NEWS
Nikki Sixx
FilmMagicUPDATE (2/8): Pearl Jam and Mötley Crüe’s extremely 1991 feud got a little bit more ridiculous as video of Eddie Vedder taking a not-so-subtle jab at Tommy Lee’s drum theatrics at a recent show began to circulate online. The comments came during Vedder’s solo show with his backing band the Earthlings in New Jersey this past Sunday, Feb. 7, a couple days after Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx called Pearl Jam “one of the most boring bands in history” (this was after Vedder dissed the hair metal giants in a New York Times interview). While on stage, Vedder introduced a solo from Earthlings/Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith by quipping to the audience, “That drum kit, that silver, beautiful machine that he is the engine of, does not need to elevate or rotate to do its job — let me just point that out!”
In their heyday, Mötley Crüe’s stadium shows were packed with all sorts of theatrics and pyrotechnics, though arguably none were more famous and outrageous than Lee’s flying, rotating drum kit.
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Nikki Sixx has fired back at Pearl Jam after Eddie Vedder called Mötley Crüe “vacuous” and said he “despised” the band during a recent interview.
Vedder kicked off the increasingly rare ‘grunge vs. hair metal’ war of words when, speaking to the New York Times recently, he compared the Seattle scene to the his tenure loading gear at a San Diego venue during the peak of glam metal.
“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: Fuck you. I hated it. I hated how it made the fellas look. I hated how it made the women look. It felt so vacuous.”
Vedder also credited Guns N’ Roses with bringing “some teeth” to the pre-grunge rock era, made a subtle swipe at actress Heather Locklear (Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s ex-wife) and quipped that “the only person who wore a bustier in the ’90s that I could appreciate was Perry Farrell.”
The Pearl Jam singer’s disses finally reached Nikki Sixx Friday, with the Mötley Crüe bassist tweeting in response, “Made me laugh today reading how much the singer in Pearl Jam hated @MotleyCrue. Now considering that they’re one of the most boring bands in history it’s kind of a compliment isn’t it?”
Taylor Swift believes Nashville has a music scene that stands apart from anywhere else.
The 36 year old singer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was young to chase her dream of becoming a country music star. After being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday (26.10.26), Taylor took the opportunity to recognise the city and the talented writers who have helped shape its music scene.
In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: "I believe you really get to master a craft by doing it again and again. That's exactly what the incredible songwriters in this wonderful town do every day."
Taylor also spoke about what makes Nashville such a special place for musicians.
The award winning singer, who ranks among the best selling music artists of all time, said: "You won't find another music community quite like this one. Trust me, I've checked them all."
Taylor also shared how being part of Nashville's songwriting scene had taught her valuable lessons about life and working with others.
She joked: "I've learned to be flexible when your co writer turns up with a hangover, or when they need to spend ages talking about their divorce before we can even get started on a song."
Taylor previously spoke about how Faith Hill and Shania Twain inspired her decision to move to Nashville.
Speaking to Time magazine, the singer said: "I couldn't get enough of watching TV biographies about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I realised they had both moved to Nashville to get their careers started. After that, I kept asking, pleading and begging my parents to take me there.
"When I was 11, my mum took my brother and me to Nashville during spring break, and we spent the trip driving around Music Row. She stayed in the car while I rushed into record companies one after another, giving my demo CD to the receptionists. I found it fascinating that so many major record labels were gathered along a single street, often inside little buildings and old houses.
"What really stayed with me was how welcoming people were to newcomers and complete strangers like us. We started visiting Nashville more often, and when I was 13, I received an offer for a development deal from a major record label. That was when my parents finally agreed to leave Pennsylvania and move with me."
