Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx has made it clear the place he stands on certainly one of dwell music’s most divisive debates: whether or not legendary bands ought to maintain enjoying their largest hits. For Sixx, the reply is easy — completely sure.
Talking to 103.5 The Arrow, Sixx mentioned he outright hates it when main artists keep away from their most well-known songs in live performance, arguing that followers did not purchase tickets to listen to obscure deep cuts on the expense of the classics. “We get in, and we all know the followers wish to hear the hits,” Sixx mentioned. “I hate it when a band goes out and does not play their hits, proper?”
Whereas huge success typically comes with the burden of repetition — enjoying the identical songs night time after night time for many years — Sixx believes that obligation is a part of the deal. His view contrasts with sentiments expressed by different musicians, akin to former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, who admitted in a 2022 Metallic Hammer interview that enjoying “Enter Sandman” for the thousandth time might be exhausting.
Sixx, nonetheless, takes the alternative stance. He recalled seeing David Bowie intentionally keep away from his largest songs at one level in his profession, a choice that dissatisfied him as a fan.
“He is certainly one of my favourite artists,” Sixx mentioned. “I do not wish to go hear a bunch of C and D tracks off of information that I like. I wish to hear these songs like ‘Insurgent Insurgent.’ At that time, he was like, ‘I am so bored with enjoying the identical songs.'”
As beforehand reported by Consequence, Mötley Crüe are gearing up for a significant summer time run dubbed The Return of the Carnival of Sins, kicking off July 17 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. And based on Sixx, followers can count on loads of staples like “Kickstart My Coronary heart” — however not solely that.
“We’re not bored with enjoying these hits,” he defined. “However we’re enthusiastic about getting right into a set listing and diving into some songs that we possibly by no means performed, or have not performed in a very long time, and shaking it up.”
Sixx added that revisiting early materials and deeper cuts additionally fuels the band creatively, influencing the whole lot from stage manufacturing to the general power of the present. “For those who’re enjoying a track from the primary album, that is going to dictate lots of what manufacturing appears to be like like,” he mentioned. “For us, it is like this transferring, artistic ball of power. It is tremendous thrilling.”
With their upcoming tour, Mötley Crüe seem dedicated to hanging a stability — honoring the songs that made them legends whereas nonetheless preserving issues recent. For Nikki Sixx, all of it comes all the way down to respecting the viewers. In spite of everything, as he makes clear, if you are going to see a legendary band dwell, it’s best to depart having heard the songs that made you fall in love with them within the first place.
Mötley Crüe is coming again (whether or not you need them to or not) in 2026 with The Return of The Carnival Of Sins tour, a significant 2026 North American tour celebrating two milestones: the twentieth anniversary of the groundbreaking 2005-2006 Carnival of Sins tour and the 45th anniversary of the band.
The tour will characteristic very particular company Tesla and Excessive, and $1 from each ticket shall be donated to ASAP! (After College Arts Program), a trigger near the hearts of the band members. Get your tickets here.
7/17 Burgettstown, PA The Pavilion at Star Lake
7/18 Buffalo, NY Darien Lake Amphitheater
7/20 Clarkson, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
7/22 Toronto, ON RBC Amphitheatre
7/24 Gilford, NH BankNH Pavilion
7/25 Bangor, ME Maine Financial savings Amphitheater
7/27 Camden, NJ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
7/29 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Heart
7/31 Holmdel, NJ PNC Financial institution Arts Heart
8/1 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Heart
8/3 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Reside
8/12 Alpharetta, GA Ameris Financial institution Amphitheatre
8/14 West Palm Seashore, FL iTHINK Monetary Amphitheatre
8/15 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit score Union Amphitheatre
8/17 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
8/19 St Louis, MO Hollywood On line casino Amphitheater
8/21 Shakopee, MN Mystic Lake Amphitheater
8/22 Tinley Park, IL Credit score Union 1 Amphitheatre
8/24 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Heart
8/25 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Heart
8/27 Grand Rapids, MI Acrisure Amphitheater
8/28 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Music Heart
9/8 Kansas Metropolis, MO Morton Amphitheater
9/10 Dallas, TX Dos Equis Pavilion
9/11 Houston, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9/13 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater
9/16 Phoenix, AZ Speaking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
9/18 Chula Vista, CA North Island Credit score Union Amphitheatre
9/19 Lengthy Seashore, CA Lengthy Seashore Amphitheater
9/21 Salt Lake Metropolis, UT Utah First Credit score Union Amphitheatre
9/23 Wheatland, CA Toyota Amphitheatre
9/24 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheater
9/26 Ridgefield, WA Cascades Amphitheater
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