NIKKI SIXX Says IVAN MOODY Has To Be 'A Hundred Percent Honest' With Himself In Order To Get Sober

Nikki Sixx has commented on Ivan Moody's continuing struggles with substance abuse, saying that the FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer has to look at himself in the mirror and "be a hundred percent honest" in order to have a chance at getting sober.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced on Wednesday that Moody will sit out the remainder of the band's European tour due to his battles with alcohol. Former DIVINE HERESY and current BAD WOLVES vocalist Tommy Vext is filling in for Moody, who threatened to quit the band onstage at a concert Monday in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Sixx, who says that he has not used drugs nor even drunk since his last trip to rehab in 2001, addressed the FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH situation during yesterday's episode of his syndicated radio show "Sixx Sense". The MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist said: "I've talked to some of the members of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and Ivan Moody has gone home from the tour. They have a guy, Tommy Vext — he's from BAD WOLVES. He's out there, he's gonna replace [Ivan] for now. Tommy is eight years sober. So it's kind of ironic and interesting that the alcoholic is going home and the sober guy, who hasn't made it as big as FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, is stepping in. Tommy did say in a press release from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH that he not only feels a responsibility to deliver to the fans, but also to show Ivan what you can do being sober. I like that a lot."

When asked by his "Sixx Sense" co-host Jenn Marino why he thinks going to rehab several times in the past doesn't seem to have worked for Moody so far, Sixx said: "I can't speak specifically for Ivan, but I can talk about this program. This program is about honesty. If you're going to meetings and you're using a little bit, trying to control it, it's not gonna work. You're lying to yourself. Okay?"

He continued: "This is the problem: You can lie to me, but you have to look at yourself in the mirror. You're lying to yourself. And if he can't be a hundred percent honest, he's gonna have a hard time getting sober, and this is what happens to a lot of people.

"I remember in my early, early recovery, the first time I really tried it on, I didn't wanna do it — I didn't wanna get sober — so I tried every which way," Sixx admitted. "I said 'I'm just gonna drink wine' and then 'I'm just gonna do this,' and 'I'm just gonna smoke weed and I'm not gonna do hard drugs,' and then it was, like, 'Well, I'll do them, but only on weekends.' [This is] very common. Anybody out there in recovery has heard a version of this or tried it on themselves."

Nikki added: "I wanna talk about my hope that Ivan can get sober for himself, but also I wanna talk about all the people that are in the addict's life, and in this case, it's millions of people. And also how fast this whole thing, this opportunity, for this band can just go up in flames and it's over. And in a few years, no one will remember your name."

Vext, who has been traveling with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH on their current European tour, sang the first song of the band's set on Monday, June 12 in Tilburg, The Netherlands because Moody arrived on stage several minutes late.

This is not the first time Ivan has been forced to miss FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH shows due to various issues. Moody previously sat our eight concerts during the band's fall 2016 U.S. co-headlining arena tour with SHINEDOWN after he "fell ill" and stepped away from the road to receive treatment. He was replaced at those dates by ALL THAT REMAINS vocalist Phil Labonte.

Prior to that, Moody had an onstage meltdown during a May 2015 show in Memphis. The incident was blamed on his abuse of alcohol and drugs. He entered rehab after that.

As previously reported, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and IN FLAMES will join forces for a European co-headlining tour in November and December.