Nikki Sixx calls out Kiss - accuses them of stealing Motley Crue's stage production

Nikki Sixx (Image credit: Laura Cavanaugh/FilmMagic - Getty)

Nikki Sixx has called out Kiss on social media, accusing them of ripping off Motley Crue’s stage production.

Kiss played The Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday night, and, prior to the show, Sixx posted a still from Crue’s final tour from 2014/15 on Instagram, with the caption: “If ya wanna see an exact reenactment of this just go to the Los Angeles Forum tonight.”

Sixx later posted a composite image showing him being carried above the crowd on a crane and one of Kiss bassist Gene Simmons doing something similar.

Sixx said: “Wow. Our body wasn’t even cold before they took this exact grande finale from our tour. Might not matter to Kiss fans but it does to Crue fans.

“I dug their music when I was a little kid and it was cool to co-headline together a few years, but this disappoints me. Anyway. Onwards and upwards.”

It’s not the first time Sixx has had a pop at Kiss. A spat between them began in 2016 after Simmons referred to Prince’s death as self-inflicted and “pathetic”. Sixx responded by urging the Kiss bassist to “call it a day” and said he had no respect for him any more.

Sixx later softened his stance, telling Loudwire Nights: “Gene’s a very opinionated man, so am I. I’ll be honest with you, I think we just kinda look like a bunch of old women fighting at this point.”

Motley Crue’s long-awaited biopic The Dirt will premiere on Netflix on March 22, with the Crue getting back together to record four songs for the film – one of which will feature rapper Machine Gun Kelly.

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald newspapers, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.