MTLEY CRE's NIKKI SIXX: 'I Think Our Best Record Is Still In Us'

Chad Bowar of About.com recently conducted an interview with MTLEY CRE/SIXX: A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

About.com: MTLEY CRE is touring this summer with POISON and NEW YORK DOLLS. Was there a thought of having SIXX: A.M. also play, like you did a couple of years ago on Cre Fest?

Sixx: It never came up. It was something that we did that was really a great experience. We got to open for MTLEY CRE, which was the weirdest thing ever. The only thing weirder would have been if I could have sat in the crowd and watched the band, which I hope doesn't happen. (laughs) This summer MTLEY is going out with POISON and the NEW YORK DOLLS. The DOLLS have a big influence on a lot of levels to a lot of bands, and we feel that POISON has so many hit songs. All three bands are survivors, and I like that. It feels like an underdog tour. None of these bands should be here, and here we are. It's very exciting to see the reaction of fans. The ticket sales are through the roof. That tells me the fans asked for something, they got what they wanted, and they are really happy about it. The bands are happy, and everybody is really excited. With the economy being so bad and it being hard for people to go to concerts, for people to be excited for this tour to come through their town makes us feel like we made the right decision.

About.com: Vince Neil [MTLEY CRE singer] has had some issues recently, including a DUI arrest in Las Vegas and other charges involving an incident with his girlfriend. Any concerns about him and his status for the tour?

Sixx: Vince is fine. Don't believe the gossip. There has been so much gossip about this band for 30 years. Whether it's Nikki's dead or Tommy's [Lee, drums] gone AWOL or Mick's [Mars, guitar] not going to make the tour, and now there's new stuff about Vince. We were just all together and we were laughing. He's made some mistakes, he's rectified that, we're going to rehearsal and we're going to kick some ass.

About.com: Are there plans for another MTLEY CRE studio album?

Sixx: I think our best record is still in us. I really believe that. When we buckle down towards the end of the year and next year and really put the songs together, I'm excited. "Saints Of Los Angeles" was fantastic. It was nominated for a Grammy, and after being around for 30 years and being nominated tells me we're still making music that people are noticing. Album sales are down globally and the band is still doing great. We're always figuring out ways to reinvent ourselves and keep the adolescent charm alive in the band. That's part of the beauty of the band, its simplicity and fragmented, weird personality. That's what makes MTLEY CRE and we really don't want to fix that. We love being in a band together. We love our music and the fans are loving it. Without sounding like a clich, I'm really grateful that I still get to do this.

Read the entire interview from About.com.