Nikki Sixx has compared Motley’s Crue’s retirement to a boxer bowing out gracefully at the top of his game.
He says their decision to end their touring career on New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles is all about pride, and that the move is having the desired effect.
Sixx tells For Bass Players Only: “It started with the idea of us not wanting to be what we’ve seen before – people hobbling off into the sunset.
“We watch it in boxing. I’ve seen some of my favourite football players who should have gone away a couple of seasons before.
“It’s human nature to want to keep going, but you have to fight when you know there’s the possibility of not looking great on the way out. It’s better to pull it in a couple years too early, and that’s really what we’re doing.”
He describes the shows so far as “phenomenal” and adds: “I feel really proud. I talked to the guys in the band and they feel really proud.”
And he’s adamant there will be no reunion tour at a later date. “Every version of that question has been asked,” he says. “There’s all the trick questions – ‘Would you do it for $100million for five shows in Dubai?’
“Let’s just get to the core of it – do you want us to renege on our word? We don’t want to. I don’t need to name the bands that have. It’s obvious. For us, we didn’t want to do that.”
Crue released a video for their single All Bad Things in January. They play this year’s Download festival at Donington on June 12-14.
