Nikki Sixx is standing up for Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil, responding directly to fans who questioned Neil’s voice ahead of the band’s upcoming 2026 tour. After a social media post criticized Neil — saying he “needs to get in shape and fix his voice first” — Sixx fired back: “Did you hear him in Vegas? He sounded solid and bad ass.”
Sixx’s defense comes on the heels of Mötley Crüe’s recent Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM, which marked Neil’s first shows since suffering multiple strokes late last year. During the residency, Neil himself acknowledged he’s “95 percent good,” while admitting stage movement is still tough: “There’s things that I can’t do on stage still … That stage is so huge … But I’m getting used to it.”
Sixx wasn’t alone in his praise. John 5, Crüe’s guitarist, told SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation that band members were blown away when Neil started singing during rehearsals:
“We didn’t really know, but when we got into rehearsal … he started singing, and we were, like, ‘Oh my God, he’s singing great, actually.’”
John 5 added that there were no backing tracks during the residency — Neil was performing live, full strength. He particularly praised a rendition of “Home Sweet Home”, calling it “incredible.”
Beyond responding to fan criticism, Sixx addressed calls from others for former guitarist Mick Mars to return to the band. Sixx pushed back, citing Mars’ retirement in 2022 due to health concerns, and questioned why anyone would ask him to return if his body “couldn’t handle life on the road.”
