MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx recently reflected on how both he and the band have evolved creatively over the past 45 years. Speaking with Dustin Grove of WTHR-TV Channel 13 in Indianapolis, Sixx discussed how time, life experience, and shifting priorities have shaped his approach to songwriting.
Sixx explained that his growth as a lyricist mirrors his personal evolution. “You evolve as a person, as a lyricist,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “My evolution as a lyricist, it goes from the rawest of the raw to the most heartfelt. And that’s just as I grew as a man and my interests evolved. That changes the lyrics, but then that changes the idea of the song. The lyrics to ‘Home Sweet Home’ is way different than the lyrics to ‘Shout At The Devil’. And so as we go, we just keep evolving. And you might stumble upon some different ways of writing. I guess you just keep kind of chipping away at the stone, so to speak.”
When it comes to creating music today, Sixx says the band no longer feels pressured to rush. With a young daughter at home, he explained that maintaining balance is important: “We’re not in a rush ever. We don’t have to be in a rush. In my case, I’ve got a six-and-a-half-year-old [daughter] who’s amazing. And so I wanna not be in a rush to work constantly so I can enjoy that part of it and then go out there and play for the fans. It’s about balance.
Sixx also spoke candidly about aging in the music industry and staying authentic—something he believes not everyone does successfully. “Life changes, man. It’s cool that it changes. The thing that I don’t like is when I see artists that are still trying to act 25 and they’re 65. I don’t think that’s cool for the fans. Evolution is evolution. We all age, we all change, we have different interests, and MÖTLEY CRÜE seems to have ridden that wave pretty good, just letting it be real.”
He added that MÖTLEY CRÜE’s unapologetic approach has always sparked strong reactions, both positive and negative. Nikki offered: “Like us or hate us, one thing about MÖTLEY CRÜE is we have so many people that we just really piss them off, and other people that they say we’ve changed their lives. So I guess if you’re gonna operate the way we operate and say it and do it the way you wanna do it, not like anybody else, you’re gonna probably draw both extremes of types of reactions. And that’s kind of also been accidentally the magic of MÖTLEY CRÜE.”
Looking back on the controversy surrounding Shout At The Devil, Sixx recalled how the band became a lightning rod for criticism while still packing arenas. “We put out Shout At The Devil and it was, like, ‘I keep saying, ‘But it said Shout At The Devil, not With The Devil.’ [There were] Christian groups outside the concerts, [accusing us of being] devil worshipers. And at the same time, the arenas were full.”
MÖTLEY CRÜE is now preparing to celebrate both their 45th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of their landmark “Carnival Of Sins” tour with the newly announced “The Return Of Carnival Of Sins” trek. Produced by Live Nation, the 33-date run begins July 17, 2026, in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, with EXTREME and TESLA joining as special guests.
“The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins” 2026 tour dates:
Jul. 17 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
Jul. 18 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
Jul. 20 – Clarkson, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Jul. 22 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
Jul. 24 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
Jul. 25 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
Jul. 27 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Jul. 29 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Jul. 31 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Aug. 1 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Aug. 3 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Aug. 12 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Aug. 14 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Aug. 15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Aug. 17 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Aug. 19 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Aug. 21 – Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater
Aug. 22 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Aug. 24 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
Aug. 25 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Aug. 27 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater
Aug. 28 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Sep. 8 – Kansas City, MO – Morton Amphitheater
Sep. 10 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Sep. 11 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sep. 13 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Sep. 16 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Sep. 18 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sep. 19 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Amphitheater
Sep. 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sep. 23 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
Sep. 24 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheater
Sep. 26 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater
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