Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ok, this is by a guy that was in a band with him in 1979.

-----

I met Nikki Sixx in 1979 through a mutual friend that suggested that we might team up and write some songs together. I was game to try it, so we met and talked about it. After a few sessions he asked me to join his band, London, which I wasn't too keen on. You see, I already had a fairly successful career going for myself playing with "The White" to sold-out clubs all over Southern California. I also owned a rehearsal studio that made me a decent living. So I had plans of my own that were already in gear when he came along. This is what happened next.

He was very convincing with his vision of what he wanted the band to be. And basically, he sold me on it. I bought into it and decided to play with "London"...while keeping "The White" as well. The bands were so very different style-wise they didn't interfere with one another. "The White" sounded like Led Zeppelin and "London" sounded like an evil version of "The Sweet". The thing is that I enjoyed singing both styles. But to Nikki being in a band was like a marriage and he thought I was cheating on "London" by playing with "The White". I might have listened to what he had to say about it, except for the fact that he was never sober. I mean, other than the first few times we had met (when he was very business like) he was constantly drinking, drunk and/or high. At some point I started not to listen to his drunken ramblings.

We had booked a weekend (Fri & Sat) in early 1980 to play at The Starwood in Hollywood and in preparation for it I layed out $800 cash on things we needed for the performance. Light bulbs for our light show, various equipment rental, a U-haul truck to carry everything & gas to get there & back. I fronted the band the money under the condition that I would be reimbursed from the $2000 we were to be paid for the performances. Well, we played the shows and after the final show on Saturday night Nikki left immediately without saying goodbye. I went to get paid from the club manager David Forrest and he informed me that Nikki had already been paid the $2000 fee in full two weeks prior to the shows.

I was livid. But since Nikki lived in the San Fernando Valley and I lived in Long Beach (about an hour away) I decided to go home to get some sleep and cool down before driving out to his house. The following morning I woke up and phoned him but there was no answer. I decided to chance it and drive out to his place. What a pissy dump of a duplex it was. Actually, it reminds me of the house they describe in the book 'The Dirt'. In fact, I think it was that place. And in a minute you'll know why they describe the front door the way they do.

Anyway, when I got to his front door I heard some noise inside so I knocked. It got quiet. So knocked harder. I started knocking harder still until finally the peep hole on the door jarred open by fluke. I looked thru the peep hole and there was Nikki standing in the middle of the room half naked...and stumbling drunk. He saw me looking in at him and he was at once startled. He immediately froze, then fell to the floor hiding behind a big trashy couch. I began asking him to open the door, citing that I already saw him and he wasn't fooling me. But he just stayed down there hiding. I don't know what he thought might happen if he stood up and faced me...except maybe a can of whup-a** might have been opened up on him...which was probably accurate at the time. I kept pounding the door when finally the old lock gave way and it swung open. At which point Nikki's head poked up from behind the sofa. I asked him, "Do you have my $800? He answered no. I asked him if he had any idea when he would have my money? He answered no. He looked like a deer caught in headlights.

I looked inside to the right of the door, and to my surprise there leaning on the wall within reach was his bass case and Ampeg SVT amp head. I leaned in and grabbed the bass and said to him, "Until you get my money I think I'll hold on to your bass as colladeral". I started walking towards my van which was only about 20 feet away. He came to the door and stood there in the doorway like he was affraid to exit his house and chase after me. He managed to scream, "I'm going to call the cops on you!". Not the response I had anticipated, but then I don't know what I was expecting from him. I guess I had hoped that he may have been bluffing and actually had the money in the house and would have come forward with it to pay me. But no. So I left. As I was driving home I started thinking about what he said and if he maybe did call the cops...or if by now he had thought about it and wanted to give me my money. So I got off the highway and I called him. To my surprise a detective answered the phone and started telling me I was in big trouble, etc. I couldn't believe that Nikki actually called the cops...but he did. Our drummer, Dane Rage, who lived only blocks away was now there at Nikkis house. He got on the phone and kinda negotiated the situation out. He agreed to satisfy Nikki and the cops by coming to my place the next day and retrieving the bass since I didn't want to go back there and chance getting arrested.

So the next day when he arrived at my door I gave him back the bass and told him I quit the band. That was the last time I saw Dane (he was a real nice guy with a good heart...I hope he is doing well). I have seen Nikki several times since that day. I guess a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then and by-gones be by-gones and all that. It was at the Robert Plant after show party in 1983 in Hollywood when I last asked him about the money. "I'm broke man", he told me at the time, "but as soon as I get on my feet and get some cash together I'll give it to you." I'm still waiting for him to get on his feet. In the mean time...I hope he bought a new couch.

I had to laugh about the part where Nikki's hiding behind the couch. xd

I laughed too, about Nikki hiding even though he knew he'd already been seen. I can picture it. xD

Yeah I'm glad he's clean, but I look at it the way he does....doing drugs made him the amazing person he is today.

Yeah, man.

I mean, a lot of nasty s**t happened to him, but if it hadn't, he wouldn't be the person he is today.

Then where would we be, never mind him?! lol

Nikki became a better person after sobering up. He was raised around a terrible environment which didn't direct him down an angel's path nor did he choose it. Now that he's done with the sleazy scene, he's got children to set examples for, protect, and be there for [especially since his dad wasn't there for him], and basically a career and a life to live.

If that made any sense, I'll be damned. lol

Yea I remember finding that a while back I laughed so hard. xd