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5/1/07
Pamela Anderson hits out at her recently-estranged husband Kid Rock
following reports that he attempted to beat-up her former-husband Tommy
Lee on New Year's Eve, calling his actions "completely childish threats."
Rock was seething over rumours that Tommy and Pam were getting back
together again, after reportedly spending Christmas together and being
seen all over each other at their son's basketball game.
11/1/07
Dining at Lulu's Bait Shack in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Vince Neil
joins the rock cover band Fuse on stage and sings Home Sweet Home and
Girls, Girls, Girls with them. After re-joining friends at his table,
he gets back on stage for another impromptu performance later in the
evening of Dr. Feelgood.
At a press conference in
the Hyatt West Hollywood Hotel, Tommy announces Japan's Pride Fighting
Championships' February 24 event called Pride 33 Second Coming. He is
joined on stage by mixed martial arts fighters Wanderlei Silva and Dan
Henderson who will contest in a Middleweight Championship title match.
15/1/07
Vince Neil’s Mötley Crüise 2007, a four-day, three-night rock and roll
cruise from Miami, Florida, to Nassau in The Bahamas and back, comes
to a close. In addition to a live concert by Vince and his band, several
on-board activities help to raise more than twenty thousand dollars
for his Skylar Neil Memorial Fund and The TJ Martell Foundation. Hooters
sends thirty of their models to compete in The Hooters Girls, Girls,
Girls Bikini Contest, as part of Vince Neil's Tres Rios Tequila Beach
Party. South Florida's finest Gentlemen's club Pure Platinum sends a
bevy of beauties who caddy for the Pure Platinum Miniature Golf Challenge.
Cruise passengers also enjoy a slew of other rock star-style amenities
and events including a custom Mötley Crüise Survival Kit, a Vince Vineyards
Wine Tasting Party hosted by Playmate Kimberley Williams, a one-of-a-kind
live charity auction, photo and autograph session with Vince, and a
No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament.
20/1/07
Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx attend the 2007 Winter NAMM show in Anaheim,
California. Mick signs autographs for fans in the Marshall booth for
two hours, while Nikki spends his afternoon meeting fans in each of
the Dean Markley, Basson, and Ovation booths. The queue to his Ovation
booth begins three hours before his scheduled arrival and is one of
the longest of the convention.
The brand-new Epiphone Nikki
Sixx signature-model Blackbird bass makes its debut at NAMM. The pitch
black bass is equipped with Epiphone’s new DeepSixx bass humbuckers
at the neck and bridge, while the fingerboard Maltese cross inlays and
pickguard emblem were designed by Nikki. The model comes with Nikki's
unique Opti-Grab feature and is very similar to the original Gibson
version.
28/1/07
Nikki says he is hard at work on the music and recording of The Heroin
Diaries soundtrack with DJ Ashba and James Michael. Due to be released
at the same time as the book, most likely this September, he tells fans
it is not a solo album, but an experimental musical journey. "All I
can say is expect the unexpected. The trip is weird, from Danny Elfman's
ghoulish arrangements, singer-songwriter story-telling to open-ended
rock... theatrical comes to mind. This is freedom and a journey with
no real expectations... We don't talk radio, charts or boundaries; We
just talk 'feel.' We are feeling our way through the project. There
is one feeling I will share with you all, the feeling that I've fallen
back in love with music. My life is so full and continues to grow."
On a personal level, Nikki says he has been soaking up the love of his
kids. "All I can think about is how everybody in the house laughs a
lot, a lot more than I can remember in a long time. Yes, it's different
being a single dad and having a career, but different in a better way.
I have a lot more to do daily and I take it very serious. I've not found
anybody worthy of really dating and that's OK by me... My kids come
first, then my career and last my social life. I can live without the
last two but not the first."
29/1/07
Tommy's Rock Star Supernova performs Can't Bring Myself to Light This
Fuse and an acoustic version of Headspin live on Regis & Kelly. The
performance is said to be the first time Tommy plays piano live on national
television.
8/2/07
Nikki attends a media day backstage during rehearsals at the forty-ninth
annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
9/2/07
During a radio interview with Eddie Trunk, Vince confirms Mötley Crüe
will head to Europe in June for some festival appearances, which will
likely include a stop at the Download festival in England. He says the
band has written more than a hundred songs for a proposed new studio
album that is expected to be released next year. Vince also says he
is working on the pilot for a new A&E reality-TV show that will follow
him and his family; his parents Odie and Shirley have moved into his
Las Vegas home. Vince’s wife Lia hasn't talked to his mom since their
wedding last January.
10/2/07
Vince’s wife Lia throws a surprise party for his forty-sixth birthday.
As the couple is given a tour of the Nove Italiano in George Maloof's
Palms Fantasy Tower, forty of Vince’s closest friends and guests yell
“Happy Birthday” when the door to the outdoor rooftop patio opens. Among
those celebrating were Criss Angel, Dennis Rodman, Planet Hollywood
head honcho Mike Mecca, and comic Jeff Beacher.
14/2/07
Rock Star Supernova releases their self-funded video for the song Headspin.
The song about singer Lukas Rossi's rocky relationship with his mother
is an original that Rossi wrote with his former Rise Electric guitarist
Dominic Cifarelli and performed on the reality TV show.
15/2/07
John Corabi says he’s been hired by Gibson Guitars to travel the world
and do some Story Teller-style clinics for them. “I’m really excited!
They have been treating me amazingly well, and they've been really supportive
of a lot of my ideas. Plus, I get to play the coolest guitars ever:
Les Pauls, J-200s, etc. How can you beat that?” Corabi also says he
is going to Nashville to record an album in the next month or so. “I
have a title and a bunch of ideas for it. It’s not country, but I want
to do something a little different, so think acoustic ‘Swampy Blues’.”
20/2/07
Vince promotes his signature Tres Rios (Three Rivers) tequila at an
event in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he performs briefly with a local
band. His Tres Rios tequila is said to be the outcome of a dedicated
search by Vince for the purest 100% agave nectar that he found flourishing
at the juncture of three rivers in Mexico.
25/2/07
Vince guests at Food Network's South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Florida,
presiding over the bar along with Francesco Lafranconi (founder and
director of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada's Academy of Spirits)
in the step by step art of making the perfect Marguerite. He also opens
the Delta Live Auction tailored to the ultimate Vince Neil fan who wins
a case of signed bottles of Vince Neil's Tres Rios Tequila, two first
class tickets on Delta Airlines to Las Vegas, a 'sweet' suite at the
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas with all accommodations for two,
a personal invitation from Vince to have drinks with him in person at
the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, dinner at Café Martorano's RIO,
and a personally autographed guitar.
2/3/07
Two songs written and produced by Nikki and DJ Ashba, Light Another
Candle and Reason I'm Alive, will be included on the new Drowning Pool
album titled Full Circle, due for release later this year on Eleven
Seven Music. The band recently took on a new management company in Tenth
Street Entertainment, who also manage Mötley Crüe and Buckcherry.
5/3/07
Nikki attends the Los Angeles premiere of the movie 300 at Grauman's
Chinese in Hollywood.
6/3/07
As Vince cancels his late-March solo tour of Australia and postpones
a show in Kentucky, talk abounds of him being admitted to a rehabilitation
facility. His management says he recently underwent some necessary medical
procedures and is in good health. Meanwhile, a troubled Britney Spears
receives some rehab support from Nikki, who says he 'hopes she will
rise out of the ashes and come back bigger than she ever was.'
12/3/07
Finalist from the Rock Star Supernova TV series, Dilana Robichaux, says
she wrote a song with Mick last week called Time is a Wound. She goes
to Mick's home in Malibu during the day where he gives her a 1980s white
and gold Gretsch guitar with a penguin on it. After having recently
met Mick, Dilana says, "I immediately 'fell in love' with my new adopted
Dad, Mick. We instantly had a chemistry and a connection so special
that I'm still totally dumb-founded by it. I've never met someone so
beautiful, funny, giving, caring and talented and I'm so excited to
work with him some more."
13/3/07
Tommy and Vince are among the rock legends set to feature in VH1 Classic's
first thirty-second public service announcement geared towards raising
awareness about autism. Announced at the Cable Television Public Affairs
Association's annual conference, the campaign will kick off on April
1.
15/3/07
Tommy Lee's Rock Star Supernova plays their first show outside of North
America in Melbourne, Australia, taking opportunity to visit the F1
Grand Prix preliminaries and party at a city strip club whilst in town.
During his media engagements, Tommy says he's currently working with
Lukas on songs for the next Rock Star Supernova album, while Vince is
in rehab again and Mick works with Dilana.
19/3/07
Nikki says the making of the soundtrack accompanying his soon-to-be
released book The Heroin Diaries has been a been spiritually awaking.
"DJ Ashba, James Michael and myself have basically played, written and
produced everything on the album. It's like we're standing on a cliff
with our eyes shut, arms open and just falling. Extending ourselves
in faith that someone will catch us, and relishing the freedom that
comes from that place. There is some exciting new adventures on the
album: a Persian-influenced song called Girl with Golden Eyes, and a
ghoulish godfather-ish track called Intermission. There's the thumping
pomp of Drugs Scouts of America, Van Nuys and Came Here to Take Yer
Money, mixed between movie-score sounding pieces like X Mas in Hell
and Life After Death. We can't wait to share this album with the world."
Industry-wise, a soundtrack always comes out before the movie, so they
now plan to release this soundtrack before the book is released.
23/3/07
After attending the Junker Designs Fall 2007 Fashion Show in Hollywood
with DJ Ashba the night before, where he enjoyed hanging out with Alice
Cooper, Slash and Billy Duffy, Nikki meets with Paul Brown to finalise
the artwork for his forthcoming book and CD. He says they're shooting
the first video clip for the music next week.
26/3/07
Mick goes to Sunset Strip Tattoo with Dilana where they get the same
'pact' tattoos of an African voodoo symbol for Mars; his on his hand
and hers on her chest. They then head back to Mick's place to work on
more songs.
Nikki is a guest at the
kick-off reception for the Covenant House California 8th Annual Awards
Gala in Beverly Hills. He says his Running Wild in the Night foundation,
which raises funds for Covenant House, is about to break ground on a
music program designed to help kids stay off the streets and stay at
Covenant House to get a firm footing in life.
29/3/07
Tommy is set to feature in the new anti-fur campaign of animal rights
group PETA, appearing on billboards and in newspapers across the Middle
East from next week, wearing nothing but his trademark tattoos alongside
the slogan ‘Ink, Not Mink’. The campaign is being released before he
performs at Dubai’s third annual Bike Week, which coincides with Dubai
International Fashion Week. The ad was shot in London by fashion photographer
Mary McCartney, daughter of long-time PETA supporter Sir Paul McCartney.
The animal rights group has identified several stores selling fur and
fur trim in Dubai. PETA claims that fur trim alone is responsible for
the deaths of millions of animals every year, and because the trim trade
doesn’t place much value on quality of pelts, the care given to animals
raised for trim is often worse than those raised for full-length fur
coats. Tommy says, “Be comfortable in your own skin and let animals
keep theirs.”
30/3/07
As Mötley Crüe officially announces a string of European concerts dates
in June this year, Nikki says the first single from The Heroin Diaries
album is done. "The track is called Funeral and really is a celebration
about being alive. James Michael, who wrote, produced and performed
the whole album along with me and DJ Ashba has mixed the first single.
Things are moving fast now and an audio book is in the works too. It
will launch at the same time with the book and album. First video will
be shot in two weeks too."
1/4/07
Nikki attends a 1690 Swimwear Launch party in Los Angeles with DJ Ashba.
4/4/07
Mick signs a publishing deal with Cherry Lane Music, following the termination
of his agreement with Warner Chappell on July 1 last year after more
than twenty years with the company. Under the new five-year deal, the
publisher will administer Mick's catalog worldwide and will co-publish
future compositions created through projects set up by Cherry Lane.
Announcing the deal, Richard Stumpf, Cherry Lane's senior VP of creative
services & marketing, says, "In talking to Mick, he made clear to me
his interest in writing with other songwriters beyond his brothers in
Mötley Crüe and I was extremely impressed by his eclectic songwriting
styles. His history and talent will have a profound effect on new up-and-coming
songwriters and recording artists. We already have him collaborating
with some of our songwriter artists and we have lots of other sessions
in the works. Soon Mick will be thought of as not only one of the legends
from Mötley Crüe, but also as one of today's key songwriting collaborators."
Vince signs a partnership
with former Miami Dolphins player Todd Wade and former Florida Gator
player Bob Hewko to open an 8,500-square-foot rock 'n' roll themed bar-restaurant
on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach named Dr. Feelgood's
Rock Bar & Grill. The Florida venue, on the corner of Olive Avenue in
the space currently occupied by MonkeyClub, will be stuffed with Vince's
memorabilia and his Harley collection. The bar area will be designed
to look like a pharmacy, the liquor bottles will be displayed between
oversized pharmaceuticals and the bartenders will wear sexy nurses'
uniforms. Vince plans to play a free concert for the grand opening.
Tommy reportedly moves his
belonging into Pamela Anderson's Malibu home while builders work on
renovations to his own place nearby. Pam joked in a recent magazine
article that she she still sleeps with her ex-husband; she has since
retracted the comment.
5/4/07
Tommy is special guest host and DJ at the three-day third annual Bike
Week event held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He then heads to Hawaii
to holiday with Pamela and their two boys.
11/4/07
Vince enters into a five-year Exclusive Management Agreement with
Burt Stein's company B Entertainment, allowing him to continue to
serve as Vince's exclusive personal manager, representative and
advisor, throughout the world, with respect to all activities
throughout the entertainment industry. For services provided, Vince
agrees to pay Stein a sum equivalent to fifteen percent of the gross
compensation he receives.
15/4/07
After spending time with his kids during spring break, Nikki says the
first single from his forthcoming Heroin Diaries album will now be called
Life Is Beautiful instead of Funeral, as suggested by James Michael
to place more focus on the positive to help get the song's message across.
Paul Brown has finished producing the song's video, which is stylistically
similar to the book, audio book and soundtrack CD. Nikki and DJ have
also just finished scoring a PSA for Covenant House. Nikki feels, "It's
very magical because the kids directed, produced, wrote and acted in
the PSA. It's amazing what kids can do when they're given the right
tools."
19/4/07
Mick collaborates on songs with Brent Smith from Shinedown on songs
for the southern hard rock band's third album, however none of the
songs from the session make the album's final release.
Nikki attends the launch
of Korn's Family Values tour at the Hollywood Forever cemetery. The
gothic event is called the Halloween in Spring Costume Ball.
20/4/07
Vince guests at the inaugural Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament,
inside the Caesar's Palace poker tournament room in Las Vegas.
21/4/07
Vince and Tommy both attend the grand opening of The Pearl at The Palms
Hotel and Casino Resort, seeing Gwen Stefani perform in concert.
28/4/07
Vince and his wife attend a Lili Claire Foundation fundraiser dinner
at the Mandalay Bay Events Centre in Las Vegas.
1/5/07
The title track that kicks off Marion Raven's album
Set Me Free
was written by her with Nikki and DJ Ashba.
The album
also includes the song Heads Will Roll that was co-written by Marion
with Nikki and James Michael.
2/5/07
It’s starting to look even more likely that Tommy & Pamela are back
together, as he tells an English newspaper, “I’ve been doing a lot of
research on Dubai property and The World project. We’re going to buy
Greece because I’m Greek originally. Pammie actually turned me on to
the whole thing. Life is good now because I’m seeing my boys again."
Tommy hopes that he and Pam can spend time with their two sons on the
man-made archipelago of three hundred islands in the shape of the world
currently being built just off of the Dubai coast.
Vince donates two sets of
his stage clothing from Mötley Crüe's recent Route of All Evil tour
to the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas.
4/5/07
As Mick celebrates his birthday, Vince hosts the Eleventh Annual Skylar
Neil Memorial Golf Tournament at Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley,
California.
11/5/07
Nikki and DJ Ashba work on music with Trapt vocalist Chris Brown as
James Michael finishes vocals on one of the most powerful songs they
have written called Accidents Can Happen. James is also in the final
stages of mixing The Heroin Diaries soundtrack as Nikki and DJ perform
little fix-ups, add-ons and musical updates for it. Nikki says he's
exhausted and extremely content, adding, "I've never been afraid to
work hard because I don't consider anything you truly love to ever be
work. So much music is flowing these days."
19/5/07
Nikki says, "All thirteen tunes are done. James is just mixing the last
few now and the album will be completely done next week. What a huge
body of work we've pulled off. We're all proud to have this album under
our wings." The album is performed by Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba, and James
Michael who are collectively known as SiXX: A.M. (A for Ashba & M for
Michael). All drums on the album are programmed by DJ and James.
22/5/07
The SiXX: A.M. video for Life is Beautiful debuts online. Nikki says
they are overwhelmed at the response this first single is receiving,
"We are all blown away. To be honest, we had no expectations, except
to make a very adventurous album. I had so many people comment on how
life changing they feel the lyrics are. One person told me they were
on the verge of suicide until they heard the song. That is why we make
music right there, in a nutshell." The drummer in the video is Elias
'Bones' Andra from the band Julien-K.
29/5/07
In New York City doing business for The Heroin Diaries book and soundtrack,
Nikki says, "There is an overwhelming response; so much support for
this positive project. I'm very proud of this: the music, the book,
and all the high-level partners who are coming to the table in support.
The only downside is lack of sleep, but what's new? Sitting in these
meetings playing the soundtrack album top to bottom and seeing people's
jaws hit the floor is the most satisfying feeling I've had in years
on a musical level." Nikki flies out to Zurich, Switzerland for a rehearsal
with Mötley Crüe. He says it looks like he will be able to take a day
off in between the band's nine European concerts for a photography journey
to Transylvania. His business partner Kelly Gray will also join him,
since she will be in London for them to meet with retail about their
forthcoming Royal Underground jewellery and women's collection.
1/6/07
Mick pays $1,460,000 for a 3,603-square-foot home in Malibu, California.
Built in 1986, his new four-bedroom home sits on a half-acre lot in
the Sea View Estates area of Malibu. The house is one of the largest
homes in Sea View Estates, located more than three miles north of the
Pacific Ocean. Features in Mick’s new house include three and a half
baths, a large kitchen that opens to the family room, a formal living
room with vaulted ceilings, a formal dining area, an entry with vaulted
ceilings, a flat grassy yard and views of the ocean, city lights and
mountains.
While
Mötley
Crüe plays the Eishalle Spirit of
Rock Festival in Switzerland, Mick meets eyes with
twenty-three-year-old former Miss Zürich contestant Seraina
Schönenberger and they become virtually inseparable.
2/6/07
During Mötley Crüe’s performance of Live Wire in Milan, Tommy stands
up behind his drum kit mid-song and repeatedly shouts “Porco Dio” to
the crowd. Translated from Italian, porco dio literally means pig god,
conveying that God is a pig. The incident gains controversy as Italian
press reports the blasphemies offended a large portion of the audience.
Crüe dancer Jozie Di Maria introduces the band in her native Italian
language before handing Vince his guitar before the band kicks into
Don't Go Away Mad.
4/6/07
Mötley Crüe has to cancel their concert at Finland's Helsinki Ice Stadium
as the band's gear remains stuck in a cargo plane that experiences a
technical failure preventing it from taking off from Italy following
their performance at the Gods of Metal festival over the weekend. The
band reschedules the date for three-days time and expects their next
European shows to go ahead as planned.
7/6/07
On stage in Finland, Nikki dedicates Live Wire to Andy McCoy
from Hanoi Rocks, who is a guest
in the crowd. Referring to the bad blood between the bands ever since
the 1984 car crash in which Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle lost his life
as a passenger in Vince’s sports car, Nikki says that life goes on.
McCoy responds by raising his middle-finger in the air.
8/6/07
Following the Crüe's
performance in Brussels, Belgium,
fans witness an impromptu performance of the song Brandon when Tommy
decides to play a grand piano in the lobby of the hotel they are staying
at.
9/6/07
Returning to Donington for their first time in sixteen years, Mötley
plays a ninety-minute set on the Dimebag Darrell Stage at Download Festival.
Vince tells the crowd, "It has been a long time since we played here
and hot f@ck we just keep coming back" before Nikki says, "England has
made a lot of progress on the groupie front since we were last here.
I've just had two groupies backstage sucking my dick and they just happened
to be sisters." Meanwhile on another stage, Linkin Park singer Chester
Bennington tells the crowd, "The only thing that I'm bummed about is
that I'm missing Mötley Crüe's set."
At a press conference, Nikki
says, "There's only two more shows for us and we won't be playing again
until sometime next year, maybe '09, depending on how it goes on making
a record." He also says he is starting work on writing a novel at the
moment after staring to write one day with a stream-of-consciousness
stuff and couldn’t stop. He buys some books on character development
to accelerate the project.
Back in his London hotel
room Nikki says, “Tonight’s show at the Download Festival was magic.
Wish you were there; all the pistons were firing and carburetor was
wide open. Sexy, dark and beautiful in the ugliest of ways or in less
poetic terms: We f@cking rocked… and so did Donington Park. Sweaty,
stinky, down and dirty and more sweat… boiling under the tent and loving
every moment of it.”
11/6/07
Nikki attends the fifth annual Metal
Hammer Golden Gods Awards at Koko in London with Marion Raven. Tommy
was scheduled to attend but a recurrence of his tendonitis causes him
to miss the event plus sit out the
Crüe's
headlining show
with Papa Roach
at the Hammersmith Apollo. Fresh
from playing European shows drumming with Evanescence, Will Hunt plays
drums during a shortened Mötley
set. Tommy manages to play the piano
parts on Home Sweet Home and entertain the crowd
by coming front of stage with Jozie to hand Vince his guitar and proceeding
to pretend to make out with Vince instead of Jozie, making Vince blush
and say, "I got to kiss Tommy Lee!" The band leaves the stage without
returning for an encore, to the disgust of some punters who
jeer, boo, and throw bottles at the stage.
The band attends an after-party at Chinawhite where Bob Geldof's daughter
Peaches was booked to DJ but cancels
last minute as she had forgotten she had an exam the following day.
12/6/07
Will Hunt fills-in for Tommy on the last
Crüe
show of the tour in Manchester, with Tommy only able to drum on Kickstart
My Heart due to the tendonitis that has flared up in his left shoulder.
Nikki promises the crowd that Mötley
will return to English stages in
2009 as the band returns to the U.S., except for Mick, who spends some
time in Switzerland.
15/6/07
Tommy and Pamela hang out together at The Heart Bar at Planet Hollywood
Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, following another night of her
performing in The Beauty of Magic show with Hans Klok.
18/6/07
The four founding members of the band through
Mötley Crüe
Inc. file a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court charging that one
of their managers, Carl Stubner, who also represents Tommy, orchestrated
a campaign of “self dealing” to “divert revenue” from the band. Named
as defendants in addition to Stubner are three companies he’s associated
with: Carl Stubner Productions, Inc., Sanctuary Group, Inc. and Sanctuary
Artist Management, Inc. The lawsuit states that the defendants “promoted
Tommy’s solo activities to the detriment of the band, and at the same
time, mismanaged Tommy’s career so as to harm the
Mötley Crüe
brand and Tommy’s reputation as a musician and band member.” The suit
further states: “Stubner’s motivation was greed. He has brazenly said
as much. Stubner stated that he received significantly higher commissions
on Tommy’s solo projects because he did not have to share his take with
the other managers. He claimed that it was a ‘no brainer’ to promote
Tommy’s projects over those of Mötley
Crüe. Because favoring Tommy’s personal
interests to the band’s was such a ‘no brainer,’ Stubner stated that
he would only make Tommy available for tour dates if the band and the
other two managers agreed to increase his commission quotient. Stubner
also demanded one hundred tickets per show for free, which he then resold
at ‘scalper’ prices.”
Furthermore, the suit claims, Stubner forced Tommy to "to become engaged
in 'reality' projects that were bad career moves for Tommy, harming
the four band members, the Mötley
Crüe brand and Tommy's own image."
The suit calls the low-rated NBC show Tommy Lee Goes to College a "critical
disappointment and a ratings disaster," adding it painted Tommy as "incoherent,
lazy and incompetent" and made him "look like a laughing stock who could
not carry a drum beat." The suit also claims Tommy's participation on
Rock Star: Supernova "diminished the public's interest in Tommy and
their overall perception of his musical talents." Because Tommy was
so busy doing reality TV, the band says he was unavailable to tour with
the Crüe,
thus causing the cancellation of several key concert dates. The band
claims that they lost eight million dollars in ticket and merchandise
revenue because of Tommy's scheduling conflicts. The band claims these
conflicts were "both real and concocted" by Stubner to "leverage his
control over Lee to his financial advantage and to
Mötley Crüe
and Lee's detriment."
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages of more than twenty million dollars
for lost earnings, lost profits and diminished brand and goodwill value
resulting from the defendants’ actions. The lawsuit also requests punitive
damages because, as claimed in the lawsuit, the defendants’ “despicable”
actions were undertaken “fraudulently, maliciously and oppressively.”
19/6/07
Carl Stubner and Sanctuary issue
a statement in response to the Mötley
Crüe lawsuit: "Neither Carl Stubner
nor Sanctuary Artist Management Inc. (nor any other Sanctuary company)
have ever managed Mötley Crüe
or any members of Mötley Crüe
other than Tommy Lee. Mr. Stubner and Sanctuary continue to manage Tommy
and make no apology for having effectively managed, promoted and furthered
Tommy's career with great success. Mr. Stubner and Sanctuary will vociferously
defend this lawsuit which is utterly and entirely without merit or basis."
As Nikki attends the premiere
of the movie Yellow at The Landmark in West Los Angeles, Mick spends
time in Stockholm, Sweden to work on songs with CrashDiet, the first
'sleaze rock' band to be signed directly to a major record label in
over ten years. Three songs were
cut with guitarist Martin Sweet for the band's as-yet-untitled album
that is scheduled for release in September via Universal Records.
20/6/07
Mötley Crüe's
attorney, Skip Miller of Miller Barondess LLP in Los Angeles, says,
"For Mr. Stubner to assert that neither he nor his companies have ever
participated in the management of
Mötley Crüe
is simply absurd. Mr. Stubner took part in numerous meetings and conference
calls regarding the management of
Mötley Crüe.
In fact, Mr. Stubner and Sanctuary Artist Management have been paid
nearly one million dollars in commissions from the band for their management
services. Mr. Stubner and Sanctuary are now going to have to explain
their actions, and the receipt of all these commissions, to a judge
and jury."
Tommy's own attorney Barbara
Berkowitz also issues a statement: "Tommy Lee is not an individual participant
in the lawsuit filed by the corporation, Motley Crue, Inc. against Tommy's
personal manager, Carl Stubner and Sanctuary Management. Mr. Stubner
and Sanctuary do not manage Mötley
Crüe, however they continue to represent
Tommy Lee personally. Tommy was neither consulted regarding this matter,
nor authorised the lawsuit. Tommy has not made any allegations against
his current personal manager. He feels fortunate to have been part of
the Mötley Crüe
reunion tour, as well as other opportunities outside of
Mötley Crüe
over the past several years. It is unfortunate that others believe that
they all could have made more money had Tommy exclusively participated
in the band that he co-founded. However, Tommy is a versatile artist,
and is grateful that he participated in other projects as well."
28/6/07
Tommy leaves the opening of the Los Angeles Pink Taco Mexican restaurant
with Rod Stewart’s twenty-seven-year-old daughter Kimberley, sparking
tabloid talk that they are dating. The two were also spotted late one
night at Kim’s hotel in London during
Mötley Crüe’s
European tour.
30/6/07
Tommy helps ex-wife Pamela celebrate her fortieth birthday at Planet
Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas.
7/7/07
Vince is a guest judge at the World Series of Video
Games' Guitar Hero 2 competition at the Gaylord Hotel in Dallas, Texas
where Eddie Wong wins with his performance of the Rush song YYZ..
14/7/07
Vince plays a great set at Rocklahoma
with his solo band, which includes Zoltan Chaney from Orlando,
Florida on drums as the newest
member. Having sobered up earlier this year, he follows on from his
much improved vocal performances with Mötley Crüe in Europe, where he
also took time to watch other artists perform. A rumoured guest appearance
from Nikki during Vince's Rocklahoma set doesn't eventuate. Meanwhile,
Tommy DJs at the Forum in Los Angeles; one of many events on his DJ
calendar over the next couple of months.
16/7/07
Executives from MTV along with
sister company Pocket Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) hold an
early-morning press conference at Crash Mansion in downtown Los Angeles
to give the media and a few lucky fans a preview of Nikki’s book and
soundtrack CD, The Heroin Diaries. Hosted by Billboard Magazine editor
Tamara Conniff, Nikki tells a packed room of reporters and camera crews
that the book was based on the actual diaries he kept during the height
of his crippling heroin addiction in the late ‘80s. Simon & Schuster
Deputy Publisher Anthony Ziccardi, in describing what drew him to the
book, calls The Heroin Diaries “the most brutally honest and revealing
account of drug abuse ever written.” MTV Senior Executive Peter Baron
announces that the literary work will be branded as an MTV/VH1 book,
supported with a full range of “on channel, off channel and online”
programming, including heavy support of the music video for Life Is
Beautiful, which he shows to the media and describes as “visually bringing
the book to life” by combining band performance with edgy animation
of the book’s artwork. Nikki announces that twenty five percent of his
book royalties will go to benefit his Running Wild In The Night charity
that he began in association with Covenant House. George Lozano, Executive
Director of Covenant House Los Angeles, which helps rescue homeless
and runaway youth from the street, calls Nikki an “inspiration” and
“role model” for the kids helped by his organisation. To underscore
the point, Lozano introduces Irwin Gonzalez, an eighteen-year-old rescued
by Covenant House, who says that because of people like Nikki who help
provide an alternative to the lifestyle of the street through music,
he has been given “the gift of hope.”
Media and guests hear a preview of the accompanying Heroin Diaries soundtrack,
written and produced by Nikki, James Michael and DJ Ashba under the
moniker Sixx: A.M. Clear Channel Director of Rock Programming Jim Richards
heavily praises the lead single Life Is Beautiful that is already top
forty on the rock radio charts despite only officially being serviced
for playlists this week. Richards refers to the album as a complete
body of work and draws comparisons with albums such as Tommy by The
Who and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. The album serves as something of a precursor
to the book, with each of the disc's thirteen tracks coinciding with
one of the graphic book's chapters, making the record a soundtrack,
of sorts, to Nikki’s troubled, drug-addled past. Nikki says, "This music
was written with no intention of ever being played live, so a lot of
the stuff was just based on being creative. The only limit we had was
that we had to cut it from a double album to a single album. Honestly,
it got to the point where it was a bit ridiculous, where one of us would
come in every single day with a new idea and at some point it was like,
'We’ve got to stop; we have thirty five songs.'" Nikki isn’t sure yet
when Sixx: A.M. will tour, saying that they're just taking things as
they come. "We didn't think we'd ever play live together a few months
ago," he said. "Radio is freaking out over the song, and we didn't even
expect that. Somebody had to tell us that we had the most added song
[to rock radio] and we didn't even know because we're sort of just not
paying attention to that aspect of it. We're just doing it for us, inspired
by the book, and now we're playing live and now people are saying, 'Well,
when are you guys touring?' Well, that's news to us."
Following the press conference, Sixx: A.M make their world premiere
with a live set, featuring Pearl Aday on backing vocals and DJ’s former
Beautiful Creatures band-mate Glen Sobel on drums, in front of the press
and contest winners from radio & MySpace. Synchronous visual projections
of animation and artwork from the book are screened as a recording of
the song Xmas in Hell is played first. DJ Ashba then plays keyboards
for the opening of the song Van Nuys before James walks on stage before
they are finally joined by Nikki. The band then follows into Pray For
Me, Heart Failure, Accidents Can Happen and Life Is Beautiful before
exiting, as a recording of Life After Death plays over the empty stage.
17/7/07
Nikki says Mötley should begin working on their next album toward the
latter part of this year. "We're always writing, but it will take its
time. Mötley Crüe is a big machine. It's like a barge. It takes a lot
to turn it around, but it's something I'm really proud of and something
I plan on doing for a very long time."
23/7/07
Having just experienced his first fashion show as a designer following
Royal Underground's parade in Dallas during the annual Neiman Marcus
Conclave, Nikki says, "We seem to be gaining speed faster than expected
from retail and our design sensibility is spot-on but still edgy in
all the right places."
26/7/07
Nikki posts another Sixx A.M. song on his MySpace page entitled Pray
For Me.
27/7/07
Rod Stewart has given his daughter Kimberley his blessing to date Tommy,
who was recently left red-faced when he hired a helicopter to woo Kimberley
and attempted to land the aircraft in the garden of Rod's Los Angeles
mansion, only to be told by authorities to move on. Rod says, "I've
tried some manoeuvres in my time to pursue a woman, but I've got to
admit this is a pretty strong move. Attempting to land a helicopter
in my garden just to impress my daughter...That is quite something!"
7/8/07
Mötley Crüe and their management company 10th Street Entertainment
enter into an agreement with Vince and his personal manager's
company B Entertainment. Among other terms, they agree that Burt
Stein and B Entertainment will continue to receive commissions on
the same basis as they were paid before, to the extent that Stein
remains the manager of Vince and until a different agreement is
reached.
A song called Reason I'm Alive that
was
written and produced by Nikki
Sixx and DJ Ashba is released on the new Drowning Pool album titled
Full Circle. Another track titled
Light Another Candle and co-written by the pair doesn't make the final
cut of songs. This unreleased track also features Nikki's son Gunnar
playing didgeridoo.
10/8/07
American Idol Carrie Underwood sings
Kickstart My Heart with Vince Neil during his solo performance at Nashville's
Wildhorse Saloon.
20/8/07
During a Rockline
radio interview with all
Sixx: A.M.
band members, Nikki
says they plan to use their successful formula to do it again and score
another soundtrack to a new or classic book (from the likes of William
Burroughs for example), or even Nikki's forthcoming novel, and have
an end destination like a charity to benefit from the body of work.
When asked
the status of the Mötley Crüe
movie, Nikki says
they are in no hurry
to make a bad movie.
They have now gone
through two Directors, one of whom MTV fired, because they wanted to
water the film down.
21/8/07
Nikki's Heroin Diaries book soundtrack
CD featuring 13 new songs by Sixx: A.M. is released in the U.S. through
Eleven Seven Music. It comes with the promise of upcoming national television
appearances with Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, Carson Daly, Conan O’Brien,
and more. Other upcoming national television appearances include a Heroin
Diaries Headbangers' Ball Special, and Vh1 Storytellers- Breaking an
Addiction (hosted by Nikki). There will also be album reviews/interviews/features
to hit with street date in major publications like Spin, Rollingstone,
Billboard, Blender, and more, as coordinated by publicity company BWR.
22/8/07
A judge rules that the legal papers
of Mötley Crüe’s lawsuit against Tommy Lee’s manager Carl Stubner don't
support a cause of action. He allows them twenty days to re-file the
papers with additional facts.
23/8/07
Dilana finishes her song with Mick
at Nikki’s Funny Farm Studios. DJ Ashba also assists with the song that
started out titled Time is the Wound before being re-named Rotten Apple,
and then finally OvaYou.
24/8/07
Tommy has reportedly purchased a six-bedroom, 8,891-square foot home
in a gated suburb area of the Calabasas Golf and Country Club, California
that was listed for $6.75 million. According to listing information,
the house with seven bathrooms was remodeled in 2005 and includes a
jaw-dropping 3,000 square foot underground garage for twelve cars. A
few other unique features of the house, includes a three-story atrium
with koi pond and spa, indoor gardens with a retractable roof, full
gym, a professional movie theater, two kitchens (including one which
is a catering/wine tasting kitchen complete with stone floors and oak
kegs), and a piano shaped pebble-tech pool with a party spa for ten
people.
26/8/07
Vince's manager Burt Stein gives the green light to author Alan
Parker to work on an official Vince Neil biography. Burt and Vince
were impressed with Parker's most recent book titled Sid Vicious: No
One Is Innocent.
29/8/07
The Heroin Diaries soundtrack by
Nikki's Sixx: A.M. sells over ten-and-a-half-thousand copies in its
first week to debut at number sixty two on the Billboard 200 chart for
U.S. sales.
Vince makes a guest appearance at the
Nevada Exotic Dancer Hall of Fame Induction.
31/8/07
Nikki's Royal Underground clothing
label announces it will launch its debut men's jewelry line later this
year. Along with his partner Kelly Gray, they have styled the collection
in conjunction with Mitchell Binder of King Baby, the high-profile jewelry
brand. The twenty-piece line will comprise of both silver and gold metals.
It will convey the same edgy rock 'n' roll sensibility of Royal Underground
clothing with jewelry styles founded on bold motifs, including those
representing the Om symbol and references to the Hindu elephant god,
Ganesh.
2/9/07
Walking in to The Hampton’s Dune nightclub in New York City, Tommy reportedly
asks staff, “Is it cool to have sex in here?” Thinking he was kidding,
Tommy soon shocked a room-full of onlookers after he started having
sex with a blonde party girl on a banquette. As media outlets around
the world publish the raunchy bar behaviour story, a representative
for Tommy says it is not true.
6/9/07
Nikki is a featured speaker at the
eighteenth annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. He was invited by NAADAC,
the association for addiction professionals, to share his compelling
story at this national forum alongside Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator Terry Cline Ph.D., and
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Director H. Westley Clark M.D.,
J.D. Nikki is the first member of the rock world to share his story
of surviving addiction at such an event — a particularly ironic distinction
since he was once viewed as one of the most wild and excessive men in
rock.
The Heroin Diaries catches the attention
of Democratic congressman Patrick Kennedy, himself a recovering drug
addict, who invited Nikki to Capitol Hill to brainstorm ideas for raising
awareness about addiction, and to champion a new bill to demystify and
facilitate treatment options for addicts. Nikki says, "I sat in his
office and he’s poking me in the arm and in-my-face passionate about
it and I was like, "I like you. You’re serious.” He’s got everything
to lose. I said to him, “I don’t care if we have to create Live Aid
for this.” Whatever we have to do, I’m down for it because I know how
to do one thing really well: play music. And I know a lot of people.
The guys in Aerosmith: sober. The guys in Metallica: sober. Slash: sober.
Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Elton John—okay, I think we have a concert
here. In the end, I just want to give it away. I don’t want five years
from now anyone to go, “Oh man, Nikki made like $400 million off that
recovery tour.” I don’t want anything from this."
9/9/07
During Alicia Keys' on stage performance at the MTV Video Music Awards,
Criss Angel and Tommy move and sit with P. Diddy at his table in the
audience. As Kid Rock walks past them on his way to introduce the final
performance, Tommy reportedly mutters something to Kid before a scuffle
breaks out between the two former husbands of Pamela Anderson (who was
photographed sitting on Tommy’s lap earlier in the evening before she
presented an award). Rap producer Rich Nice, who witnesses the event,
later tells reporters, “It looked like Tommy initiated the fight because
Kid was ignoring him. Tommy started to antagonise Kid, and then when
Tommy stood up Kid hit him first with a backhand. Tommy looked like
he was trying to aggressively retaliate and then Kid hit him again.
Security then grabbed Tommy in a headlock and pulled him off.” With
his cigar still in his mouth, Kid is held briefly while security escorts
Tommy out of the Pearl Theatre and into the hotel’s main casino, before
Kid is also ejected. The fight elicits on-air comments by Jamie Foxx
as he takes the stage before presenting the next award, saying, “Stop
all of this white-on-white crime. Tommy Lee and Kid Rock fighting like
black folks – it's hilarious."
When Las Vegas police are called to the
disturbance at the Palms Casino Resort, they interview Tommy, Kid and
eyewitnesses, before issuing a citation for misdemeanor battery to Kid
Rock, determining that he was the instigator of the altercation. He
is not taken into custody, instead issued this summons. Explaining why
only Rock was given a citation, police officer Bill Castle says, “He
was deemed to be the primary aggressor,” and adding that Rock will have
to appear in court in probably three-to-five weeks to enter a plea.
If convicted, Rock faces a $500 fine and up to six months in jail, though
it's unlikely that anyone on similar charges would serve that time.
11/9/07
Tommy provides a recap of his MTV
Awards experience on his website: “Here I am minding my own biz having
a great time with my friend Criss Angel (magician) and watching the
MTV Awards in the front row saying hello to all my friends… Pamela comes
and sits on my lap, who I love and adore... and also say hello to my
friend Travis Barker and his wife!... and I get a text from another
friend P. Diddy and he says come sit with me, and he's sitting with
Miss ‘Hot as F@ck’ Megan Fox! So I go over and sit with P! Not a minute
later, Alicia Keys starts her amazing performance (I apologise sweetie;
I had nothing to do with the timing and disrespect). So I get a tap
on the shoulder from Kid Pebble. I stand up and embrace him with a semi-hug
and say, ‘Hey dude, What up?’ He punches me in the face; well, if ya
wanna call it that – more like a bitch slap! Wuss! Anyway, I go to knock
this jealous no-career-havin’, country bumpkin the f@ck out and before
I can have a meeting with my fist and his ugly-ass mug, security guards
(not mine) at the Palms grab me and haul my ass out of the Award show,
threatening me that if I move they'll break my arm – yeah whatever!
My security guard Bruce grabs them and says, ‘I got him. Let go!’ So
I’m fine and of course leave to my room with police and owner George
Maloof. The rest is paper work and bullshit! Anyway… I would like to
apologise to Alicia, George and MTV for the disrespectful bullshit caused
by a piece of shit called Kid Pebble!”
12/9/07
Mötley Crüe files an amended complaint containing newly obtained evidence
in its breach of fiduciary duties and constructive fraud lawsuit against
artist manager Carl Stubner and his three companies Sanctuary Group,
Inc., Sanctuary Artist Management, Inc. and Carl Stubner Productions,
Inc. A press release issued by the band says, “The evidence, consisting
of statements from band members Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars
as well as ten sworn declarations from key professionals associated
with the band, demonstrates beyond any question that Stubner was a manager
of Mötley Crüe and not just the manager of drummer Tommy Lee as he has
previously claimed in press releases and legal filings. The newly obtained
evidence supports and confirms allegations in the amended complaint
filed in Los Angeles Superior Court that Stubner breached his fiduciary
duties to Mötley Crüe by orchestrating a scheme for his personal financial
gain at the expense and to the detriment of the band.
“Even though he received approximately a million dollars in commissions
from Mötley Crüe, Stubner used his positions as the band’s manager and
the manager of one of the band members to demand a higher commission
for himself. The amended complaint contends that his motivation was
pure greed. The new evidence also confirms that Stubner demanded tickets
from the band that he resold at “scalper” prices for his own gain. The
lawsuit seeks compensatory damages of more than $20 million for lost
earnings and profits resulting from the Defendants’ actions. The lawsuit
also seeks punitive damages because, as claimed in the amended complaint,
the defendants’ “despicable” actions were undertaken “fraudulently,
maliciously and oppressively.”
As a shock to fans, the court documents reveal that Tommy "recently
informed Nikki and Mick, the shareholders of Mötley Crüe, Inc., that
he was resigning from the band and his resignation was accepted." As
the two shareholders of Mötley Crüe Inc., Nikki and Mick have complete
control of the entity that owns and controls all Mötley Crüe business
and assets including the rights to the name, trademarks, copyrights,
logos, artwork and the right to license the brand. Since 2004, Vince
and Tommy have been employees and/or agents of the Mötley Crüe entity.
13/9/07
Tommy issues a statement retracting his resignation from the band, stating,
“I am a founding member of Mötley Crüe. Based on internal band issues
aired publicly, my future with the band is uncertain. I have tried to
meet with my band-mates repeatedly without success but have informed
them that I’m not walking away from my band of twenty five years. It
troubles me that the current legal issues, which were filed by the corporations
against my personal manager, are separating us and causing more dysfunction.
I hope we can work this out amongst ourselves.”
In response to the amended lawsuit filed, a statement issued by Carl
Stubner's rep says, "Certain members of Mötley Crüe and their representatives
obviously intend to try this case in the press, rather than in the courtroom.
Indeed, their original complaint which they also tried in the press
was thrown out by the Court. In an effort to get something that certain
members of Mötley Crüe and their representatives want, but are not legally
entitled to, they have once again filed a spurious lawsuit which Carl
Stubner and Sanctuary will vigorously defend and seek the appropriate
relief from these baseless attacks in the press. Tommy Lee stands by
Carl Stubner and Sanctuary.”
Las Vegas lounge entertainer Jeff Beacher urges Tommy and Kid Rock to
settle their differences over Pamela Anderson in a professional manner
– in a boxing ring for a $1 million winner-take-all prize. Rapper LL
Cool J says, "I'm not sure who'd win in a fight between Tommy Lee and
Kid Rock. You know what we should do? Let's pay-per-view the thing,
and I'll even front the money." Commenting on the incident, Pamela tells
talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, “I’m staying out of it.”
While performing on stage at Seacrets
in Ocean City, MD, Vince accidentally hits his head on one of the PA
speakers resulting in a nasty cut. In true rock and roll fashion, he
keeps performing as if nothing happened, before checking into a nearby
hospital after the show and receiving six stitches.
18/9/07
Nikki's book The Heroin Diaries:
A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star is released through MTV
Books/Simon & Schuster, documenting 1986-87 through his Girls, Girls,
Girls era. The book features commentary from Slash, Lemmy, Tommy, Vince
and Mick, security people, as well as his family members. Twenty-five
percent of Nikki's royalties from the book will go to Running Wild In
The Night, the charity he established in conjunction with Covenant House
to rescue homeless and runaway youth from the streets.
Nikki holds a guest in-store signing
at Borders on Westwood Boulevard in Los Angeles during the evening.
The store sells out of their Heroin Diaries stock and Lita Weissman,
the District Marketing Manager at Borders, says, "We've had many book
signings here at Borders but this was absolutely one of the biggest."
20/9/07
Testifying for the second straight day in a non-jury trial hearing concerning
financial issues and property division in the divorce of Nikki and Donna
D'Errico, Nikki testifies that he was told his former model-actress
wife previously worked as a prostitute and a stripper, saying, “I heard
she was doing high-end call girl work. I was freaking out. Your head
starts to spin. We have a child together.” Nikki testifies in the Los
Angeles court that a madam told him about it while Mötley was touring
with Aerosmith earlier this year. When he asked the madam for proof,
she gave him names and other information that led him to believe she
was telling the truth. One of the names was of a man who he knew to
be a Las Vegas pimp. Nikki also testified he was stunned to find out
that Donna worked years earlier as a stripper in Texas and Las Vegas
and says, “I was hurt and I was in shock… she didn't tell me that.”
25/9/07
When Howard Stern asks Nikki what's up with
Mötley Crüe
during a radio interview, he says Tommy has quit the band because of
the lawsuit against his personal manager. He says one would think that
Tommy would support the band but that's not the case. Nikki says that
Tommy isn't the singer or songwriter so they should be fine without
him, and he holds no grudges against him.
In the evening, Nikki makes an in-store
appearance at Virgin MegaStore in Times Square, New York where more
than six hundred copies of The Heroin Diaries are purchased on the night.
27/9/07
Nikki's new book The Heroin Diaries debuts at number seven on The New
York Times Book Review non-fiction best-seller list and fast gains a
reputation as one of the most extraordinary memoirs of addiction ever
published. The book's entrance in the Top Ten of the Best-Seller list
equals the success of The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack CD, which entered
the Billboard Independent album chart at number seven upon its release
in August. The album's first single Life is Beautiful just entered the
Top Ten at active rock radio and the video is getting massive rotation
at Fuse, where Nikki has made appearances on a number of the network's
shows. As multiple mega-bookstore chains continue to mass re-order shipments
at the fear of selling out, The Heroin Diaries is a top ten seller at
Barnes & Noble and Borders and is steadily rising to top ten at Amazon.com.
The book’s publisher MTV Pocketbooks/Simon & Schuster says even though
it’s in its first week of publication, shipments of The Heroin Diaries
have already exceeded the hardcover totals of
Mötley Crüe’s
infamous autobiography The Dirt.
3/10/07
Along with producer Butch Walker and Joy Division's Peter Hook, Nikki
judges American rock outfit The Features as the unsigned winners in
the Rock/Indie category of the Diesel:U:Music awards 2007 held at Koko
in London.
CrashDiet's album titled The Unattractive
Revolution is released in Europe on Universal Records, featuring a guest
appearance on the tracks I Don't Care and Alone by Mick Mars, who flew
into Stockholm, Sweden in June to help CrashDiet write some of the new
material.
10/10/07
In celebration of its one-year anniversary, tattoo studio Vince Neil
Ink is throwing a month-long bash in true Las Vegas style. Beginning
in mid-October, the VNI Skin Show gives fans the chance to submit photos
of their hottest ink for a chance to win prizes including an autographed
Gibson guitar, a Vegas vacation and a grand prize trip on Vince Neil's
Motley Cruise. (Submissions will be posted online at www.vniskinshow.com
where the public can vote for their favorites. The top 10 viewers' picks
will be narrowed down by a panel of professional judges to three winners
who will be announced in November.) The VNI celebrations will culminate
on November 10 as Vince throws the ultimate rock 'n' roll party on The
Strip by transforming Harrah's Carnaval Court into Tattoo Alley, featuring
live entertainment, intriguing décor and a free performance by Vince.
16/10/07
Clubplanet says that after shows
later this month in Costa Rica and Miami, Tommy and DJ Aero will be
taking some time-off from gigging to focus on their original studio
productions, due for release in late-November/early-December and available
on Beatport.com. The releases will be the first for Tommy and Aero as
electronic music producers, and it signals a new phase in the couple's
progress in the arena of electronic dance music.
During a Seattle radio interview,
Nikki says he's currently writing songs with Mick for the next Mötley
record before demoing them and cutting a record sometime next year.
He's not sure whether Tommy will be a part of the music since he quit
the band.
22/10/07
Nikki says Sixx: A.M. band rehearsals are sounding great. Following
the band's live performance during their press conference on July 16,
he says, "It's our first concert and we don't have too long to play
and had to break in a new drummer. As you all know we don't have a drummer;
it's just me, James and DJ, so we use whoever is available for live
or videos - we do it all ourselves when recording. I've been asked a
lot if we do any
Crüe live and at this time I feel we should stand on
our own and not rely on anybody's music but our own. We don't have any
plans to tour, so this is exciting for us to do this one show. The book
is still on the New York Times best-seller list and our single is Top
5 now. It feels so nice to step away from my past and focus on the future
with my best friends - what a gift." Back-up singer Pearl Aday updated
her fans yesterday saying, "Rehearsals are rockin' as usual. We've added
one more Sixx: A.M. track to the set, plus a special surprise that will
have any proper fan go through the roof. I'm having a blast, of course.
I'm the little sister they let in the boys club. It rules. I love it.
23/10/07
Mötley Crüe releases the Carnival Of Sins double-live-CD featuring twenty
three tracks spanning the Crüe's entire career. The performance was
recorded 27 April 2005 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI and
is a companion to the live DVD of the same name. The songs were originally
released exclusively at Walmart stores across North America as individual
Volume 1 and Volume 2 CDs. The tour, co-promoted by VH1 and VH1 Classic,
drew record crowds around the world, with the group eventually playing
before an estimated one million in the U.S.
25/10/07
As Vince plays a solo show at the
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Orlando,
Nikki's new band Sixx:A.M. plays their first
live concert at Halloween Havoc 2007 in West Valley City, Utah with
Korn, Operator, Airbourne and Five Finger Death Punch. A week later,
Nikki says, “The live recording from our first show sounds like we’ve
been on tour for ten years. James mixed it and as usual, with all things
James, it sounds brilliant.”
The six-bedroom, Spanish-style house
in Agoura Hills, California of Nikki and ex-wife Donna D'Errico is sold
for $1.9 million, after being re-listed in April for $2,495,000 as a
reduction from its initial listing of just under $3 million a year ago.
The couple purchased the property at 31978 Hidden Highland Road in early
1998 for $985,000 and extensively refurbished it.
30/10/07
Clark County district attorney David Roger confirms Kid Rock will not
face misdemeanour battery charges over his scuffle with Tommy at the
MTV Awards in early September, after Tommy requested no prosecution
relating to the incident.
2/11/07
Sixx:A.M. gets set to film a video for the song Accidents Can Happen
in three days. Nikki says, “My new book is coming along great... so
many layers to it. It will be a joyride through hell. James, DJ and
myself are already talking about ideas for the album to come with it.
But we're at least a year out... so enjoy this one for a while."
2/11/07
Vince's third-annual Off the Strip
Poker Tournament takes place inside The Joint in Las Vegas, where celebrities,
poker pros and Las Vegas' hottest dancers join Vince for a wildly entertaining
evening, hosted by adult film stars Tera Patrick and Taylor Wayne. Proceeds
from the poker tournament and charity auctions
raise about $175,000
to benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation via the Skylar Neil Foundation.
Some items auctioned included a day with Tera Patrick, an all-expenses-paid
trip for two on the sold-out Vince Neil's Motley Cruise, and a selection
of signed sports, music, and movie memorabilia.
7/11/07
Tommy performs a free live set with
DJ Aero at Pacha in New York City that is sponsored by Pioneer Pro DJ
as they unveil the manufacturer's new, state-of-the-art, SVM-1000 audio/visual
mixer.
8/11/07
James Michael says, "The video shoot
for Accident's Can Happen was amazing. Paul Brown was back in the Director's
chair for this one. I have to say that I have never been so impressed
and amazed with a person's talent and vision as I am with Paul. He is
a true artist. Nikki, DJ and I had a great time and I think I can speak
for all of us when I say we fell in love with this song all over again
during the shoot. It was a long day, but one I'll never forget. We got
to the set around 7am and the entire San Fernando valley was covered
in a heavy layer of fog... rare for L.A. but in many ways a gift, as
it created an eerie but beautiful setting for the first few hours of
the shoot. As with all video shoots, there were many, many takes from
every imaginable angle, but as the day wore on and the fog burned away
we began seeing playbacks, and at that point it became clear that Paul's
vision had exceeded anything we could have anticipated. We ended our
final shot right as the sun was setting and we all stood there staring
as it disappeared... feeling grateful for everything."
Bones Elias of Julien-K featured in the
previous Sixx:A.M. video for Life Is Beautiful but is unable to contribute
this time around due to his band's support slot on the current Evanescence
tour. His childhood friend who sings in Never Enough suggests their
drummer could do it, so Trevor Friedrich ends up being the drummer featured
in the Accidents Can Happen video.
Vince participates in the Rock & Roll
Fantasy Camp held in Las Vegas. While at the event, Vince gives a few
interviews where he says Tommy was never actually out of Mötley Crüe,
explaining that there was a press release stating Tommy resigned, which
everyone jumped on. However when Tommy subsequently issued his own press
release saying that wasn’t the case, no one paid attention to him. Vince
says he talked to Tommy yesterday and he talked to Nikki a couple of
days ago and they plan to head into the studio in January to record
a new Crüe album and hopefully have a single out by March, followed
by the album in April or May with a tour beginning in June. He says
they currently plan to call the album The Dirt like their best-selling
autobiography, and he hopes each song on the album will tell a story
from their lives. Whilst Mötley is his main priority, Vince also says
he plans to record a solo album in January, while continuing to expand
his Dr. Feelgood restaurant business. The first is set to open next
month in Palm Beach followed by one in Atlantic City opening in the
spring, then another in Fort Lauderdale. His new cantina recently opened
up across the street from his Las Vegas tattoo studio Vince Neil Ink.
9/11/07
Former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach says he's lent chorus vocals to
a cover by rapper DMC of Ram Jam's rock classic Black Betty. “DMC has
Joey Kramer from Aeorsmith on drums and he's got Mick Mars on guitar.
I'm singing the chorus and he's rapping," says Bach.
During the trial to determine
how assets should be split up in her divorce from Nikki, his former
wife Donna D'Errico collapses in a Los Angeles Superior Court courthouse
restroom. Although paramedics are called, she manages to stand before
they arrive and eventually walks out unassisted looking pale, saying
her breathing difficulties are related to her asthmatic bronchitis aggravated
by recent wildfires near her home. Heavily medicated yesterday, she
asked that the court hearing be delayed because she was medically unfit
to go forward due to her health condition, and because she does not
have a lawyer after firing her most recent one, but Judge Thomas Trent
Lewis denied the request, forcing her to represent herself. Her voice
both days has been so hoarse she is barely audible in court. The trial,
which began in late September, is being conducted in stages rather than
on consecutive days to accommodate the parties and the court. Following
the collapse, Judge Lewis tells them proceedings are over for the day
and will resume later this month.
10/11/07
Vince performs live at the Vince
Neil Ink Anniversary Show in Las Vegas. The event sees Harrah's Carnaval
Court transformed into Tattoo Alley, featuring live entertainment, intriguing
décor and an evening performance by Vince.
11/11/07
A new Queen tribute album entitled
Rock n' Royalty: A Very Special Tribute To Queen is released and features
Vince singing Calling All Girls.
15/11/07
Tommy guests at the Morgan Rose Celebrity
Golf Classic 2007 at the Heritage Golf Club in Tucker, Georgia. The
event benefits the Atlanta Children's Shelter.
26/11/07
A scheduled performance by Vince of the U.S. national anthem prior to
kickoff as the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Miami Dolphins at Heinz
Field for ESPN's Monday Night Football is cancelled because of lightning.
Steelers officials were to lead Vince onto the field to sing the Star
Spangled Banner as the players came out of the locker room to warm up.
However, they wait because the fans also take cover when lightning strikes
and by the time the crowd returns to the stands, ESPN and the league
don't want the anthem interfering with the broadcast.
28/11/07
Nikki and his ex-wife Donna D'Errico reach a settlement on the division
of assets in their divorce to bring proceedings to an end. Los Angeles
Superior Court Judge Thomas Trent Lewis signs a judgment making the
settlement terms official, although details of the accord - other than
that both sides agreed to waive spousal support - are not made public.
29/11/07
Author Alan Parker flies to Las Vegas where he conducts interviews
with Vince at both The Red Rocks Hotel and Vince's home. While in
Vegas, Vince shouts Alan a tattoo at his Vince Neil Ink tattoo
studio.
3/12/07
To kick-off a new collaboration between Eleven Seven Music and iLike,
the Web’s leading social music service, Sixx: A.M. is exclusively debuting
their new music video for Accidents Can Happen on
iLike and
iLike’s popular application on Facebook Platform for four days prior
to its wide release. This is the first time a major act has debuted
an official music video on iLike before it has been made available anywhere
else. The band will also provide iLike users with an exclusive series
of weekly videos, entitled 24/7/SIXX: A.M., which will show fans what
goes into launching a new band and supporting a new single.
6/12/07
Attorneys for Carl Stubner argue in court and in papers filed with the
court that Mötley Crüe's proper claim should not be against Stubner,
but rather should be made against Stubner’s client, Tommy Lee. Skip
Miller of Miller Barondess, LLP, representing
Mötley Crüe,
states in court, "This band is not going to sue Tommy Lee; this lawsuit
is not about Tommy Lee. It is about Carl Stubner’s tactics that we contend
harmed
Mötley Crüe
and cost the band millions of dollars." Nikki says, "There are witnesses
to Carl Stubner’s threats and demands for more money for himself. Managers
have to be held to higher standards in the music business just like
they are in other industries." Mick adds, “Tommy Lee has been my and
Nikki’s friend for longer than anyone. This band is not going to sue
Tommy Lee. We will hold Carl Stubner and Sanctuary accountable." At
the hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard L. Fruin directs
Mötley Crüe
to go back and specify the threats made by Stubner in detail, when they
were made and to whom they were made. The band's attorneys say they
will do so.
7/12/07
Vince performs the Aerosmith classic Chip Away The Stone with Steven
Tyler on stage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood,
Florida as part of the Fort Lauderdale Harley-Davidson Bikers Bash.
9/12/07
Vince rides his custom chopper with more than thirty-thousand, toy-bearing
motorcyclists in the three-hour Christmas Toys in the Sun Run event.
Organised by the South Florida President's Council, an umbrella organisation
for motorcycle clubs and associations, the traffic-stopping procession
from Pompano Harness Track to Markham Park is greeted by waving spectators
who pull up lawn chairs to watch the morning parade. The toys are distributed
to needy families across Broward County. Most of the money raised through
the run benefits Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, a Hollywood facility
known for successfully treating paediatric cancer patients. Vince says,
"Anytime I can do something for the charities, I do it." His tricked-out,
Girls, Girls, Girls bike, as he calls it, will eventually be displayed
in his new Dr. Feelgood's Rock Bar in West Palm Beach, Florida.
13/12/07
Mick performs Dr.Feelgood and Girls, Girls, Girls on stage with Tom
Morello during his final Nightwatchmen concert for the year in Hollywood's
Hotel Cafe. Other guests Who jam for hours on inspired covers tunes
and collaborations include Slash, Serj Tankian, Alice in Chains' Jerry
Cantrell and William DuVall, Perry Farrell and his Satellite Party,
Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Filter front-man Richard Patrick, Wayne Kramer
of MC5 and Academy Award-winning actor Tim Robbins. To end an unforgettable
night of music, Morello calls the entire night's eclectic group of music
legends back to the stage for a ten-minute-plus jam on Woody Guthrie’s
definitive American anthem This Land Is Your Land.
22/12/07
The Sixx: A.M. track Tomorrow is to be the fourth song on the Saw IV
soundtrack, alongside other artists such as Saosin, Drowning Pool, Avenged
Sevenfold, and Ministry. The movie trailer of the haunting new thriller
One Missed Call features Life Is Beautiful by Sixx: A.M.
29/12/07
Tommy is among the celebrities
attending the grand opening of CatHouse club at Luxor in Las Vegas.
31/12/07
Tommy spends his New Year's Eve DJing at Spin nightclub in
Minneapolis with DJ Aero. The pair releases the first music from
their WTF? electronica project, making the tracks Redic, Chicken,
CEABA55555, and You Can't Afford This available online.
Toronto-based friend and dance phenom Deadmau5 stayed at Tommy's
home recently so he could contribute to the music making. Tommy has
also contributed some electronic drum beats to the production work
of breakbeat star Adam Freeland.
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