.

Fans ran away from the group like lemmings rushing towards the sea after the dismissal of lead vocalist Vince Neil, who was replaced by the disappointing John Corabi.

Neil’s daughter, Skylar, died of cancer two years ago. Bassist Nikki Sixx almost died of a heroin overdose in 1987 (one of a series of near overdoses from various band members).

Neil pleaded guilty of drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter charges in 1985 stemming from a car accident that killed Hanoi Rocks’ drummer Nicholas Dingley.

There have been divorces, more car crashes, assault charges, wrongful dismissal lawsuits (one each from Corabi and Neil), indecent exposure charges, drunk and disorderly conduct charges and feuds with other bands, including a brawl with Guns N’ Roses members during an MTV Music Awards celebration.

With all of these things going on, it’s no surprise the band has gotten a nasty reputation and its members have been accused of being Satanists and trouble-starters.

But Mars insists that this is simply not the case.

“People label you as evil when they don’t understand what is going on,” he said. “It is just their way of dealing with their own incompetency. Does it bother me that they feel this way? It never has because I know it isn’t true.”

Mars believes people who spend time trying to discredit or trash his group are wasting their time and energy. He thinks they should find something more worthwhile to do. Or maybe they should just open their eyes and take a long, hard look at their own lives.

Motley Crue has taken great pains in getting its affairs in order. This became perfectly obvious when the group got rid of Corabi, who served little purpose in the group other than bringing it down in flames. Fans all over the world often showed up at Crue concerts with homemade banners stating they wanted Neil back.

Fortunately, that’s exactly what they got.

During Corabi’s four-year stay (from ’92 to ’96), the group made one CD, “Motley Crue,” which was not nearly as successful as any of the band’s previous releases.

Tours started selling less than half of the available tickets. The end seemed to loom in front of the band (which has sold nearly 35 million albums worldwide) like giant mountains on the way toward Denver, Colorado.

Then came the group’s performance at the ’97 American Music Awards with Neil back in the line-up. That was followed by a new CD, “Generation Swine,” which entered the Billboard charts at No. 4.

Although less than two months old, “Generation Swine” has spawned a chart-dominating single, “Afraid,” the video of which features Hustler publisher Larry Flynt (in exchange for his appearance in the video, the group will be featured on the cover of Hustler).

Life is now good for Motley Crue.

Drummer Tommy Lee is happily married to ex-Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and has a wonderful son named Brandon (there is a song about him on “Generation Swine”).

Sixx is married to yet another Baywatch star, Donna D’Errico, and both Neil and Mars are engaged.

The group is also sober and drug-free.

“I enjoy my life more now than I ever did,” Mars said. “I’m not as plastered now as I was back in the ’80s. In the early days, I didn’t give a shit about how trashed I’d get before a performance. I’d put down 15 to 20 shots of vodka and go on stage.

“I was fat, dumb, dumpy and oblivious,” he added. “Then I woke up one day and decided I should give something back to the fans other than being a drunk shithead on stage. What it all amounts to is, we don’t need drugs or alcohol to have a good time anymore.”

That’s certainly a vastly different attitude than the Crue used to have.

Mars recalls a time in Colorado when Lee was running up and down the hallways of a hotel they were staying at completely naked.

The authorities were called and they came looking for a long-haired man.

Mars, who describes himself as “a laid-back kind of guy, really mellow and kind of boring,” fit the description and was arrested for the incident.

“I think new bands do that a lot,” he explained. “I guess they do it because it’s fun for awhile, until you see all the money being thrown away. The challenge is not in destroying hotel rooms and tossing shit out of windows. The challenge is to take that destruction and do something more creative and productive with it.”

Which is exactly what the band has done. It has recently worked in conjunction with the Eat Me Now bottling company (famous for such “alternative” sodas as Brain Wash, Black Lemonade and Love Potion #69) to invent a new non-alcoholic beverage called “Motley Brue.”

The drink (which is made out of jalapeno, ginseng, mad dog weed and skullcap) is designed to stain its consumer’s mouth indigo after consumption. It also features specially designed collectible labels courtesy of the Crue.

The group also redesigned the concept of CD pre-release publicity with its nine-city “Live Swine” tour.

The tour offered fans a rare chance to listen to the entire CD live before its release.

Tickets to all nine of the concerts sold out in less than six minutes each, with proceeds going towards the Skylar Neil Memorial Fund to aid cancer research.

Now, the Crue is reinventing the entire concert experience with its “Motley Crue Vs. The Earth” tour.

The experience begins at the door, where fans are treated to the “explosive sounds” of DJ Larceny and continues to the actual performance.

Apple Computers, the group’s promotional partner for the tour, has designed an Internet/fiber optic network that allows fans to “view a nightly Web cast of concert highlights and behind-the-scenes activity” through the group’s homepage (generationswine.com).

Additionally, fans from other cities will be able to party with the Crue courtesy of the fiber optic network and giant screens that are strategically placed in each venue the group plays.

But that’s not all.

Fans will also be allowed to bootleg every concert. This includes any videotaping, photography or recording (the only exception being that cameras cannot use the flash function).

Motley Crue will be playing material from all of its CDs (1982’s “Too Fast For Love,” 1983’s “Shout At The Devil,” 1985’s “Theater of Pain,” 1987’s “Girls, Girls, Girls,” 1989’s “Dr. Feelgood,” 1991’s “Decade of Decadence,” 1994’s “Motley Crue” and 1997’s “Generation Swine”).

Fans can expect to hear newer gems such as “Glitter,” “Beauty,” “Brandon” and “Afraid” alongside such greatest hits as “Shout At The Devil,” “Looks That Kill,” “Live Wire,” “Wild Side,” “Smoking In The Boys Room” and “Home Sweet Home.”

“Sometimes it gets redundant playing the same material over and over again,” Mars said. “But it is also a good feeling. It’s what people want to hear and it’s cool that they want to hear it. Thank God that music doesn’t get stagnant.”

Motley Crue will be appearing at Veterans Memorial Auditorium this Saturday night at 8 p.m.

Tickets (reserved seating only) are $25.25 and $32.75. Cheap Trick will be opening for the group.