One of the silliest beefs in hard rock this year erupted when KISS’ Gene Simmons called Prince’s death “pathetic” and Mötley Crüe bassist and songwriter Nikki Sixx took him to task, suggesting he’s out of touch and should “call it a day.” Then KISS guitarist Paul Stanley chimed in and Sixx commented again. But now Sixx says it’s time to it’s time back off the battlefield before everyone involved loses credibility.
“I think we just kinda look like a bunch of old women fighting at this point,” he told Loudwire.
Sixx added that the war of words spiraled out of control because the press made a new, bold headline out of every comment. “The problem is that sometimes you will say something and the media will take just that 15 seconds and that gets magnified,” he said. “It can get blown out of proportion.”
The Mötley Crüe bassist was disappointed by the headlines since they led some people to think Sixx had no love for KISS. And that’s just not true.
“When I grew up, I loved KISS,” clarified Sixx. “They influenced me as a songwriter. KISS gave Mötley Crüe one of their very first tours. They’ve done a lot of great stuff for me in my life. [But] Gene’s a very opinionated man and so am I.”