This summer I had the chance to read The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx, bassist for Motley Crue -- a band I've never been a fan of. It's pretty much all the debauchery and insane hedonism you'd expect, except that he also stole Vanity away from Prince (not Appolonia, though). Nikki (born Frank Ferrana Jr.) did so many drugs and drank so much liquor that he's actually supposed to be dead, according to the book.
What's funny about this interview, which I did while working for The Onion, is that I have no recollection of it whatsoever. I read that entire book, never once realizing I had spoken to this guy years ago. When I got home and dug through my archives, though, here it was. Because it's Nikki Sixx, he's got more than a few scandalous quotes here.
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Man, I’m sorry to call you so early.
Hey, don’t worry about it. That’s what I’m here to do.
What’s new, Nikki?
Well, I’m working on getting my clothing line over to Japan. I’m promoting my solo project, 1958, and getting together the next leg of the tour, getting a live album and some remastered stuff together and writing songs for a new record. I’ve been offered to score a couple movies and my label, Americoma, has just signed a new band, called Laidlaw, and we’re finishing their record. So I don’t have a lot of leisure time. I don’t know what that is-- me and a golf a course? I don’t really see ‘em together.
So, instead of fighting the man, you are the man?
Yeah, we can’t fight the man, we are the record company. The record business now, without a doubt, it’s not based on loyalty or longevity. It’s based on a budget, how much airtime you can buy and it’s not based on fanbase anymore. It’s a sad world out there. Some people’s best records were their third records, and record companies in the 70s would stand by a band for 3 or 4 records -- and if they didn’t pop, then they’d make a decision. Not everybody wants a single these days. But it’s the fast-food generation and what MTV feeds you digests so quickly that you’re immediately hungry for more. There’s nothing filling there.
But not everybody can write music. You’re writing songs, instead of relying on L.A. hacks…
Yeah, I believe so. We’ve evolved into a pretty damn good band.
What does 1958 sound like?
It’s like Diamond Dogs-era Bowie. It’s glam pop with a seedy underbelly, it sounds like Brian Eno got in the studio and fucked up all the mixes.
Brian Eno! Who are your favorite bass players?
I can’t even name any bass players, ‘cause I don’t listen to bass players. If I like the band, I like the bass player. If I don’t like the band, I don’t care how good any one musician is. For me , Eddie Van Halen is one of the greatest guitar players in the world, but you couldn’t pay me to listen to a Van Halen record anymore. Musicians don’t really impress me, but teams do. It’s like having an amazing quarterback in a shitty team. I want to know that the teams all working together and we’re going to the Super Bowl, and that’s what Motley Crue is -- a group effort.
I imagine your shows being these total babefests. How often do dorky, pimply guys come up after shows to ask you questions?
The other night, this kid came up backstage and said, “In the last 90 days I’ve seen 60 concerts.” And I went, “Damn, bro.” He goes, “I’ve seen everybody from the Pumpkins to Kiss...” He just went down this long list. And he goes, “You kicked all their asses! You’re the only ones who didn’t look like you were faking it!” And I went, “Wow, dude -- that’s a pretty harsh compliment. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill!
What bands do you still look up to?
There are some bands, like the Ramones, the Pistols, Aerosmith in the early days -- and you just knew they really meant it. And that’s how I feel, when I’m on stage, I mean it. I fuckin’ live it and I breathe it. I’m not a businessman playing rock and roll -- I’m a rock and roller who has to run a business.
I’m pretty scared of you guys, you know, being Satanists and all.
(Laughs) Just like the Stones with Goat’s Head Soup—they’ll always be Satanists won’t they? But that’s not as scary as when you don’t know what’s going on. I always questioned whether Mick Jagger was having sex with men or women, or whether Keith Richards was mainlining cocaine or heroin, or whether the orgies had midgets dressed in SS uniforms backstage, or whatever! But you never knew--it was never confirmed. When a guy goes, “I’m a Satanist! I’m evil!” You go oooh -- I’m scared-- not. I mean, how scary is that? I think mystique is scary.
With the age of the video camera, it’s hard to have secrets anymore.
(dryly) Yeah, so I’ve heard.
That whole incident overshadowed the band.
Yeah. If someone dies in a car accident or from a heroin overdose, that’s all people will talk about. Get caught with your britches down? It’s like when we play live, no one talks about that. It’s just fuckin’ music!
Hey, Motley Crue has a lot of detractors.
Yeah, they love to hate this band. We walk on stage, and if a guy jumps on stage and attacks my guitar player, I beat the fuck out of him. They don’t think that’s politically correct. If a security guard beats up a fan, we stop the show and reprimand him. They don’t think that’s politically correct. We talk about how many times we’ve gotten laid in the back of the tour bus -- and they don’t think that’s politically correct. We talk about our escapades with drugs and they don’t find that politically correct. You know what? I’m not gonna stand on stage and talk about planting a fucking tree. I’m sorry!
Well, you have been packaged and sold as pretty bad characters.
It’s like we came out and said, “We’re a fuckin’ biker band,” and they wanted to package us as Honda riders. And we’re like no; we’re the Hell’s Angels of rock and roll. We’re gonna do what we want to do, they way we want so we’re always gonna be the outcasts! I’ve always gonna have an opinion and if I wanna say something, I’m gonna say it! And if you don’t like it, it’s like, fuck off. And that’s what our fans love about us -- and I don’t know any other way to be! It’s not that I’m full of myself, but all we’ve ever been has been totally honest.
Is Motley Crue a drug-free band?
No, because I don’t follow the rules very well. Whether or not I want to be sober is based on my center of beliefs, not God, or the AA book or my counselor or my therapist. I don’t play that game. I’m not saying it’s bad game to play. I’m not saying I’ll be sober forever, either. I’m saying I’m sober 99.9 percent of the time. Every now and then, I need to crash a car. I mean, it’s just something I need to do now and then.
Sure. I mean, we all do…
I’ve got a lot of things going on, and the band’s very busy and we’re very tight. Vince and I are overseeing a movie soundtrack. I need a clear head to work, but I have to jump off a cliff.
Motley Crue was recently called a homophobic band by a national gay rights group…
There are gay activists. And if that’s what you’re into, that’s OK, but we happen to like breasts -- and not pipe.
The band likes titillating video before shows. A lot of girls lose their t-shirt virginity at Motley Crue concerts.
It’s still like that, isn’t it? There’s a lot of footage. Tommy started it a couple tours ago -- getting the girls to do that, and it’s sort of a ritual at the shows. The girls pull up their tops, and it gets pretty nasty, but it’s all good. Family entertainment! The thing is, my wife has the nicest rack on the planet -- so I’m all good there, man.
(Copyright 2010 by Jeffrey Charles Stratton. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.)
(Copyright 2010 by Jeffrey Charles Stratton. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.)
That was quite entertaining. I read the Heroin Diaries. The soundtrack that accompanied it was terrible, but I take an interest in rock star junkies. It's always an interesting character study.
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