NIKKI SIXX: 'The Day MÖTLEY CRÜE Plays Its Last Show, I Will Never Play Another MÖTLEY CRÜE Song Again'

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says that his other band, SIXX: A.M., is its own entity and not an attempt to recycle elements of the CRÜE in order to appeal to an already established fan base.

"I think they're totally separate — I really compartmentalize the two," Sixx tells RiffYou.com. "What's important to me is to never do anything I already did in MÖTLEY CRÜE, because I cherish that music, those times and those band members. So, I never want to try and replicate that."

He continues: "A lot of times, I see people try and do 'the next thing' and it's just kind of the same as the other. [If that were me] I'd think, 'Well, why not just do MÖTLEY CRÜE?' But why would I do another version of MÖTLEY CRÜE? SIXX: A.M. is completely different musically, spiritually, emotionally, visually…and that gives me pride. The people who are coming to see us, are coming to see SIXX: A.M. We don't play MÖTLEY CRÜE music and we never will play MÖTLEY CRÜE music. The day MÖTLEY CRÜE plays its last show, I will never play another MÖTLEY CRÜE song again…even if it's one I wrote.

"To be respectful to MÖTLEY CRÜE is the biggest gift I can give to fans."

Asked if he was ever concerned about whether SIXX: A.M. would be judged differently because of his MÖTLEY CRÜE accomplishments, Sixx tells RiffYou.com: "SIXX: A.M.'s totally different from anything I've ever done. It's almost a spiritual experience with a positive message at the end. For me, I'm going into unchartered territory… which is exciting, because I feel like there are no limitations, no ceiling. We can do anything we set our minds to, musically… and that's exciting."

He continues: "When you're in a band like AC/DC, or VAN HALEN, or MÖTLEY CRÜE, or GUNS N' ROSES, you do something and you have a sound: it's really potent and amazing. But SIXX: A.M. is a different kind of band, because no one is really holding us accountable, so [people] are just allowing us to make pretty obscure and wide strokes… and we're taking advantage of it."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Final Tour" kicked off last year and will end New Year's Eve at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after one more round of North American gigs.

MÖTLEY CRÜE first announced plans for "The Final Tour" by signing a Cessation Of Touring Agreement at a press conference in Los Angeles in January 2014, solidifying the end of their touring career for December 2015. Since the announcement, the band has been touring tirelessly to say goodbye to fans around the world, most recently playing their final shows in Japan.

SIXX: A.M., which also features GUNS N' ROSES guitarist D.J. Ashba and vocalist James Michael, has just completed its first-ever headling tour. The band is also already in the process of writing music for its upcoming fourth full-length album, which is tentatively due in 2016.

To round out its live lineup, SIXX: A.M. added drummer Dustin Steinke of BLEEKER RIDGE into the mix for the tour, as well as backup singers Melissa Harding and Amber VanBuskirk.