WHAT THEY SAID
“It does not matter to Mötley Crüe if you’re a Republican. It does not matter to Mötley Crüe if you’re a Democrat” ‡, Nikki Sixx told a crowd in a clip now spreading across X *, †, ‡. He extended the same welcome to gay and straight fans and asked the room to agree that everyone is in it together *, †, ‡.
THE DETAILS
– The date and venue of the viral clip are unconfirmed, though Sixx gave a near identical speech in August at Truliant Amphitheater in Charlotte †, ‡.
– Crüe wrapped the Return of the Carnival of Sins tour in late September *, ‡.
– The clip blew up alongside James Hetfield’s October 10 remarks at Sphere in Las Vegas, where he said Metallica’s agenda is love, energy and heavy music *, ‡.
– Louder notes the timing follows Macklemore being removed from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour over an onstage speech about Gaza ‡.
– Sixx said much the same to NME back in 2016 *, †, ‡.
WHO IS RIGHT
Sixx is consistent and he is not a hypocrite about it: he keeps his opinions on social media, where he has posted about the opioid epidemic, and bandmate Tommy Lee posts freely about Trump *, ‡. Hetfield’s swipe at “some other entertainers” * is the weaker move, taking a shot while claiming to rise above the noise.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
With the Crüe tour finished, the open question is whether Sixx repeats the speech on the band’s next run or lets the clip speak for itself.