Mötley Crüe starts over, ‘From the Beginning,’ with a Las Vegas residency and a new era of decadence

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In 1981, bassist Nikki Sixx left his glam metal band in Hollywood, which he’d formed three years prior in London, to embark on a new venture with drummer Tommy Lee. They posted an ad seeking a “loud, rude, and aggressive” guitarist, and Mick Mars answered the call. With Mars on board, they successfully convinced singer Vince Neil, an old friend of Lee’s who was in another band called Rock Candy, to join their new group, eventually forming Mötley Crüe.

Starting with their first album “Too Fast for Love” in 1981, Mötley Crüe truly embodied their unusual nickname. They gained notoriety with their groundbreaking album “Shout at the Devil” in 1983 and continued to flourish throughout the late ’80s, achieving their greatest commercial success with “Dr. Feelgood.

Mötley Crüe has endured various challenges such as addictions, near-death experiences, breaks, separations, and reunions throughout their career. Their journey in music is marked by each milestone, documented on the album “From the Beginning.” This collection spans from their debut single “Live Wire” to their latest track “Dogs of War,” which was released 43 years later. Additionally, they re-created a timeless Mötley Crüe classic, the ballad “Home Sweet Home” from the album “Theatre of Pain,” featuring Dolly Parton in 2025. This reimagined version climbed to No.1 on the charts, 40 years after the original recording was first released.

Nikki Sixx humorously remarks, “Pairing Mötley Crüe with Dolly Parton is the epitome of sensational headlines.” Previously, he played bass on her 2023 “Rockstar” album. He suggests that this unusual collaboration embodies the shock factor that has always been a part of Mötley Crüe’s essence.

As a supporter of our latest rendition of “Home Sweet Home,” I’m thrilled to share that the earnings from this release will be donated to Covenant House, an extraordinary nonprofit we’ve been collaborating with for close to two decades via the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative. My connection with Covenant House began during the release of my 2007 memoir, “The Heroin Diaries,” where I was involved in creating a music program at their Hollywood center. In October 2024, we staged an unforgettable series of intimate club shows, known as Höllywood Takeöver, at the Troubadour, the Roxy, and Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood. These shows not only provided an incredible experience for our fans but also managed to raise an impressive $350,000 for this deserving organization.

Sixx states, ‘These children are truly remarkable! They represent our future; they could potentially reshape the world. Imagine if one of these youngsters finds a cure for cancer but never got a chance?’

In simpler terms, Sixx particularly enjoys the more intimate performances slated for 2024, such as those at The Underworld in Camden, London, and Bowery Ballroom in New York City. These smaller shows remind him of rehearsals, as they embody a raw, stripped-down sound that he has always appreciated.

He mentions that one aspect he truly enjoys about being in a band is our rehearsals. They’re extraordinary, simple yet powerful – just the basic instruments like bass, drums, guitar, and vocals without any additional effects. Over time, we build upon this foundation by adding all the extra details. It always brings me back to what makes us unique as a band.

At this point in their career, Lee’s enthusiasm is fueled by various factors, one of which is their third stint in Las Vegas spanning over a decade. This newest residency, which began last week and continues through October 3rd at Dolby Live at Park MGM, is part of that excitement. Moreover, a portion of the ticket sales from the 10-show run will be donated to Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, adding another layer of significance to their performances.

Lee shares that he’s been wedded to Nikki and Vince for more than four decades. He emphasizes that maintaining a marriage requires finding ways to keep it engaging and entertaining, or else it can become routine and dull. In other words, if you don’t spice things up, you might as well be reading the newspaper at breakfast with the simple request of ‘Pass the butter.’ So, they’ve kept their lives exciting with trips to Las Vegas in Dolby Atmos, new music, club shows, creative videos, and collaborations with Dolly Parton, among other adventures. To sum it up, they’re always looking for something fresh that makes both them and their audience respond with an enthusiastic ‘Oh, yes!’

Since their initial residency at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel in 2012 and the following “An Intimate Evening in Hell” the next year, Mötley Crüe can almost consider Las Vegas as a second home.

According to Sixx, there’s a significant collection of our work that might not be fully appreciated until you reach this point. Now, we find ourselves in an intriguing situation where, if we don’t perform the popular songs, we receive criticism, and if we do, we also face criticism.

Some deeper hits by Crüe that should be added to the set list are “Stick to Your Guns,” which was not a single from their debut album “Too Fast for Love,” and a song that Kim Fowley, who was previously the manager and producer of the Runaways, asked a young Sixx to compose for Blondie back in 1979.

Nikki Sixx says that when he was 17 years old, we recorded that song. However, no record company wanted to work with us, so we founded our own label and secured a distribution deal instead. Then, in 1982, when we teamed up with Elektra Records, they suggested removing one of our songs because it made the vinyl sound less rich. As a result, ‘Stick to Your Guns’ was cut from the album. Nevertheless, I have always admired that song.

Sixx recently revealed that Guns N’ Roses once considered covering the early Crüe track.

Sixx chuckles as he mentions that occasionally someone will ask him to play “Stick to Your Guns,” a song not widely recognized by many. He jokes that playing this obscure tune would effectively quiet a stadium.

For Lee, there’s something more paternal around the band’s lengthy catalog.

He remarks that, much like what other artists claim, our songs are similar to our children. Just as children mature and acquire distinct personalities and characteristics, so do the songs. Some remain close to their roots, settle down, and create families of their own. Others venture out, returning home unpredictably with new experiences and a transformed appearance, but we love them all equally.

Through every tune, Lee suggests that the band members grow increasingly in sync with one another. “We learn to nudge each other slightly beyond our comfort zones, ultimately aiming to bring out the best in each other.

Despite the possibility of constantly creating fresh tunes, Sixx, who’s been the primary songwriter for the band since its beginning, favors the rhythm of dropping individual songs instead.

Speaking from a film lover’s perspective, I remark that the current cinematic terrain has shifted, offering opportunities to develop a couple of unique concepts or collaborate on three screenplays. These ideas seem feasible and satisfyingly appetizing for fellow cinephiles.

While the band’s story has been well-documented in films like ‘The Dirt,’ based on our 2001 memoir, it’s essential to understand that Mötley Crüe is more than just that narrative. We are known for our powerful music, and one of the most iconic examples is the riff from ‘Kick Start My Heart.’ Unfortunately, some people confuse us with the sensational aspects of our story and forget about our musical contributions, like the hotel incident in Ontario which, while dramatic, should not overshadow our enduring tunes.

One common misunderstanding, as Sixx clarifies, is not that Mötley Crüe split with Mars in 2022, but rather that there was a dispute over his departure. In April 2023, Mars filed a lawsuit against the band, claiming he was pressured out and his bandmates tried to reduce his 25% ownership share. Despite this legal action, John 5-who had been playing lead guitar since October 2022 before the lawsuit-continues to tour with Mötley Crüe.

[Mick] informed us that due to health concerns, he wouldn’t be able to complete his contract, and we released him from the agreement,” Sixx reminisces. “Later, he filed a lawsuit against us because he claimed he couldn’t go on tour. We replied, ‘If you can’t go on tour, you can’t go on tour.'” He suggested that this situation might be something I encounter in the future as well.

Despite no court resolution occurring between Mars and the band, a judge in Los Angeles determined in 2024 that the band had not submitted necessary documents to Mars in a prompt manner and was mandated to reimburse his legal expenses, as reported by Loudwire. The initial disagreement concerning the band’s operations and potential dismissal of Mars entered into private arbitration.

Although the arbitration is ongoing, during its preliminary stage, the arbitrator favored the band over Mars in their ruling. In simpler terms, the legal dispute between Mars and the band went into arbitration, and at the initial hearing, the arbitrator decided that the band was right while Mars was wrong.

In another area of debate was Mars’ accusations concerning the band’s employment of backing tracks. This is a point Sixx has persistently defended. He explains that their experimentation with audio enhancements began in 1985, using “Girls Girls Girls” track “Wild Side” as an illustrative example due to its sequenced guitar parts. Sixx clarifies, “Anything we augment the performances with, we originally played. If there are additional background vocals alongside my own, and we have backup singers to mimic the album sound more closely, that doesn’t mean we’re not singing.

Mars, who’s currently in the midst of producing his second solo album, chose not to provide comments when reached out to by The Times regarding the report.

Sixx labels Mars’ claims as an “unexpected treachery” to his reputation and the fans, stating, “Claiming he was part of a band that didn’t perform is a betrayal to the band that helped save him.” He further comments, “Statements like ‘If they were really playing, then I need separate tracks from band rehearsals’ are laughable.

The band has encountered another challenge recently, which revolves around Neil’s health issues and negative feedback following his recent performances. Initially planned for March and April, Mötley Crüe pushed back its Las Vegas shows to give the lead singer time to undergo an unspecified medical treatment. As Sixx puts it, “He needed time to recover, and he’s been putting in a lot of effort.

He’s clearly building up his strength, but some people might say he isn’t performing as powerfully as before. However, it requires great bravery to face a doctor’s prognosis that you may never perform on stage again and still push forward, even if there are occasional mistakes. As time passes and he rehearses more, those minor errors seem to be fading away.

In Las Vegas, Lee is eagerly anticipating reconnecting with fans once more. Interestingly, many of these fans discovered the band through “The Dirt” during their teen or twentysomething years.

He states that our shared objective is to put on a truly extraordinary performance for everyone, giving it our absolute best every time we’re on stage.

Over four decades with Mötley Crüe, Nick Sixx’s emotional journey might have been a bit fragmented, yet he strongly feels that he would not trade this remarkable experience for anything else.

He asserts, “We’ve got a strong faith in this band. It’s now been 44 years, and we’ve spent more time playing in it than we haven’t. We’ve witnessed everything there is to see – the ups, the downs, and all the in-betweens. I suppose that’s why they made a film about us.

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2025-09-11 13:32