Part One: Trapt
Last week I reviewed the parking lot and tailgating extravaganza of the Cruefest as well as Trapt’s opening performance. This week I’ll cover Sixx AM.
Sixx AM
Sixx AM’s music is OK to me, but not something I ever fell in love with. I like Nikki Six, thought Brides of Destruction was incredible (until he left the band), and always loved Motley Crue. My biggest problem with Sixx AM? Too much whining. Their songs always felt like 90s crybaby grunge. Boo Hoo, feel bad for me, I did drugs, and I drank, and the girls left me, and I’m a millionaire, but I hate my life. That’s just not my kind of music. Go whine somewhere else, because I don’t relate. The songs as a whole are solid, the vocals are strong, the guitar work is excellent, and the music is pleasing to the ear. Nikki Sixx has always been a great songwriter, but I don’t relate to wanting to give up because of being an addict, so the subject matter just never grabbed me.
When Sixx AM blasted out onto the stage, it was cool to see Nikki with his side project. He was wearing sunglasses and practically hiding in the background, almost as if he was saying, “pay attention to these guys, not me. Give them their moment.” And take the moment they did. Front man James Michael did a spectacular job of rousing the crowd, most of whom knew every word to every song that the band played. The guitarist, DJ Ashba, was a little guy, but a ball of energy. Nonstop thrashing and wailing on the electric ax, he was fun to watch.
Sixx AM had their hardcore fan base. Seated right next to me was an elderly woman who still wanted it to be 1982 so very bad. She was dressed in a tight, black leather mini-skirt that back in the day may have turned heads, but now it turned heads away. She was also dressed in a loose, leopard print, halter-top that revealed way too much aging skin. Leopard print high-heeled shoes matched the top. This woman was also tattooed up, depicting her love of Motley Crue and Nikki Sixx with permanent ink on her calves, ankles, and arms. I’m sure there were tattoos in other places, but I didn’t want to know. As Sixx AM jammed away, tattoo was standing on her seat, leaning forward and screaming every word to every song as loud as she could. She was in the moment and getting her money’s worth. A true fan for sure.
Sixx AM closed with their big hit, Life Is Beautiful, that received a lot of radio play during the spring and summer, and they closed strong. Their performance was well received and I was impressed with the band’s stage presence.
Next Week: Papa Roach blows them all away.
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