Last week Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx made some waves when he criticized KISS for duplicating the Crue’s onstage mechanics, for their Motely’s final tour.
Ahead of KISS’ show at The Forum in Los Angles, Nikki took to Instagram (in a since-deleted post) to share an image of Crüe’s final tour with the caption “If ya wanna see an exact reenactment of this just go to the Los Angeles Forum tonight.”
Kerrang! caught up with Nikki to discuss his comments, and clarify exactly what he meant.
“I didn’t go to see KISS at the Forum [in Los Angeles]. First of all, I have to say that I really like KISS’s earlier songwriting; when I was a little kid who was learning to play music, they were a huge band. Aerosmith was always my favorite, but you can’t argue with simplicity of songs like Deuce and Black Diamond and Strutter and Parasite. In terms of my songwriting influences, they go into the same category as Slade or Cheap Trick. It’s very simple, hooky songwriting.
But what they did that really bothered me, and my bandmates, is [for Crüe’s farewell tour] we built these giant arms that fitted in the venue’s ceilings, that had lights in them, and we developed these things. It was a lot of work and it cost a lot of money. And these things would hide up there and then we’d use the lights to light the show. Then at the end of the set these arms would come down from the ceiling and me and Vince would jump on them and they would take us out over the arena and that was our grand finale.
But then I saw a video [of KISS] and they were using our arms. It was exactly our shtick. I just think it’s uncool. I think it’s uncool of the company to make the same thing again for them. I don’t know, it just bothers me. It was our last tour on Earth, and something that people have posters of on their walls is now being repeated by KISS. Sure, we all use pyro and stuff, but with this we re-invented an idea. And this was our idea.”
Compare for yourself.
Motley Crue’s biopic The Dirt will be airing on Netflix on March 22nd, the same day the band will be releasing the soundtrack from the movie. Read more about it here.
31 Responses
“I can’t take it any more” Just thought I add a little more…
Yes, Mick is my favorite, as well. Underrated guitarist and a man who knows how to keep a low profile.
Yes, that is a true statement. If nothing else, publicly, Mars knows how to act with maturity and tact.
Nikki Sixx is delusional. First off, the passive aggressive slam on the simplicity of KISS’ music is laughable. Crue’s songs are all simple, there’s no 2112 in their catalog. And let’s compare the diversity in styles and sound from the first KISS album to Destroyer(in 2 years time) to Dynasty/Unmasked, The Elder, The Solo Albums, 80s hard rock like Creatures to pop like Crazy Nights….what KISS accomplished alone from 1974 to 1979 in 5 years(7 studio albums, 4 solo albums, 2 live albums) DWARFS anything Crue did. So there’s that.
Regarding staging and risers that go up in the air and move around from side to side or forward, I suggest Sixx look at the gatefold sleeve from KISS Alive II from 1977, 30 something years before Crue’s farewell tour, if he wants a history lesson on who came up with the basis for the idea in the first place. Douche.
Actually one of the biggest selling, and most influential rock bands of all time, wrote some of the best simplistic melodic songs, and that would be, the Beatles.
On a superficial level, Sixx’s comments sound whiny, supercillious and juvenile, on a deeper level, simply foolish.
Everything Motley Crue ever did was inspired and influenced by KISS!
– same goes for Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, they are the only 2 who have been more inspired and influenced by KISS (namely Peter Criss and Ace Frehley) than Motley Crue.
God darn it, now I got that damn Billy Joel song in my head. I like him, but now is not the time for it. I should have metal stuck in my head.
I did start the fire but I’m gonna end it maestro. I need a shot of Black Sabbath with a dash of Anthrax and o double shot of Overkill followed by a Motörhead chaser
and a Lenny on the Rocks.
dana,
please do not put juan croucier and departure in the same sentence, unless juan’s joining a journey tribute band… and don’t think i haven’t noticed the lack of ratt posts this winter. last month was the longest juanuary, ever!
LOL!!! I jaunt you to know how sorry I am. 😉
these guys are so petty,so what,does kiss cry about the crue using the same type of pyro,and there use of make up back in the day,please everyone takes from everyone,get a life !!!!