MÖTLEY CRÜE's NIKKI SIXX: VINCE NEIL 'Has Taken A Lot Of Bricks In The Face Over The Years For His Vocals Live'

In a new interview with USA Today, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx was asked how his bandmate Vince Neil is doing health-wise after the singer suffered his most severe stroke in December 2024. Sixx responded: "This was his fourth stroke, so his health is of most concern, as is the health of the band."

Referencing MÖTLEY CRÜE's recently completed "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" tour, which celebrated the 20th anniversary of CRÜE's groundbreaking 2005-2006 "Carnival Of Sins" tour and the 45th anniversary of the band, Sixx said: "Vince doesn't want to pull any punches and we didn't want to do any songs that maybe were too much on him. But he was, like, 'I'm in.' I want to do 'Red Hot'. I love these songs. He really came to work and was sounding good pre-production. But once we hit the stage, he really came alive. He just wanted to be the best he could be ... He's taken a lot of bricks in the face over the years for his vocals live and he doesn't like seeing that kind of stuff. So he really wanted to come in and not only prove to himself but to the fans that he's vocally totally capable."

Over the years, Vince has received harsh criticism online for his weight gain and alleged drop in vocal ability.

Back in September 2021, Vince shared a video of him vigorously training in the gym and receiving an Emsculpt Neo treatment in preparation for the 2022 "The Stadium Tour". According to its web site, "Emsculpt Neo is the first and only non-invasive body shaping procedure that provides simultaneous fat elimination and muscle building in a combined 30-minute session." Neil captioned his Instagram video, "Trying it all! Check out Emsculpt Neo abs, They say it's 20,000 crunches in just 30 minutes!!"

During a 2014 interview with SouthFlorida.com, Neil was asked if he has a daily regimen to stay in shape while on the road. "You're running for two hours on stage every night. That pretty much keeps you in shape," he replied. "It is a regimen. Usually on the day of the concert, I'll get to the [venue] around 4 p.m. We always have a meet-and-greet at 5:30 p.m. Then I go relax on my bus until 8 p.m. I get dressed and I'm onstage at 9. That's the way it is every day."

In a 2011 interview with the San Antonio Metal Music Examiner, Vince talked about the differences between singing for two hours on stage every night and athletes and ordinary people running 26.2 miles for two hours. "Yeah, it's two different kind of marathons," he said. "I use a pedometer, and I run just about 10-12 miles a night. It's different, though. One thing that's different is you're singing. And you do stop and talk to the crowd. But what these athletes do, it's amazing."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's 2025 Las Vegas residency launched on September 12, 2025 and at Dolby Live at Park MGM and ran through October 3, 2025. The shows had initially been set for spring 2025 but were rescheduled after Neil revealed he had suffered a stroke on Christmas 2024.

In September 2025, Vince shared in an interview that he had actually had a series of strokes before he suffered the "big one" in his sleep Christmas 2024 night, rendering him unable to get out of bed when he woke up the next day.

When MÖTLEY CRÜE originally postponed the Las Vegas residency, the band said it was because Neil needed a "medical procedure," but offered no further details.

The 33-city Live Nation-produced "The Return Of Carnival Of Sins" kicked off on July 17, 2026 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania at the Pavilion at Star Lake and featured support acts EXTREME and TESLA.

MÖTLEY CRÜE recently announced its fourth Las Vegas residency, "Mötley Crüe At The Colosseum At Caesars Palace: Carnival Of Sins In Sin City". The legendary rockers will set up shop at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace starting March 12, 2027, with a total of eight shows running through April 3.

MÖTLEY CRÜE previously held three residencies in Las Vegas: "Mötley Crüe Takes On Sin City" (2012),"Evening In Hell" (2013) and "The Las Vegas Residency" (2025).