Nikki Sixx Says It’s “Irresponsible” For Bands to Perform “Tired With A Beer Belly”
Either Nikki Sixx just fired a shot at his singer or badly misspoke. But whichever the case, Sixx’s latest comments come as a slap in the face to Mötley Crüe vocalist Vince Neil.
In a new interview, Sixx proclaimed it “irresponsible” to “stand up there [on stage] all tired with a beer belly.” In case you missed it, Neil has been standing up there all tired with a beer belly for years. We’re not here to body shame, but Neil’s physical condition has long since bled into his performances, resulting in vocals that are consistently badly off key and out of time, leaving him out of breath, and in one recent instance, forcing him to end a show early.
The interview came via Fresh N’ Lean, a meal prep delivery service, and hence focused on physical fitness. Sixx, who takes good care of himself at 62 years old, relayed on the topic of staying in shape:
“My family is naturally, a lot of them, overweight. I’m 195 pounds, six-one. When I go into full cardio and light, medium weight, I’ll go down to about 185, but actually put a little bit of weight on. So I have to work really hard. My body wants to go 200 — it wants to do that. And it’s not necessarily for vanity reasons — I just don’t operate well [at a heavier weight]; the machinery doesn’t operate well; I don’t think good; I don’t sleep good. So health and exercise has become such a part of my life.
“I think back, even around ‘Shout At The Devil,’ I was drinking a lot of whisky back then, but I remember trying to get into sort of workout, training things to get ready for the tour. ‘Cause it takes it out of you onstage. People come from everywhere to come see you play, and you just stand up there all tired with a beer belly. I mean, that’s irresponsible. There’s a million other bands that would like to have your job.
“[Exercise and health] has been a part of my life a lot. And now I try to eat right and try to get enough sleep. One of the things I love is I have this Whoop app that I use that monitors my sleep. I used to have an Oura Ring. I try to keep an eye on all that stuff for my energy, because I’m constantly wanting to create stuff and then I’m gonna go on tour. So you can’t go too far down the rabbit hole.
“I’ve gotta stay on top of it or it directly affects everything. And you have a two-year-old, you get to the end of your day, and whether writing songs or doing interviews or being at work, and this little person needs your time, and I have four older children, and they need their time with their dad, and time with my wife and friends, you can’t run out of energy. So the working out and the fuel is super important.”
Much was made of Neil’s physical condition prior to Crüe’s planned 2020 stadium tour with Def Leppard, which has now been moved to 2022 on account of the pandemic. In the run-up to that tour, the band, their management, and even Neil himself, acknowledging his reputation, made assurances that he’d be in fighting shape by the time the tour rolled around.
Neil made headlines in September when he revealed that he was attempting to get in physical shape by using a “a revolutionary non-invasive fat burning and muscle building device that helps trim, strengthen, define, lift and tone your body with incredible ease.” Its creators claim that half-hour treatments “can help you achieve your dream body without sacrificing your lifestyle — because who has time to spend hours at the gym?”.
Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen recently pointed out that Neil has a year to go before the two bands’ co-headline tour, saying about the Crüe singer, “Hopefully everything is cool by then. I hope so. Fingers crossed.”
Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts tour dates for 2022:
6/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Suntrust Park [tickets]
6/18 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium [tickets]
6/19 – Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium [tickets]
6/22 – Washington, DC @ Nationals Park [tickets]
6/24 – Queens, NY @ Citi Field [tickets]
6/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park [tickets]
6/28 – Charlotte, NC @ Bank Of America Stadium [tickets]
6/30 – Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium [tickets]
7/2 – Jacksonville, FL @ TIAA Bank Field [tickets]
7/5 – St. Louis, MO @ Busch Stadium [tickets]
7/8 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field [tickets]
7/10 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park [tickets]
7/12 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium [tickets]
7/14 – Cleveland, OH @ First Energy Stadium [tickets]
7/15 – Cincinnati, OH @ Great American Ballpark [tickets]
7/17 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Field [tickets]
7/19 – Kansas City, MO @ Kauffman Stadium [tickets]
7/21 – Denver, CO @ Coors Field [tickets]
8/5 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park [tickets]
8/6 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park [tickets]
8/10 – Buffalo, NY @ New Era Field [tickets]
8/12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park [tickets]
8/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium [tickets]
8/19 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park [tickets]
8/21 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome [tickets]
8/22 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Park [tickets]
8/27 – Inglewood, CA @ Sofi Stadium [tickets]
8/28 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park [tickets]
8/31 – Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park [tickets]
9/7 – San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park [tickets]
[via Blabbermouth]
