Nikki Sixx elaborated on his seemingly out-of-nowhere war of words with Eddie Vedder in a new interview.
As previously reported, Vedder started it all when he said in an interview in The New York Times, “You know, I used to work in San Diego loading gear at a club. I’d end up being at shows that I wouldn’t have chosen to go to — bands that monopolized late-’80s MTV. The metal bands that — I’m trying to be nice — I despised. ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ and Mötley Crüe: [expletive] you. I hated it. I hated how it made the fellas look. I hated how it made the women look. It felt so vacuous.”
There would be some additional back-and-forth between Sixx and Vedder, and then things were quite on the Grunge/Hair Metal front. However, the whole drama was brought in a new interview with Paulo Baron and Regis Tadeu. Sixx was asked how his songwriting has changed and evolved over his decades-long career, and he said, “I’m not trying to be the guy that wrote ‘Bastard’ [‘Shout At The Devil’], because I’m not the guy that wrote ‘Bastard’. I wrote that song about somebody that ripped us off. I am the guy that if you f— with me, I will f— with you back. And that’s what that song is about. You take a swipe at my band; I’ll take a swipe at your band. You try to hurt my family, which is my band; I will try to hurt you. That’s not something to be proud about.”
Sixx would add referencing Vedder’s original comments, “…But what I don’t understand is why’s the guy even talking about my band? He’s a successful guy.”
He continued, “Listen, let’s face it: the guy flies around in private jets; he lives in a mansion in a gated community; he sells out stadiums; and then he dresses at the thrift store and tries to pretend some guy in the ’90s. Don’t take a swipe at my band, dude. I mean, I’m at least being honest.”
As of publishing, Vedder has yet to respond, but who knows where this kind of random feud could go next!