Nikki Sixx Says Rock Stars Should Know When To ‘Call It A Day’

Nikki Sixx thinks his Mötley Crüe bandmates did the right thing by announcing their final tour last year and sticking to it. While the hard rock icons have not ruled our recording future music together, the Crüe’s days on the road are done forever. And in an interview with Rolling Stone, Sixx says he wishes some of his fellow rock legends would follow suit.

Nikki Sixx says he feels “proud” and “content” about the way Mötley Crüe said goodbye to their fans with their final tour, which ended December 31 in their Los Angeles hometown.

“I’ve felt that we did the right thing and that we did it on our terms,” Nikki said. “I would like if some of my heroes had called it a day when it was time, instead of dragging around a 50-percent version of what they were, or a quarter.”

As for what he meant about fellow rock acts dragging around a lesser version of themselves, Sixx made it clear you won’t be seeing him selling out to show up in a TV commercial anytime soon.

“I understand that some people don’t know how to manage their money, and they don’t know how to build a career sometimes, and that’s no fault of their own. So sometimes you have to do things. Look, you’ve got a band called Europe doing a Geico commercial; that’s not in my future.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH1biQdyiQI

In the same interview, Sixx said he has had no regrets since Mötley Crüe’s sign-off show and is looking forward to more collaborations with his other band, Sixx: A.M., which features guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael. The rocker also said he is looking forward to seeing what his longtime Crüe bandmates Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, and Vince Neil do in the future.

“We ended Mötley Crüe on our terms, so now we have the time – each guy, individually – to do whatever he wants to do. And that’s cool, man,” Sixx said. “Listen, not to be morose, but there’s more years behind me than in front of me. So I’m f*cking getting to it.”

It was a privilege and honor to play with these guys! Rock On! pic.twitter.com/sg7K0yHdVV

— Vince Neil (@thevinceneil) January 1, 2016

Nikki said he’s still “a big fan” of the guys in his longtime band, but he admits they had a long road and plenty of rough times during their 35-year career together.

“I mean, we were married a very long time …We have a lot of f*ckin’ gold and platinum records under our belt, but we also got a lot of miles on our knees too, you know?”

While Sixx thinks some bands should know when to pack it in, he acknowledges that being an artist is about “living in the moment.”

“The longer you’re around, the more you have to say,” Nikki said. “When I was young, I thought I had everything to say. And I realized only part of the story was being told. But to me, ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ is equally as important as ‘Kickstart My Heart,’ as equally important as [Sixx: A.M. songs] ‘Life is Beautiful’ and ‘Rise.’ It’s all part of a journey.”

Nikki Sixx has made it clear that that Mötley Crüe thought long and hard about their farewell tour, and in an interview with The Village Voice, he appealed to other bands that call it quits to just stick with it.

“We made the decision, we were proactive in this,” Nikki said. “No one came to us and said, ‘This would be a good shtick.’ We said, ‘We’re doing this and we want it to stick.’ People said, ‘You’re going to leave a lot of money on the table,’ and we said, ‘If it’s just about the money, we’re in the wrong business. In the future, when bands say they’re doing a farewell tour, I hope they also draw up legal documentation that says they will [make it final]. Because, you know, bands lie to fans, and fans don’t trust bands.”

Motley Crue Teaser for Forthcoming Concert Film of The Final | https://t.co/jPhq7nqcy7 #Vs.,AlbumStreams,Late pic.twitter.com/COefLblZhn

— Alterity (@theRealAlterity) January 6, 2016

With the Crüe tour now wrapped, Nikki Sixx has plenty on his plate to keep himself busy. In addition to his work with Sixx: A.M., Nikki hosts the Sixx Sense radio show. He also said his current band is nothing like Mötley Crüe, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Our audience is between 20 and 25 years old,” Nikki told the Village Voice. “They’re not Mötley fans. God bless Mötley fans — and you’re welcome — but we’re our own band. Why would we want to be Mötley Jr.?”

Check out the video below to see Nikki Sixx performing in Sixx: A.M.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFa1f_WCms

[Photo By Ethan Miller/Getty Images for iHeartMedia]