MÖTLEY CRÜE Drummer: 'We're Getting Along Better Than We Ever Have'

Melissa Ruggieri of the Richmond Times-Dispatch recently conducted an interview with MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Richmond Times-Dispatch: The music you're working on in the bus, is it solo material or things for the new CRÜE record?

Lee: "Yesterday I did some electronic music. I'm doing this thing in Miami called the Global Gathering and building some original tracks ... Being a drummer, I've always been attracted to beats and dance music. I've been a dance electronic fan forever and in 2000, with DJ Aero, my partner, I started DJ-ing and making some music. I had the best time doing it. I love to dance and I love to watch people."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: What is the status of the new MÖTLEY CRÜE record? Still happening?

Lee: "Yeah, it'll be out sometime next year. We're gonna start working on it in May or June."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Has the band written anything yet or do you all work on stuff separately and then bring it to the table?

Lee: "We have a jam room backstage and usually riff out in there. At the end of the tour, we'll take all the ideas we worked on and see where it is. It's so early to tell. We've been on the road for 15 months, so I think everyone is ready to go home soon and then regroup."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: How much time do you guys spend together when you're not onstage?

Lee: "A pretty good amount. Nikki and I will go shopping, and a couple of us went to a strip club the other day."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: You and Vince Neil have had some public skirmishes, but since this tour began, he's said that everything is cool between you two now. True?

Lee: "I think we're getting along better than we ever have. We're sorta designed for success now. We have our own space, our own tour buses, so we're not in each other's faces 24/7. People have kids who come out on tour; my kids come out on tour sometimes."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Any chance of another season of "Tommy Lee Goes to College" or are your academic days over?

Lee: "In about two days you're gonna hear a statement about something new. I'm looking at the press release right now, but I can't tell you what it is."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Is it an NBC press release?

Lee: "No, a different network."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: But we'll be seeing you back on TV?

Lee: "Absolutely."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Allrighty. So what's going on with your love life these days? Single?

Lee: "I am as single as you can be. I'm really enjoying myself very much. Being single doesn't suck. I kinda thought it might, but I just kinda do my thing and ... well, why not?"

Read the entire interview at www.timesdispatch.com.