Motley Crüe's Nikki Sixx on his new radio shows -- and his new addiction

Gone are the days when Motley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx’s sole claim to “Renaissance man” status was that he enjoyed drugs and alcohol. Today Sixx is a published author and a photographer, and he will soon be able to add “DJ” to his resume. His nationally syndicated Monday-to-Friday radio show, Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx, debuts at 7pm on February 8, and the musician will also host The Side Show on Saturday and Sunday evenings. According to the Sixx Sense press release, listeners will be treated to “a backstage look at the world and mind of a rock star.” Which rather begs the question of how much mind Sixx actually has left after all those years of substance abuse during Motley Crüe’s ’80s heyday. “Oh, I have absolutely nothing left,” laughs the bassist. “I’m running on fumes, but the fumes are spitting off some pretty good ideas. Imagine if I actually had a mind!”

After the jump, much more from Sixx about his new career, what he’s addicted to these days, and why he isn’t afraid of being arrested by Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Entertainment Weekly: So what can we expect from Nikki Sixx, DJ?

Nikki Sixx: For me, to turn people on to new music, on to things that are going on in the world, is important. And the co-host I’ve hired, Kerri Kasem—her father is Casey Kasem—our chemistry is fantastic, and she actually takes the opposite view that I take sometimes. So that’s some good banter right there… You know what? Let me just answer the door, it’s room service. [lengthy pause] Hi!

See, now you’ve got me wondering what Nikki Sixx orders from room service there days.

Oh, it’s so f—ing boring. [laughs] I ordered food! How dare I!

I’m guessing there was a long period when you never ordered food from room service.

Yes. I forgot to order food for about ten years. ‘Room service? What do you have that’s not food’?

Do you listen to any unusual radio shows? Are you a secret Garrison Keillor fan?

I listen to NPR a lot. I love that. And right now my non-radio addiction is audio books. I was listening to Victor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning. He was in a concentration camp. His family were exterminated, and he survived, and wrote a book on it. It’s an unbelievable story.

What kind of guests are you going to have on your shows?

I’m always willing to talk to somebody if they have something to say that is interesting. A lot of shows just line up the idiots. It’s like a game: Who’s the most popular person behind the velvet rope this week? We need to bring in artists, and musicians, and brand new bands, and people from all over the world, and report back to the listener what’s going on. One example would be, when Twilight was out, one of the things we said when we were in early conversations was, ‘We would have a real vampire from Norway.’ Our angle is not negative. We’re not putting down something. But at the same time we play rock and alternative music, and we’re going to put a real vampire on the show. And let’s see how weird that its!

You’re also going to have Dog the Bounty Hunter on as a guest. Are you not worried that this is just a ruse so he can arrest you for some outstanding warrant?

[laughs] That would be a perfect twist, wouldn’t it. But I think I’m all cleaned up and good to go right now, as far as warrants and such. But the same week I have Ozzy. So who knows if he has any.