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Random
Mag:
How is the tour going?
Nikki Sixx:
The shows have been going wonderful, you
know. We've gotten a lot of real
support. I think the people coming out
for the shows are the real Crueheads.
The one's that where there for 'Shout At
The Devil'. It's not the ones who get
sucked in by songs that are on the
radio, which can be good or can be bad,
you know. You get a lot of people who
are there because it's the in, hip thing
and that's good too cause your turning
new people onto your music, but when
you're not on the radio...'cause we made
a very non-radio oriented album, you
find out who your real fans are. It's
exiting because we've been playing all
these outdoor sheds, all these outdoor
arena's, or amphitheatres all summer and
tonight's the first of a run of theatre
shows...going into smaller places, and
we are pumped about that. It's gonna be
great! It's right there man...right
there. You know, it's not so far away
that the band looks like little ants
running around on stage.
Random
Mag:
What happened to The Ramones and
the Butthole Surfers, weren't they
supposed to tour with you?
Nikki Sixx:
They couldn't seem to agree on who
wanted to play first and who didn't want
to play first. It was just so against
everything we where into. We where into
putting one big package together and you
found, like, ego's getting involved and
stuff. I don't know who, but I
personally feel it was the Butthole
Surfers that caused the problem. I'm a
huge Ramones fan, so that was a
heartbreak for me.
Random
Mag:
So how did Type O Negative come about?
Nikki Sixx: We
heard their record and really liked it
and we knew they where unexposed. So we
wanted to give them a shot.
Random Mag:
So what kind of stuff are you
getting into?
Nikki Sixx:
I've always listened to a pretty bizzare
array of music. I mean, I listen to
everything from Marilyn Manson...Have
you heard them yet? It's Trent Reznor's
new side project. He produced it. It'll
fuckin' blow your mind, man. I listen to
stuff like Helmet, Henry Rollins, all
the way to Sheryl Crow, The
Breeders...and then I jump into
my...like...stock...heavy old Mott The
Hoople, Slade, Old Bowie. I'm a music
fan. I listen to music.
Random Mag:
I
read somewhere where you said a true
music fan listens to everything...
Nikki Sixx:
Your either a music fan or your not.
It's that simple.
Random
Mag:
So how long are you gonna be
touring?
Nikki Sixx:
Well, we're gonna tour until it's time
to...Well, until there's not enough
interest in us to play anymore or until
one of us dies...preferably the first.
(laughs)
Random
Mag:
Are you gonna touch all the
countries like you have done before?
Nikki Sixx:
Yeah right, we're just talking. We're
going to Japan in October and we've
already been to Mexico. Canada, we are
going to do Canada. We're talking about
doing South America, Europe. You know,
the funny thing is the band, because
it's not commercially...It's viable on a
smaller level. It's exciting because
there is a lot of small places a band
can play. It's a lot easier to play
smaller places then it is to play larger
places.
Random
Mag:
Plus a lot of people don't like
bigger places because your setting in
the back and can't see anything...
Nikki Sixx:
Sure...Why bother...put on the record,
get a 6-pack of beer, a joint, whatever.
Why hassle it. That's what's cool about
theatres, you're right there. You get to
see what the band is doing.
Random
Mag:
What kind of old songs are you
doing?
Nikki Sixx: We
do a lot of old stuff. We do Shout,
Livewire, Feelgood, Kickstart... We do
some really different arrangements of
some of the old stuff too. Like Home
Sweet Home, stuff like that. It's a very
aggressive show. That's for sure. It's
real aggressive. We have an acoustic set
at the end. It's like a really nice
breather, because we really don't let up
for an hour an a half solid. We just hit
it over then head. Then we kind of just
let up for a little bit. We play for a
long time. We play up to two hours.
Random
Mag:
Are you doing a lot of new stuff?
Nikki Sixx:
Yeah, we're doing about 60-70% of it.
Random
Mag:
So, what happened in the MTV
interview?
Nikki Sixx:
Well, they just dissed on...They where
fucking with us and we're the type of
band that doesn't take shit. So we just
said, "Piss off" and we walked. It was
funny because MTV got so many hate
letters for messing with us.
Random
Mag:
Are you basically
saying Fuck MTV or what?
Nikki Sixx:
Well,
you know, the thing is, if MTV wants to
play our videos...We work really hard on
them. We want our fans to see them. What
we don't want is for them to overexpose
us, but at the same time...It's a
double-edged sword... There are a
certain group of people we want to see
our videos. There is also a group of
people that only buy records because
they're on MTV. That's not necessarily
the group of people I'm concerned with.
I'm concerned with people that are
diehard Hard Rock fans and I want them
to see what it is we are doing with this
new band. Now, if it wasn't a new lineup
with John (Corabi), if it was the
original lineup, I don't even know if we
would have made videos because I really
think MTV is a joke. But, because there
is a lot of people out there that are
fans of the band and question what we
are about, it gives us that opportunity
to show people what we are about (with
our videos), but without prostituting
ourselves. To prostitute ourselves for
MTV, to make a candy ass song or a candy
ass video? We're not prepared to do
that. So we're sticking to our guns.
Random
Mag:
So what do you think of MTV
completely changing their music style
and leaving behind some of the groups
from the 80's?
Nikki Sixx:
Well, just the whole concept of saying,
"Well, we're in a new decade and
anything from that decade should be
disposed of" is sort of silly. I think
it's all about quality of music. If
you're making great music, great. Bands
should evolve. So should that music
channel. You can't just go, "Well,
that's over", cause then that's
saying...Well, what are you saying? Are
you saying you sucked for 10 year?
Because I don't think I sucked for 10
years. If they think they sucked for 10
years then what where they doing? Just
being a fucking money machine. So
they're whores, and we hate
whore...(laughs)
Random
Mag:
On the new albums inside cover
sleeve, you wrote, "Music written by a
band, as a band." Is this more of a
total band effort?
Nikki Sixx:
Yes.
Everybody has something to do with
everything.
Random
Mag:
What's some of the lyrics deal
with on the new album?
Nikki Sixx:
There's a lot of different subjects.
'Till Death Do Us Part' is based...It's
my belief...It says, "It's me, myself
and I, Till Death Do Us Part." You're in
your skin until you take a dirt nap and
it's up to you how you want to
dress...if you want to tattoo it...if
you don't want to wash it, whatever. It
is (about what) you want to do in your
life. It's up to you cause...'Till Death
Do Us Part', it's all about you. How
good of a person you want to be, what
you want to achieve in life. It's a song
based on having pride. The lyrics say.
"I've made a few mistakes and I stand by
them" because we all make mistakes and
you got to learn from them.
Random
Mag:
That's kind of different than what
most lyrics deal with today...
Nikki Sixx:
Well, I think the whole Angst-ridden
thing is a bit of a trend. There's a few
artists out there that struggle with
whatever it is inside of them...and I've
been through that struggle, I
understand, but we can't have a whole
generation of musicians who are all
depressed. I mean, give me a fucking
break.
Random Mag:
So how do you feel about the Kurt
Cobain deal?
Nikki Sixx: I
think it was a cop out. Kurt Cobain was
extremely talented and I was really sad
when it happened. I was depressed. I
remember I was driving down the freeway
in Los Angeles when I heard it and I had
to pull over. I was like...Fuck
man...Why dude? And in retrospect, I
looked back on everything the man
said... He said his parents divorced
when he was young and they fucked up his
whole childhood...and that's why he was
fucked up and blah, blah, blah,
blah...and everybody went, "Yeah Kurt, I
can relate." You know, my parents fucked
me over too and I can relate personally,
Nikki Sixx's parents fucked him over
too, but you know what, he had a child
and he had a chance to break that
chain...but what he did was decide to
blow his head off. If he turned out like
that, what is his child gonna turn out
like? And to me that's fucked
up...That's wrong.
Random
Mag:
Speaking as a father yourself?
Nikki Sixx:
Speaking as a father myself. How could
anyone do that to their child?
Random
Mag:
Getting back to the lyrics, why
did you not print the lyrics in the tape
cover this time?
Nikki Sixx: We
just thought it would be cooler to let
people listen instead of read, but at
the show, the programs have the lyrics
in it, which is cool for like the
die-hards. But I got enough complaints
this time around from fans. I listen to
the fans and their telling me, "Dude,
the lyrics walked me through some
horrible times in my life. You've got to
print them next time."
Random
Mag:
Like 'Misunderstood?
Nikki Sixx:
Yeah, speaking of Kurt Cobain,
that was the first song they played on
the radio in Los Angeles. They said, "Kurt
Cobain has killed himself and this
song pretty much sums it up" and they
played 'Misunderstood'.
Random
Mag:
Did you and John do all the lyrics
for the album?
Nikki Sixx:
Yes, John and I did all the
lyrics together.
Random
Mag:
Do you guys usually come up with
the music first?
Nikki Sixx: I
think so, usually music first...always
first and it will sort of take on a life
on its own. Then the lyrics will come
from there.
Random
Mag:
Do you have lyrical ideas before
you go to write a song?
Nikki Sixx:
Sometimes. Sometimes they come...and
sometimes they just come when the song
comes...other times, it's a beating.
Random
Mag:
So what is the best asset John has
brought to the band that you feel Motley
Crue has needed?
Nikki Sixx:
Well, the main thing John brought to the
band, besides his talents as being a
musician, is he brought comradery back.
We're a family/ We're a fucked up,
dysfunctional, psycho family, but we're
a family. It was really three guys and
one guy and that's not what a Rock N
Roll band is about. I just refuse to
work under that unhappy situation.
Random
Mag:
Did you think about changing the band
name?
Nikki Sixx:
We'd talked about it. I had thought
about it more than anybody else really
knew. I was contemplating to do that. We
kept the name so it's probably gonna be
Motley Crue till the end.
Random
Mag:
So are you wanting to stay more
underground now?
Nikki
Sixx: I like that. Yes, I love that. I
think there was a lot of great songs
written in the past. But at the same
time you gotta, kind of, erase any
imagery you have of Motley Crue. It's
almost if you look at me, Tommy and
Mick...and, kind of, erase what
Vince
was about, you can see what this band is
about. We are very dark. That band, we
had a different kind of front man. He
emulated something different, and it was
great. We had a lot of great times, but
there was always these, kind of, dark
creatures (laughs) in the background and
those have been brought to the front.
Random
Mag:
I feel that your new album fits this
decade but also goes back to the
'Shout...' days.
Nikki Sixx: In
a lot of ways we've seen a lot of
comparison. The whole time is a lot like
'Shout At The Devil' for us.
Random
Mag:
Starting over again?
Nikki Sixx:
Exactly, and we're loving it.
Random
Mag:
What's the difference between now
and the...besides the following and etc?
Nikki Sixx:
Well, obviously it's nice to have so
much music to pick from. It's so much
more relaxed as far as being a
performer. There is a certain amount of
confidence. It's not like
this...nervous..."are we good" energy.
It's pretty much that we know we are and
extremely aggressive and good playing
band, and we want to take it to the
people. We want to knock your dicks in
the dirt. There is a confidence there
instead of an anxiety that a younger
band has.
Random
Mag:
So, is it weird jumping back
onstage after four years?
Nikki Sixx: It
was fucking freaky man. It was weird
because when we first started I really,
kind of, didn't know what to do. It's
kind of humorous in the visual
department. I'm just a dirty
motherfucker all the time. I just wear
fucked up jeans, boots and that's about
it...maybe a shirt. And you go to
perform and you go, "OK?" You kind of
forget how to move and what. It just
feels weird, you know? It was a trip. It
took a little time to fall into what it
is for me, personally, that I do. I
really didn't know what it was I did.
Random
Mag:
What about with a new lead singer?
Nikki Sixx:
It's cool because we could have come out
and been like...(pause) the coolest
(pause) ...I think it would have been
cool to change the name in a lot of
ways. It would have been really fuckin
cool.
Random
Mag:
So talk a little about your EP
entitled 'Quaternary'.
Nikki Sixx:
What we are doing is we are only selling
it through buying our album. You can
only buy it that way. Tommy an I are on
this thing called America Online.
His name is Tbone00 and mine is
Sixxdog on there and we
communicate with fans on Motley Crue
folders. We'' ask them questions and get
1000 responses from people. We'll ask
questions like, "Do you think we should
sell the 'Quaternary' CD at live
shows or do you want it just to be your
thing?" They will write back and say, "I
thin it's cool. Go ahead and sell it at
the live shows!" Then I ask, "In Japan
there is no way for them to get the
record, would you guys be bummed if we
released it in Japan?" They are like,
"No man, the more people to hear
this..." A lot of people just fucking
think 'Quaternary' is one of the
best things that has ever came out.
There are two sort of industrialized
tracks. That is Tommy's and mine.
One is a real Beatles-esque kind
of song...A Blues thing, which is
Mick's and a song with (Beatles
producer) Billy Preston called
'Baby Kills'. It's just a funky,
band effort. There is a lot of talking.
It's real personal and it's real cool.
Random
Mag:
Do you each do your own vocals?
Nikki Sixx:
Yeah. It's pretty bizarre. It's
aggressive as a motherfucker. My song is
called 'Father'. It's a letter I
wrote to my father, who left when I was
three years old. So a lot of people can
relate to that song.
Random Mag:
In closing, what do you do
beside's play?
Nikki Sixx: We
go to clubs, hang out and look at women.
Grab some beers at the local rock clubs
with fans. It's a blast.
(end)
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