Chronological Crue - The History of Motley Crue in 2003

7/1/03
Rikki Rockett’s Glitter 4 Your Soul CD tribute salute to 70’s glitter rock is released and features John Corabi singing a cover of Alice Cooper’s Elected with Blues Saraceno on guitar.

8/1/03
From the studio where his new band Brides of Destruction is recording six more songs titled I Don’t Care, Brace Yourself, Life, Crash, Going Out, and Shut The F@ck Up, Nikki Sixx says there are currently no plans for Mötley Crüe to do any kind of tour until next year.

Rich Wilkes, the writer of movies Airheads, XXX and XXX2, has been signed-on to write the Mötley movie script. Nikki says Rich is a huge fan of rock, as they prepare to choose the right director for the film. Nikki and wife Donna will also be doing some TV together soon, expected to air for Valentine’s Day.

9/1/03
The Warner Bros half-hour comedy/reality series featuring Vince Neil called The Surreal Life premieres on the Warner Brothers Network with back-to-back half-hour episodes and is received with surprisingly good reviews from critics. Vince tells Entertainment Weekly that he shared the house in the San Fernando Valley for ten days and ten nights for the show because he was a bit curious and saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but he’d never do it again.

11/1/03
Vince spends the weekend in Las Vegas to attend the Adult Video News Adult Expo and Awards where he sings. He also films his first official porn video called Vince Neil Strippers Ball. A Jaguar and $25,000 are up for first prize in the show that gives strippers time off work to enjoy themselves on a night on the town with Vince.

14/1/03
Against Tommy Lee’s wishes, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Neidorf’s rules that a further person cannot be added to the wrongful death and negligence lawsuit filed against him when a four-year-old boy drowned in his pool. Tommy’s attorney Philip D. Weiss wanted nanny Judith Zeihm added to the lawsuit as a defendant after she took over supervision duties of the boy who was originally brought to the party by his nanny, Christian Weihs. Leaving the party early to go to a concert, Weiss is said to have gone home and advised the boy’s parents of the plan to leave young Daniel with Judith Zeihm who had no problem with the arrangement.

There’s sadness in the Sixx household with the heart attack and passing of the biological father of Nikki’s nine-year-old stepson Rhyan.

15/1/03
Pamela Anderson’s lawyer Suzanne Harris says Pam and Tommy have signed an agreement submitted to the court to end their bitter custody battle over their two sons. Expected to be signed by Superior Court Judge Lee Smalley Edmon, the agreement now gives Pamela the option of moving Brandon and Dylan to Michigan, the home state of her fiancé Kid Rock.

Versailles Records announces the forthcoming April release of An Education in Rebellion - The Audio-Biography of Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx as the first in its new audio-biography Series of spoken word/book-on-CD releases. The product is yet to be released.

16/1/03
Nikki attends the grand opening of the Hard Rock Vault in Orlando, Florida. Also present for the opening of the seventeen-thousand-square-foot interactive memorabilia attraction are Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, AC/DC singer Brian Johnson, Zakk Wylde, former Guns N’ Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash, and members of Disturbed.

20/1/03
Brides of Destruction continues working on eight songs in the studio, six of them new. Scot Coogan re-did Kris Kohl’s drum tracks on the first two original demo songs and now all instruments are done ready for London’s vocals today, and then back-ups from John and Scot. The songs will be mixed as the band prepares for ten live shows late next month along the U.S. west coast before finishing writing and pre-production for the album’s recording towards the end of April.

24/1/03
The lawsuit filed by Tom Werman in May last year seeking at least $100,000 in damages from Mötley Crüe for breach of contract, and the same amount from the distributor Beyond Music, has now been settled with terms remaining confidential. The lawsuit alleged that Beyond Music executives “encouraged Mötley to breach’’ agreements between the band and Werman, effectively cheating him out of royalties on the albums he produced: Shout at the Devil, Theatre of Pain and Girls, Girls, Girls. Werman stopped getting royalties in 2001 after the albums were re-released by Left Bank Records Inc., which also conducted business as Beyond Music. Tom Werman is said to be very happy with the terms of the settlement.

27/1/03
After winning a contest during last week’s episode of The Surreal Life, Vince is set to begin filming a guest spot this week on the WB network show Greetings from Tucson as his prize. The show is an autobiographical family comedy, based on the life of series creator Peter Murrieta, seen through the eyes of a fifteen-year-old as he faces the challenges of growing up in an ethnically mixed, upwardly mobile family.

Tommy is currently working with Monster Magnet front-man Dave Wyndorf and producer Scott Humphrey on the score for Ice Cube’s next movie Torque. Tommy will play drums on some of the material using big Japanese orchestral drums, so everything sounds huge. Wyndorf describes the film’s music as a cross between Bernard Herrmann (Taxi Driver, Vertigo) and Sergio Leoni (A Fistful of Dollars) done in a psychedelic funk format, but emphasises that it’s not a hard rock score at all. The movie is being directed by Joseph Kahn, who worked on Monster Magnet’s Powertrip and Space Lord videos, before shooting videos for other artists including Moby and Britney Spears.

29/1/03
Vince prepares to release an album titled More Girls, Girls, Girls in time for Valentines Day. The day before, he will be hosting the More Girls, Girls, Girls talent quest at Jaguar’s Gentlemen Club in Las Vegas. Vince has committed to franchising the competition to take it worldwide, including South Beach, Latin America and Cannes. He is also reportedly working with an experienced licensing team that will ensure many entertainment windows for ‘Girls’ including movies, calendars, television and apparel.

30/1/03
In a post on AOL, Tommy says he feels Vince has sunk to “an all-time low” by doing The Surreal Life reality series and blames him for “dragging what’s left of a once-great band.” The post was a follow-up to a previous comment that “rock stars don’t do talent shows” in reference to Vince recently winning a talent quest on the series, with his song Surreal Life Blues.

31/1/03
Following the demise of Beyond Records, Mötley Crüe has now signed a deal with Universal Music Enterprises to re-release all of their albums with bonus tracks on April 1. The band is to receive about $5 million in advances against a royalty rate of around twenty five percent. A new greatest hits album is also being prepared for a March 4 release, followed by DVD releases of Lewd, Crüed & Tattooed and VH1 Behind the Music: Mötley Crüe the following month. A greatest hits style video collection is planned for later in the year, as well as a career-spanning box set for the holiday season. Nikki says he wants fans to say, “Wow, I never thought I’d get my hands on the very first single. They only made a thousand of these things and here I finally get it.”

Nikki is also entertaining offers for a new book deal called The Heroin Diaries, focusing on his dark days between Christmas morning 1986 to Christmas morning 1987, taking in the making of the Girls, Girls, Girls record, the jets, the tours, the Rolling Stone magazine cover, the overdoses and arrests, and still being alone exactly one year later.

Later on Canadian TV, Nikki says the Mötley Crüe farewell tour in planning for next year will only be with the original members, who would need to be in top physical and mental shape. He says the band has very dysfunctional personalities and Vince and Tommy don’t like each other, so these are all factors determining whether it will happen or not. Nikki says he finds it difficult to get along with Vince due to his heavy drinking problem, when he himself attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings three or four times a week.

3/2/03
Paramount Pictures and MTV Films will begin filming the Mötley Crüe movie this year for a 2004 theatrical release. Nikki says Jackass star Johnny Knoxville told him he wants to play his character in the movie. Nikki says, “I felt pretty comfortable thinking about him doing it after I walked outside from the meeting at Paramount and he was peeing on the tire of some executive. He has the right attitude.”

4/2/03
Brides of Destruction winds up work in the studio with nine songs now complete and a further three that are almost done. They are in the final stages of deciding which producer will handle duties on their album. It is later revealed that they met with Bob Rock one Sunday morning at a Beverly Hills hotel. After breakfast, the band went up to Bob’s room where he gave them an honest critique of what he liked and disliked with the demo songs. Bob declined to produce the project, later revealing that he believed it would be settling for something not as good as Mötley Crüe.

Nikki says he is currently focused on The Brides and deals, including his N.SIXX clothing line through Dragonfly that has sixteen mens and sixteen womens items, some of which are being prepared for display at the major industry trade show later this month. On the Mötley front, he says he sees Mick Mars often and he is doing great, and he is excited about the planned release of the Crüe’s Greatest Hits DVD later in the year. Eight of the eleven Mötley Crüe albums to be released April 1 will include bonus tracks that have previously only appeared on Japanese editions. For the band’s first seven albums, the tracks will sit next to bonus tracks that appeared on the initial remastered reissues in 1999.

7/2/03
Vince participates in the Fifteenth Annual Frank Sinatra Celebrity Golf Tournament in aid of Barbara Sinatra’s Children’s Centre at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, California. Others to enjoy the event include Lee Majors, Smokey Robinson, Dennis Quaid and Andy Williams.

10/2/03
Tommy’s bassist Marty O’Brien says Tommy is currently writing new songs in his Tommyland home studio. Marty has laid down bass on some of Tommy’s demos, and even some new songs that Tommy’s fiancée Mayté is writing. Marty is also working on his own songs in his home studio but is not sure if any of his ideas will end up as Tommy Lee songs.

Meanwhile the L.A. law firm Proskauer Rose LLP reportedly sues Tommy for $315,681 in unpaid service fees.

11/2/03
Mick has another grandchild with the birth of Trinton at 12:01pm. The new baby son of Mick’s son Les Deal weighs 9lbs 5oz at birth and is twenty one inches long.

15/2/03
Vince joins the Scorpions on stage at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas for a rendition of their hit Rock You Like a Hurricane. Scorpions’ drummer James Kottack is married to Tommy’s sister Athena, and she accepts Vince’s invitation to be the new drummer in Vince’s solo band.

21/2/03
During a radio interview before the Grammy Awards, Stacey from American Hi-Fi says he wrote a song with Nikki that they were going to record but they both got busy and it hasn’t happened as yet.

24/2/03
Tommy meets with book publishers in New York to dish all the dirt on his marriages to Pamela Anderson in a book titled Ragz to Riches due next year. He also attends some of the Grammy’s parties.

1/3/03
Tommy is preparing to launch a “sexy and tasteful” line of women’s underwear and lingerie with Immortal Entertainment CEO Happy Walters, which will debut in stores next fall. His ex-wife Pamela announced her clothing line two weeks ago.

Nikki says his male and female Dragonfly clothing line is in over one hundred and fifty stores and they can't design it fast enough for the buyers. He says The Brides have now met with producers and have their heart set on one, known to Crüe fans, who gave them some working orders that have prompted them to head back into Klown Studios to increase the aggression in their music. There won’t be any ballads as their intention is to have an album with the energy of AC/DC, Plasmatics, old Judas Priest, and Kiss meets the Sex Pistols. Nikki also expresses his sadness over the recent Great White nightclub fire tragedy, hoping those responsible are punished to the utmost degree and saying his heart goes out to all the families.

2/3/03
Poison announces they will be touring throughout the year with Vince and Skid Row, with the first leg of tour dates soon to be announced.

3/3/03
Nikki says Brides of Destruction has been speaking with some major acts about having them support and they are close to making a decision. The band will be touring without their album complete but are fine with that. He says, “I’m embarrassed that Crüe members tour and don’t stand on their own musically. I support playing a couple of songs, but for God’s sake, try to have some kind of class and not play ninety nine percent Mötley music... some day there just may be a Crüe tour... isn’t that what that’s for?”

Nikki has now also signed with Regan Books to publish his Heroin Diaries book, which is expected to be released late this year or early next.

4/3/03
Nikki says the name of his Dragonfly clothing line N.SIXX was inspired by the original lyric sheet of Shout at the Devil that he had shown to the graphic artists at the clothing company. Meanwhile Brides of Destruction apparently recently had one of their recording hard drives stolen from their recording studio at Klown Records and the song Shut The F@ck Up! has been spotted on some Internet file-sharing locations.

Nikki films a cameo appearance in the video for the second Saliva single from their Back Into Your System album called Rest in Pieces, which he wrote with James Michael. The song is the number two U.S. radio song this week behind Sum 41. The clip is shot in a cinema-verite style by director Diane Martel and features a glimpse of Nikki in his ‘57 Chevy.

Mötley Crüe re-releases their Greatest Hits album through Universal Music Enterprises label Hip-O Records.

7/3/03
Tommy says he is having a blast filming all week for the Friday night Fox TV show Fastlane as he acts as a tweaker on meth. His episodes are expected to air in April.

A demo version of the Brides of Destruction song Shut The F@ck Up! is posted on the Mötley Crüe website and is received positively by fans.

8/3/03
Nikki says Brides of Destruction is back in rehearsals next week and they’re considering recording five more tracks. The band has written over thirty-five songs; having started off writing hit sounding songs but now finding their own sound and regressing into what he believes they should sound like on their first record. The band’s first deal is signed and they are now concentrating on other business decisions.

10/3/03
Tommy says his forthcoming autobiography Ragz to Riches will contain many details not included in The Dirt. The book is to be a microscopic view into his life, rather than all the Mötley members, and he promises it to be a “mindblower.” Tommy has yet to secure a publishing deal for the book, which is expected to surface in 2004 as The Dirt movie hits the silver screen.

13/3/03
Nikki says he’ll be doing a charity event at the Roxy in Los Angeles in a few months with some other name artists. He has recently been doing lots of press promoting his N.SIXX clothing line and Brides of Destruction.

14/3/03
Brent Fitz plays drums with Vince after Tommy’s sister Athena doesn’t hear back from Vince’s camp about her touring. Jason Hook from Bulletboys and Mandy Moore’s band plays guitar while Alan Vine from Impotent Sea Snakes is on bass.

18/3/03
The Brides of Destruction website is launched and allows fans to hear full-length streaming audio of their songs I Don’t Care, 2x Dead (Goin’ Out), Life, Only So Far, Revolution, I’ve Got A Gun, Brace Yourself, Natural Born Killer, and Shut The F@ck Up.

26/3/03
Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols will guest on the forthcoming album by Ashley Hamilton, son of actor George Hamilton, while Tommy is set to contribute his drumming talents to a cover of the INXS song Need You Tonight with Mixmaster Mike from the Beastie Boys on turntables.

29/3/03
John shaves off his dreadlocks to leave an inch of hair all over his head. He grew tired of the dreads that weighed about seventy pounds when wet, and the headaches they gave him all the time.

31/3/03
Tommy tells Chronological Crue that he has landed a deal for his autobiography with Atria Books, the hardcover imprint of Simon & Schuster. He says the book isn’t called Ragz to Riches as no title has been decided yet.

1/4/03
Tommy attends the Frederick’s of Hollywood Fashion Show Fall 2003 Collection to benefit Expedition Inspiration Take-A-Hike at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, California.

Meanwhile Tommy’s video for Hold Me Down is nominated for Alternative Video of the Year in the Music Video Production Association awards for excellence.

2/4/03
Excited about the new songs he has been writing, John announces his exit from Brides of Destruction through a band press release, as he progresses his solo career. As the one-time Mötley band-mates split once again, Nikki says John kicks-ass as a songwriter and they can’t wait to hear what he does next, while John says they are still friends and the split is amicable. The Brides wish John nothing but the best, as they move on to begin recording their debut album due for release later this year.

3/4/03
John says he parted company with Brides of Destruction under good terms so that he can take care of some personal issues and pursue his solo career.

4/4/03
Nikki says the Brides have rehearsed a bunch of new tunes and will finalise a record deal so they can go and make their album in another six-to-eight weeks. Following John’s departure, he again confirms they are all the greatest of friends and there is nothing but respect and love for each other, but each has their own journey. He says Brides of Destruction were the other band being considered for the Aerosmith and Kiss tour opening slot, and they were honoured to be in contention right until the end considering their unsigned band hasn’t even recorded an album yet. Saliva was chosen in the end and Nikki says his phone has been running off the hook with song-writing requests, now that the Saliva single he wrote Rest in Pieces is taking off at radio.

Tommy stars in the FOX TV show Fastlane. The episode titled Asslane features him in the role of a crystal-meth kingpin whose partnership with a porn-producing distributor (model Naomi Campbell) is about to be ended.

5/4/03
John plays rhythm guitar with Ratt in Las Vegas and further clarifies to fans his recent departure from Brides of Destruction saying he just wasn’t into it, and he didn’t want to be in the band if he wasn’t committed. He has been married for two years and wants to spend more time with his wife, and his diabetic son Ian who needs a lot of attention. John wants to keep playing in Ratt and concentrate on his solo music, thus not having the time or desire to make the Brides work. He also says he is thinking of taking a little time off from everything and spending some quality time at home with his family instead of touring on the road so much. John enrolls in truck-driving school so he can get his license and have income earning potential during his time off the road from Ratt.

7/4/03
Vince’s attorney enters a no contest plea to misdemeanour battery for his April 2002 assault on record producer Michael Schuman outside the Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood. The Superior Court judge orders Vince to complete one hundred hours of community service, pay restitution and go through a booking process, which will place his fingerprints on file with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Prosecutors say he will also complete a diversion program and is due in court in one year for any additional sentencing. Vince did not attend court after his not guilty plea lodged last September.

Jury selection begins in Santa Monica for the civil trial of Tommy who is being sued for the wrongful death of four-year-old Daniel Karven-Veres who drowned in June 2001 during his son Brandon’s birthday party. Prosecution and defense lawyers select twelve suitable jurors to hear the case in which German actress Ursula Karven and her husband James Veres are accusing Tommy of negligence in the death of their son, and seeking at least one million dollars in damages as well as reimbursement for medical care, funeral expenses and additional damages to make up for their pain and suffering. The boy is said to have been brought to the party by his nanny and that she left the party early to go to a concert, leaving another nanny to look after him, before he tragically died from asphyxia by drowning. No criminal charges were filed against Tommy and the death was ruled accidental by the Los Angeles County coroner.

8/4/03
Dubbed Mandatory Mötley, the Crüe re-release all of their albums through the Universal Music Enterprises division Hip-O Records. The albums also feature the Japanese bonus tracks from the Crucial Crüe releases, along with video clips. The releases include Too Fast for Love, Shout at the Devil, Theatre of Pain, Girls, Girls, Girls, Dr. Feelgood, Mötley Crüe, Generation Swine, Supersonic and Demonic Relics, Live: Entertainment or Death, and New Tattoo.

On trial, Tommy testifies in his own defense that every other child at his son’s tragic birthday party came with a parent or a babysitter to look after them, and repeatedly places the responsibility for the children on the guardians who accompanied them to the party at his Malibu estate. Tommy says he sat by the pool and kept an eye on his own two kids. Attorney Thomas Girardi, who represents Daniel’s parents, said in his opening statement that his clients had been unaware that their child would be swimming, saying there was one life jacket and Tommy gave it to his own son, Brandon. Tommy’s attorney James Baratta countered that the party was carefully planned, that Tommy had arranged for a magician, a petting zoo and a Buzz Lightyear character to entertain the children.

9/4/03
Actress Ursula Karven is questioned by attorneys for a second day before a Superior Court jury of nine women and three men in Santa Monica, as she and her husband James Veres sue Tommy for wrongful death, believing he acted in negligence by not having a lifeguard or anyone available to perform CPR at his son’s birthday party. Karven says she would have insisted her drowned son Daniel Karven-Veres bring his water-wings if she’d known there would be swimming at the party and she first learned there was swimming when Christian Weihs, the twenty-four-year-old nanny of the family and German exchange student who went to the party to specifically watch over Daniel and his nine-year-old brother Christopher, returned home without them at about 2:30pm to get ready to go to the Wango Tango concert. Karven testifies that Weihs told her, “Don’t worry. They’re out of the water now,” that the pool party was over and that he had turned over care of the boys to someone else’s nanny, who was watching over three other children of the eighteen pre-schoolers at the party. Veres testifies she was unhappy that Weihs left her sons with the other nanny, Judith Zeihm, but said she knew Zeihm from Malibu’s Seaside preschool. Weihs returned to Germany several days after the incident and has since disappeared and will not be a witness.

Daniel’s father then testifies that he is a former national swimming champion and he had tried to teach Daniel to swim. He said the boy had an ‘egg’ flotation device and that he didn’t go anywhere near water without his water-wings. Karven says another parent from the party Renee called to alert her that Daniel had an accident in the pool and to come quickly. David Lira, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said he might call Tommy’s ex-wife Pamela Anderson as a witness in the case to address the issue of Tommy’s credibility, but Judge Richard Neidorf hasn’t ruled if she would be allowed to testify. If Pamela were allowed to testify, it is likely to be next week during his rebuttal case. The trial is set to resume next Tuesday.

All Brides of Destruction members are guests on Rockline radio and play some of their new songs. Nikki says he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in his Outlaw clothing venture, as he talks about how well his N.SIXX clothing line is going now. He says the Brides have now signed with a licensing and distribution deal with Universal records in Japan and they are still negotiating similar contracts for the U.S. and the rest of world, before they begin the final recording in about eight-to-ten weeks. London says he was born in Miami Florida before moving to Charlotte in about third grade where he lived until he was fourteen, when he spent thirteen months in the Orient attending Hong Kong International School. Tracii Guns saw a picture of him last year and asked him to sing on a demo song. They then met up with Nikki over an Italian dinner and London’s place in the band was confirmed. Newest member Scot Coogan says Tracii came down one night to watch him sing and drum in his fun cover band Six Foot Nurse, after he had previously played drums with Steve from Klown Records, where the band is recording. Tracii joined him on stage for a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s Rock’n’Roll before introducing him to the rest of the band the next day and being asked to join the following day. Scot’s vocal recording debut can be heard on The Brides’ song Life.

11/4/03
Tommy appears briefly before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira in Malibu for a progress report on his probation, stemming from his 1998 conviction for spousal abuse against ex-wife Pamela Anderson. Legal papers filed show Tommy has completed two hundred and twelve hours of his court-ordered four hundred and fifty hours of community service. His service to date includes sixty nine hours working for a group called Tree People, seven hours working for a toy drive organised by Magic Johnson giving gifts to kids, charity work giving away clothes to the homeless in winter and serving food at missions during the holidays, clerical work for Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the ALS Foundation, and one hundred hours donating drums. Tommy seeks credit for attending charity benefits for the VH-1 Save the Music Foundation on March 9-11 and 15-17 of last year, as well as four days in Pearl Harbour visiting sailors from October 27-30 last year. However his paperwork does not claim a specific number of hours he wants credited for these events so Judge Mira orders him and his lawyer back to court next month with their specific credit proposal.

14/4/03
Nikki says he has signed on as an Executive Producer of the movie version of the band’s best-selling autobiography to maintain creative control. The book he is writing titled The Heroin Diaries will be turned into a VH1 special. He sees his N.SIXX rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle clothing line of shirts, panties and Baby T’s inspired by the wild and eclectic tattoos that adorn his body, will eventually be its own standalone company, breaking away from Dragonfly. The line delivers the fun of the tattoo without the pain and commitment.

15/4/03
Superior Court Judge Richard Neidorf rules that Pamela Anderson will not testify in the wrongful death civil lawsuit against Tommy. Lawyers for the parents of Daniel Karven-Veres had planned to call her to the stand to prove Tommy has previously shown little regard for child safety and they are angered by the decision. Both sides rest and closing arguments are set for tomorrow.

16/4/03
The twelve-member jury to decide upon Tommy’s wrongful death suit deliberates for an hour following closing arguments, before adjourning for the evening. A lawyer for the dead boy’s parents tells the jury that $10 million would be a suitable damage award.

17/4/03
Tommy is found to be not guilty of acting negligent in the drowning of four-year-old Daniel Karven-Veres. The jurors in Santa Monica deliberate for less than three hours in the morning before voting 12-0 in favour of Tommy and unanimously clearing him of any responsibility in the accidental death. The foreman of the panel says they followed the judge’s instructions specifically and treated him just like anybody else. Ursula Karven-Veres and her husband were not in court for the verdict, as were their lead attorneys, Thomas Girardi and David Lira. Outside court after the verdict, jury foreman Howard Pollack says, “It was very, very obvious that Tommy Lee was not responsible for the death of that child. People are responsible for their own children. There were too many adults there to have worried about hiring a lifeguard. Does anybody do that? He can’t be expected to do that just because he’s Tommy Lee.” The sixty-two-year-old father of four completed his jury service at the trial despite suffering a mild heart attack last Saturday. After leaving the courthouse through a back door without speaking to reporters, Tommy later says, “Although I am relieved that the court has found me not negligent, there are no winners in this sad situation.”

18/4/03
Vince guest-stars as himself in the TV show Greetings from Tucson. Ernesto (Jacob Vargas) is hired as a security guard for a Vince Neil concert but when Vince takes Ernesto’s “let it be” advice literally and walks out on a sold-out concert, chaos ensues.

24/4/03
When asked on Howard Stern’s radio show live from Las Vegas why Mötley Crüe isn’t touring, Vince says Nikki is the problem and thinks he IS Mötley and doesn’t need the rest of the guys. He says they were supposed to be playing OzzFest this year but they didn’t because of Nikki and he only cares about Brides of Destruction now. Vince plans to sue Nikki for breach of contract in the next seven-to-ten days and the Crüe is now over. He says the next time he talks with Nikki it will be with their lawyers as the suit progresses. He introduces his fiancée Lia to Howard and they talk about how they bring other girls to the bed with them.

Nikki tells Chronological Crue that he heard the interview and felt Vince was very drunk. He has no idea what Vince was talking about, saying they all agreed that until the original four were ready there wouldn’t be a tour. Tommy hasn’t been ready and Mick’s health has also been an impediment to date so he doesn’t know why he’s now pointing the bone at him.

30/4/03
Tommy reportedly breaks his engagement to fiancée Mayté Garcia. The couple supposedly had a wedding date set for July 4 in either Malibu or Spain where Mayté has a castle, which was a gift from ex-husband Prince.

1/5/03
Vince hosts the Seventh Annual Skylar Neil Memorial Golf Tournament takes place at Malibu Canyon Country Club in Malibu, California. Among the celebrities in attendance are adult film stars Jenna Jameson and Brianna Banks, former Playboy playmate and Baywatch star Brande Roderick, and Sheri Belafonte-Harper. Proceeds from this year’s event benefit The Lili Claire Foundation, a non-profit organisation that benefits children born with neurogenetic birth disorders such as Williams Syndrome, Down Syndrome and autism.

Nikki takes his daughter Storm to see Avril Lavigne in concert and says they had a blast while Storm sang along with every lyric. Michelle Branch came up to Nikki with one of the guys from Sum 41 and told him they were Crüeheads. Storm asked Nikki not to sign autographs because it is boring for her, which Nikki found to be cute.

8/5/03
Tommy is released from the probation sentence he has been serving for the past five years after assaulting ex-wife Pamela Anderson. Tommy was charged in February 1998 with spousal abuse, child abuse and a firearms violation after Pamela called police and reported she had been assaulted during an argument at home. After pleading no contest to felony corporal injury to a spouse, Tommy was sentenced to terms of one hundred and eighty days in jail and three years in state prison, both of which were suspended. The spousal abuse case against Tommy is now reduced to a misdemeanour and the judge grants a defense motion to dismiss the case, meaning that he will have to indicate he was arrested if asked, but can say the case against him was dismissed.

15/5/03
The Las Vegas Sun reports Vince will be opening an erotic bakery at the Hard Rock Hotel with his fiancée Lia, and also planning an infomercial for a talking dog-bone clock to amuse pets when their owners are away.

17/5/03
Tommy participates in the Thrity-second Annual Police Celebrity Golf Tournament on Ranch Park Golf Course in Los Angeles, California. The golf tournament is the major fundraising event of the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation, which assists Los Angeles Police Department personnel experiencing catastrophic circumstances including injury, illness or death.

23/5/03
Nikki says Brides of Destruction has chosen Steve Thompson to produce the band’s debut album, commencing in July. Thompson has produced albums for artists as varied as Butthole Surfers, (hed) pe, Korn, Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rollins Band, Tesla and Venom.

Meanwhile Vince says he didn’t even know about Nikki’s new band Brides of Destruction, saying he just heard it by word of mouth and thought no wonder Mötley is not going out on tour. Vince says that Nikki is forever delaying the Crüe reunion tour and doing a lot of stuff behind his back and the bad part is he is going to have to get lawyers involved, and when attorneys get involved, then there definitely won’t be another Mötley Crüe. Vince says he now has seven or eight new songs written and will take a month off after his summer solo tour before entering the recording studio to work on a new studio album. He also says the reason there is only one of his own solo tunes on his forthcoming live album is that somehow the tapes got lost.

Vince plays the first of his summer solo concerts in Mankato, hitting the stage after Skid Row and before Poison. His set list consists of songs Shout At The Devil, All In The Name Of, Too Young To Fall In Love, Girls Girls Girls, Same Ol’ Situation, Home Sweet Home, Wild Side, You’re Invited But Your Friend Can’t Come, Looks That Kill, Dr. Feelgood, Teaser, and Kickstart My Heart.

27/5/03
Vince releases his Live One Night Only CD on VNS Records, distributed through Image Entertainment. The live disc is a recording of Vince’s performance at The Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood a year ago to the day, recorded by Damon Gold. The disc features eleven Mötley Crüe songs and one solo song – Look In Her Eyes.

29/5/03
In a CNN article, it is reported that Tommy’s autobiography with Atria Books is to be called Misunderstood.

31/5/03
Nikki and Tommy attend the Meat Loaf & Friends All-Star Jam & Pool Party at Skin at the Palms in Las Vegas, benefiting the Lili Claire Life Skills Centre. The event is hosted by Meat Loaf, while Sebastian Bach and Steven Adler are among the other hard rock musicians in attendance.

Earlier in the day Nikki says Brides of Destruction is going to pull out of rehearsals for a while to complete lyrics and arrangements at his home studio, until they start recording the album with producer Steve Thomson late in July somewhere in Los Angeles. The band has written a bunch of new songs that are a lot faster, harder and darker than most of the demos heard to date. On the Mötley front, Nikki says that heaps of new summer movies will have Crüe music in them. New Crüe merchandise is expected to be available from Dragonfly clothing soon, while the DVD is nearing completion along with the box set. Nikki is also expecting to see the first draft of the script for The Dirt movie any day now, and he is still enjoying writing a lot of music for outside artists.

16/6/03
When asked about a possible Mötley reunion during a recent interview, Nikki says “I like to make decisions based on what’s right and what’s wrong for Mötley Crüe. At some point, I think we would all like to play live again. Whether or not that happens, it’s out of my control. Either Vince Neil’s going to get sober and really lean and come back and kick ass like only Vince Neil can do – because he’s a badass mofo when he’s got his shit together – or it’s not happening. That’s where Tommy’s at, too. Unless it’s 1989 on steroids, I’m not interested in doing it.”

18/6/03
Talk of reconciliation between Tommy and Pamela Anderson builds, as it seems their respective engagements to Mayté Garcia and Kid Rock respectively have been broken off. Tommy and Pam recently attended a softball game in Malibu with their two sons, while Kid Rock went to Knoxville to do a show with country crooner Kenny Chesney before cruising the Caribbean on his yacht. Pamela attended a Spike TV party at the Playboy mansion a couple of nights ago without Kid Rock and when asked if her wedding with Kid was still on she remarked, “I’m here with family and friends. That might be a hint.” Earlier this month, Tommy and Pam were spotted at the stripper bar Fantasy Island and were said to be looking like a couple. Furthermore, Pam was not wearing her engagement ring during a recent promotional appearance for PETA, quipping that “The word that best describes her is free.”

Hustler magazine conduct an extensive interview and photo shoot with Nikki and wife Donna D’Errico for the September issue of the magazine, which is receiving a facelift and a shift in image. The article will discuss their on-going projects and life in depth while the pictures will not feature any nudity.

19/6/03
Tommy has produced and contributed vocals on a few songs on Los Angeles-based Drownload’s upcoming release, titled Less Resistance to Ground. The tracks that feature Tommy include The Go Go and A Little Faded.

Nikki says he’s been busy wrapping up business before he heads to Mexico for a two-week holiday.

20/6/03
During an interview in Canada with Brave Words, Vince says his new live album “wasn’t made to sell a million copies. We’re not even really promoting it; it’s really kind of like a gift for the fans. If anybody collects any Mötley stuff it’s kind of like a final tribute thing to get me singing Mötley Crüe stuff.” He says that even though Nikki has been telling everyone that there will be a farewell tour, there won’t be any more Crüe tours as he didn’t bother to ask anybody and now Vince really has no interest in getting back with Mötley Crüe. In regard the Mötley movie, Vince says Nikki “tells everybody that it’s his movie. It has nothing to do with him at all – nothing. And each person in the band has input in that movie and Nikki has no more input than anybody else. But he likes to tell everybody that he does. And I don’t think the movie is gonna get made anyway.” As for his relationship with the other two and talk of Mick’s illness, Vince says, “I have no idea. I haven’t talked to Mick in a couple of years and I haven’t talked to Tommy in years so... it doesn’t really matter.”

24/6/03
Upon his return from four days in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Tommy says work on his new music and writing with some other big artists has been going great. Now free of probation, court and legal issues, along with being a single guy again, is inspiring him with many things to write about.

Hollywood Records releases The World’s Greatest Air Guitar Album packed with two dozen rock classics from the likes of Santana, Motorhead, Deep Purple, Free, Billy Idol, Ratt and Queen. As a special free bonus, the two-disc set comes with the revolutionary virtual instrument software from MusicPlayground, enabling listeners to play along to Mötley Crüe’s Girls, Girls, Girls.

27/6/03
Tommy is reportedly co-producing several tracks for the second solo album from Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter, which is set to be released early next year. Meanwhile on radio, his former wife Pamela Anderson denies she is back with Tommy, saying he is the father of her kids and will therefore always be in her life.

Bruce Kulick tells Chronological Crue that the previously touted DVD & VHS of Union with John is expected to be released later this year.

28/6/03
Brides of Destruction cancels their forthcoming gig at The Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana for a N.SIXX clothing line event.

29/6/03
Tommy responds to negative comments about his co-production role with Nick Carter by saying, “Am I never supposed to write a song for anyone else? Am I never to change my style as I and music evolve? It just blows my mind how retarded people are! I’ve been asked to write for Ozzy, I’ve written many songs for the Crüe, my solo stuff etc... Who gives a flyin’ f@ck who I write with! I only want to work with talented artists!” Tommy says that after Nick heard the production sound on his last two CDs, he was asked if he could help him get a more aggressive sound for his new CD. Tommy says he is a huge rock fan and can sing his nuts off, so why not.

10/07/03
Hip-O Records releases a new Mötley Crüe compilation as part of their 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection series. The twelve digitally remastered tracks included are Piece Of Your Action, Shout At The Devil, Too Young To Fall In Love, Home Sweet Home, Girls Girls Girls, All In The Name Of..., Kickstart My Heart, Rock & Roll Junkie, Anarchy In The U.K., Hooligan’s Holiday, Generation Swine and Hell on High Heels.

21/7/03
As spokesman of music-download service BuyMusic.com, Tommy attends the unveiling of the world’s largest billboard (one-hundred-and-fifty-feet high, sixty-feet wide) in New York’s Times Square that features a nude picture of himself, if only for the company logo across his pelvis. More billboards are expected to go up in other cities, with Chicago among the possibilities. The launch of the new service also consists of a $40 million ad campaign (nineteen hundred TV spots in the next two weeks) that both mimics and pokes fun at Apple Computer’s iTunes Music Store ad campaign. In one of the clips, Tommy is shown smashing a guitar that is identical to the one prominently featured in Apple’s iTunes Music Store ads.

Nikki says he and Tommy recently did some video interviews together for the Mötley Crüe Greatest Hits DVD due for release later this year.

22/7/03
Nevada police issue a warrant for Vince’s arrest for allegedly assaulting Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel employee and adult actor Trixxxie Blue (real name Andrea Terry) on July 10. Following Blue’s complaint against Vince filed on the night of the incident, the case and its file reportedly includes pictures of a badly-bruised Blue and a doctor’s report, along with confirmation that she went to the emergency room that night, after Vince grabbed her around the throat and threw her against a wall. Vince faces misdemeanour battery charges and a bail of at least $1,000. Following his previous no-contest plea of assaulting record producer Michael Schuman, Vince would face a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted of this latest assault charge.

23/7/03
Tommy guests on The Howard Stern Show to promote BuyMusic.com and says his relationship with Pam is only as parents of their kids, following his split with fiancée Mayté because their relationship was moving too fast for his liking. Mayté lost her first child and wanted to start planning a family with Tommy but he was just not ready with all the drama going on in his life.

26/7/03
Nikki hosts a party at The Galaxy Theatre to celebrate the first anniversary of his N.SIXX clothing line. Tommy attends the event but Nikki says they left when the club refused to play some metal instead of their rave music all night. Brides of Destruction was originally going to play a showcase at the event.

29/7/03
Nikki says he had a great talk with Vince the other day since they hadn’t spoken for some time and as usual things had gotten misconstrued and blown out of context. Nikki says that in the end they both just want to kick some ass on tour together, as do Tommy and Mick, and says he, “can feel the big gears starting to creak and groan as the massive machine starts to move. Wait ‘til it picks up speed. It f@cking hurts when it runs you over.”

Vince attends a birthday bash at Skin Pool Lounge in Las Vegas where he tells revellers he’s planning a Mötley Crüe reunion tour for next summer. Vince will also guest on the WB series The Gilmore Girls this fall, along with an appearance on a pilot episode of Robin Leach’s upcoming syndicated late-night show Penthouse Vegas.

31/7/03
The owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, Dennis Hof, where Vince allegedly assaulted a prostitute, believes Vince is only guilty of being a celebrity. He told the New York Daily News that Vince and his solo band stopped by the legal brothel on July 10 simply to sign autographs for ranch employees who didn’t make it to his concert in Reno the day before. According to Hof, Trixxxie Blue and Vince got into an argument in her room because he didn’t want to have sex with her. She said he’d promised her $3,000 but being the first person called to the room after the argument, he saw nothing in disarray and no marks or scratches on her at that time.

4/8/03
Pamela Anderson confirms her relationship with fiancé Kid Rock is over, while expressing warm feelings for former husband Tommy, saying, “Tommy and I are getting along fantastically... better than we ever did. Tommy is a much better father now. He spends so much more time with the kids. We all get along as a family these days. Everyone is much happier.”

Nevada prosecutors no longer need to pursue their warrant for Vince’s arrest after he posts a $1,000 bond, following his recent alleged assault on a prostitute. Lyon County District Attorney Leon Aberasturi says there’s no immediate decision on whether the case will go to trial or be pleaded out. A hearing has not yet been set, but Aberasturi says Vince is expected to appear in Dayton Justice Court to address the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Defense attorney Robert Shapiro is representing Vince in the case.

9/8/03
The future of Brides of Destruction has a question mark over it after Tracii Guns tells of the band’s inability to land an American and European licensing deal for their debut album. He feels they were asking for way too much money for the American and European licenses and it turned a lot of people off, screeching everything to a halt. With producer Steve Thompson set to mix the eleven songs already recorded, the album will be delivered to Universal records in Japan in five weeks, where it will be promoted. With no plans to tour, it seems the album will never see the light of day outside of Japan, unless a deal comes through soon. In a later posting Tracii offers an update on the situation, saying, “I just talked to Nikki. After we deliver to Japan, we will try to get at least a license or distribution. At that point we will pickup where we left off. So The Brides are not over, it’s just not a full-blown band at this point until we need to be somewhere, so I will put something new together to occupy my time until the CD comes out.”

11/8/03
Nikki says he has too many things going on to tour in support of Brides of Destruction’s Japanese album release later this year, unless the album takes off. The album will have Scot Coogan drumming on five tracks and Kris Kohls on the other five, while John plays second guitar on the whole album. Nikki is now focussed on the Crüe and speaks to Tommy, Vince and Mick daily.

15/8/03
Nikki attends X-Games IX at the Staples Center in Los Angeles with his son Gunner and hands out the Vertical Skateboarding medals; gold to Bucky Lasek, silver to Andy Macdonald and bronze to Rune Glifberg. They give him the half pipe, which he will house on his fifty-acre ranch. Mixing of the Brides of Destruction album is now underway and Nikki says fans will be surprised by a few cool guest appearances on the album.

20/8/03
It’s reported that Australian band Lo-Tel were inspired by The Dirt and tried to get Mick to play on their upcoming album but baulked at the $10,000 investment required.

27/8/03
Britain’s Daily Star reports that Tommy recently tried to woo actress Shannon Doherty by sending an expensive bottle of champagne to her table at a Malibu restaurant. When the gesture failed he went across the road and brought her back two gift-wrapped thongs with his phone number on the outside of the box.

Tracii Guns says the Brides of Destruction debut album is currently halfway through mixing and it sounds insane. The band is now apparently about to ink a deal for the European and American territories, aiming at a February 2004 release. Tracii also says, “depending on Mötley Crüe’s schedule, The Brides will surely do some live dates after the release of the CD.” Former Guns N’ Roses member Gilby Clarke may possibly play rhythm guitar for them at these shows.

3/9/03
Nikki hosts a radio channel on Delta Airlines’ channel 10 called Crücial Rock. Amongst Nikki’s updates on Mötley and Brides of Destruction, the show plays Mötley tracks including the demo version of Kickstart My Heart, Girls Girls Girls and Smokin’ in the Boys Room, as well as tracks by other artists including Aerosmith and Kiss.

4/9/03
Nikki says the completed Brides of Destruction album will be turned-in with artwork this week and also feels the songs sound insane. Final papers for a worldwide deal are expected to be signed in the next two weeks.

7/9/03
Tensions mount between Vince’s band and Poison after their concert at the Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois. Vince’s bass player Alan Vine gets into a scuffle with Poison drummer Rikki Rockett, stemming from a disagreement about a girl. Vince punches Poison bassist Bobby Dall before approaching front-man Bret Michaels, who was in the middle of a meet and greet with fan club members outside his tour bus. As Bret signs an autograph for a girl, Vince pushes past her and yells at Bret how they’re a bunch of pussies, before grabbing him by the shirt and trying to fight him. Poison’s security pulls Vince back so he punches their security guard Big John in the head. Security holds Vince up against a truck while Bret yells at Vince to talk like brothers and come on the bus and calm down. Some police officers soon join them on the bus and discuss the situation for a couple of hours. A handful of Canadian dates remain on their tour together with Skid Row.

8/9/03
JVC will launch a new multi-million dollar national branding campaign this fall, featuring movie, music and extreme sports celebrities that appeal to the campaign’s twenty-five to thirty-four-year-old target market. The new campaign, comprised of print, outdoor, broadcast and Internet elements, includes the husband/wife team of Nikki and Donna, award-winning filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer, multi-Platinum rock band Nickelback, singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb, and world champion snowboarder and mountain biker Shaun Palmer. The campaign will feature separate print and outdoor ads starring Bruckheimer, Loeb, Palmer and Nickelback, while Nikki and Donna will appear together with their two-year-old daughter Frankie-Jean. Media will include publications in the men’s, women’s, music fan, musician, and entertainment categories, including Blender, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, FHM, Guitar Player, Playboy, Premier, Spin, and others. The broadcast component will include closed-captioning sponsorship spots on major market television news programs. A series of full-motion video spots featuring interviews and other video footage with each celebrity will run on a variety of websites.

Tommy is planning a new album that will feature a variety of multi-talented drummers playing various instruments. Sevendust’s Morgan Rose, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame, Godsmack vocalist Sully Erna, and Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins have all been approached by Tommy about contributing to his drummers’ album. Morgan Rose tells MTV that Tommy’s, “idea is to get a lot of drummers together and there’s a pile of us that can sing and play guitar. He’s the torch holder for drummers, so this will be something really cool. I’m flattered as hell to be a part of it.”

9/9/03
Backstreet Boy Nick Carter says Tommy has given him a lot of respect and he is probably going to be playing some drums on his upcoming second solo album, which will begin recording in the next two weeks for an early 2004 release. Tommy is expected to co-produce several tracks on it, for which he is also said to have co-written material. Carter also plans to work with producers Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins, and Teddy Riley, and artists like Snow, and maybe even Elton John.

12/9/03
Vince tells the Edmonton Sun that he has no relationship with his Mötley band-mates. “Nikki’s trying to get everyone back together. Tommy’s already agreed to do it; Mick’s already agreed to do it. I really don’t want to do it. I’m having too much fun doing my own thing. There’s no brain damage, it’s fun, you just go out and play. Basically nobody likes each other in Mötley Crüe, so why would I put myself in that kind of position when I’m perfectly happy doing what I’m doing now?”

13/9/03
Vince sheds some light on his recent run-in with Poison saying, “This whole tour, the guys in Poison have been belittling the guys in my band, and I’d had it. My guys are single and every night they go out and find girls in the audience to bring backstage. So the guys in Poison start taking our backstage passes off the girls and replacing them with Poison passes. Then they called my bass player into their office the other day, with management, and they say ‘You are not allowed to talk to any Poison girls.’ Riled by the treatment of his band, Vince says he went to talk to Poison front-man Bret Michaels. “I just wanted to say, ‘Dude. You’ve gotta get your guys under control.’ But their security guard is a bonehead marine that would rather use force… So he grabbed me and threw me. I’m no pussy. I got up and punched him in the head. That’s when Bobby Dall came up and tried to start something, so I smacked him, too.”

16/9/03
In the current German issue of Metal Hammer magazine, Nikki says Crüe management and MTV are discussing a possible mtvICON event to start raising the profile of the band in the build-up to the movie and farewell tour.

21/9/03
Nikki says Rich Wilkes has written eighty percent of the first draft of the Mötley movie and has recently spent time with Tommy on the project. Paramount Pictures is ready to approve the budget once they have approved the script. Hoping to tour around the film’s completion, Nikki says Vince has some resentment that need to be ironed out, even though he speaks with him and his other band-mates often. He reiterates that the tour would not be about money to him, rather a desire for “one last kick-ass tour where everybody including the band walk away with a smile on their face,” but acknowledges he is powerless in the end.

Universal Music and Mötley Records are preparing to release the band’s Greatest Video Hits on DVD on November 11, containing every video clip the band has ever made. This will follow-on from a mutli-CD and DVD package from Universal Europe titled Loud As F#@k due in a few weeks. The long-awaited box set is now titled Music to Crash Your Car To and is most likely going to be released in the first quarter of 2004. Nikki says it will be a collectors’ package with no new music on it, since they have scraped the bottom of the barrel with the re-releases. He says box sets don’t always sell a lot but he feels it’s a cool thing to have.

22/9/03
Tommy guests on The Sharon Osbourne Show, taking viewers on a fast-paced tour of Los Angeles revealing ‘5 Things You Didn’t Know’ about Tommy.

23/9/03
Meat Loaf’s album Couldn’t Have Said it Better is released in the U.S.A. on Sanctuary Records and features the title track, Love You Out Loud and Man of Steel written by Nikki with James Michael. The latter is likely to be a single and is a duet with Meat Loaf’s daughter – Mötley back-up singer, Pearl Aday. It’s Meat Loaf’s first all-new studio album since 1995 and his eighth studio album overall.

30/9/03
Nikki sues skateboarding magazine Thrasher and the Vans shoe company for allegedly using his image in an ad without his permission, after they used photographs of him with pro-skater Tony Trujillo at a San Francisco ceremony organised by Thrasher magazine and sponsored by Vans. Nikki agreed to present Trujillo with a Skater of the Year award at the ceremony on 7 December 2002, because he knew Trujillo was a Mötley Crüe fan but was later surprised to see photos taken at the ceremony in an ad for Trujillo’s signature Vans shoes. The lawsuit says the caption above one of the photos, “Live Fast, Die Young,” is “somewhat reminiscent of the title of Mötley Crüe’s first album Too Fast For Love. The lawsuit also notes that Nikki has his own clothing line, N.Sixx by Dragonfly, which seeks out the same youthful consumers targeted by Vans. Vans attorney Craig Gosselin said the company had not seen the lawsuit, but planned to fight it.

4/10/03
In Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, celebrating his birthday, Tommy jams at Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Mexican Meltdown with former Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, members of Sammy’s Waborita’s and Red Hot Chilli Pepper drummer Chad Smith. They play an impromptu medley of The Beatles’ Come Together, Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Give It Away, Montrose’s Rock Candy and Alice in Chains hits Man in the Box and No Excuses. Hagar says, “This was one of the absolute highlights in my career.” Sammy tells Tommy that he had talked with the other guys in the Crüe, planning to surprise him with a cake and a reunion. Apparently ninety five percent of the band was down with it, the rest wanted a contract and payment up-front. Tommy’s trip also coincides with the day the manuscript for his autobiographical book is turned over to his publisher.

7/10/03
The Mötley Crüe edition of 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection is released and features twelve of the Crüe’s signature tracks. Spanning the years 1982 to 2000, from its first album to its most recent original release, the 20th Century Masters/The Millennium Collection Of Mötley Crüe is less about chart hits than about Crüe classics.

Vince guests on a Las Vegas radio station in the lead-up to his charity golf tournament, now being held in both Las Vegas and Malibu every year. He says Nikki has donated his custom ‘57 Chevy to be auctioned at this month’s event and he is now in talks with his Mötley mates, planning a Crüe tour for next summer.

11/10/03
Vince joins Night Ranger on stage at Boulder Station in Las Vegas for renditions of Smokin’ In The Boys Room and Girls, Girls, Girls.

15/10/03
Nikki joins Vince on stage during his solo show at the Key Club in West Hollywood. Nikki and his Brides of Destruction band-mate Tracii Guns break into Shout at the Devil, followed by Piece Of Your Action. After some on stage words from Poison’s CC DeVille, they play Looks That Kill before Nikki departs. Vince then continues the show with Girls, Girls, Girls – this time joined on stage by Playboy Playmate Shauna Sands. Nikki later says he had lots of fun and had forgotten how good it feels to play those songs. Rockers in the crowd include Fred Coury, Taime Downe, DJ Ashba, Stevie Rachelle and Nikki’s long-time friend Bruce Kulick of Kiss and Union.

Around 1:20am a twenty-one-year-old man opens fire into the crowd at the Rainbow Bar & Grill’s patio area, after a fight had occurred inside the club moments earlier. One of the four-to-seven bullets from his nine-millimeter handgun collects Bruce Kulick in his right leg, another grazing his temple, as he starts walking to his car outside the nearby Key Club after Vince’s show. A friend of Cypress Hill’s B Real is also shot in the foot as he eats at the Rainbow. When the gunman’s ammunition runs out he is set upon by the crowd in the middle of Sunset Boulevard, beaten and held down until police arrive. Kulick is treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as the bullet went through his leather pants and thigh above his right knee, narrowly missing the major artery and bone. He is released from hospital around 5:30am feeling lucky to be alive. The gunman is treated for injuries sustained and held in custody, having been charged with counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

16/10/03
Vince plays the Galaxy Theatre in Orange County and asks the crowd what they would like to hear. After Sister of Pain is requested, Vince stumbles through the song forgetting the verse lyrics, until a fan in the crowd passes him the CD booklet to read from. Ten Seconds To Love is next, with Vince completely forgetting the second verse. Later in the show, his son Neil Wharton joins him on stage and sings Looks That Kill and Dr. Feelgood.

20/10/03
Tommy accompanies former wife Pamela to the premiere of her new film Scary Movie 3 at the AMC Theatres’ Avco Cinema in Los Angeles, California.

21/10/03
Pamela Anderson tells US Weekly magazine, “I think I’ve got a good ten years left in me, which is sad. Maybe fifteen, if I’m lucky,” as she battles hepatitis C, which she was diagnosed with in 2001. She says she is happy that her kids are having a healthier, better relationship with their dad Tommy, as they ‘spend a lot of time together as a family now, going to movies, cooking dinner, everything.’

Professional Murder Music releases Looking Through on their label Wormhole Records via distribution through Underground Inc./ Caroline. The album features a guest appearance by Tommy, drumming on track four – Disconnect.

23/10/03
Vince hosts the Skylar Neil Memorial Golf Tournament in Las Vegas at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and the Tuscany Golf Club. Nikki donates his custom ’57 Chevy to the event’s auction. NHRA Funny Car driver Ron Capps participates in the golf tournament and honours Skylar with a special decal on his car for the weekend’s third annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Vince will work in Capps’ pit crew for the race.

24/10/03
Nikki says it has been a blast having Mick live at his house recently while construction is going on at his home. A year or so later, Mick says the doctor gave him two days to live due to a bout of pneumonia followed by an infection caused by black mould growing in his house, which is why he was living with Nikki. Apart from Mick keeping his whole family in stitches, Nikki says there has been lots of guitar riffs and talk of doing it one more time – even thoughts of doing a few straight-up metal songs for the soundtrack to the movie. Nikki says Vince came up to Los Angeles a few weeks ago and they hung out all day. Nikki also says, “As for the assholes who put Vinnie down… don’t f@ck with us… we’re allowed to fight and dog each other. That’s what brothers do… but anybody else… You can f@ck off…”

The Brides of Destruction album has been titled Here Come The Brides and is now ready for its Japanese release next month. Nikki says there are Brides tour offers coming in for Japan and Europe and the American record deal is finished, so they will now start ramping up what they want to do for America in preparation for its release early next year.

28/10/03
Tommy attends the Fredericks of Hollywood fashion show as part of Fashion Week to check out competition for his forthcoming lingerie line. He also reports for The Sharon Osbourne Show. Pictures published of Tommy kissing ex-wife Pamela at their sons’ soccer game indicates their romance is perhaps on again.

11/11/03
Universal Music and Mötley Records release Greatest Video Hits on DVD, containing every video clip the band has ever made. It is the first time all Mötley Crüe videos have been provided on DVD; twenty seven videos in total in new 5.1 mixes and stereo remastered audio, including six alternative videos that are uncensored, remixed or alternate versions. A new interview segment with Nikki and Tommy is also included. Fans have the ability to choose the play sequence of the videos with a personal play-list feature.

The long-awaited first volume of the three-part box set titled Music to Crash Your Car To Vol.1 is also released. The four discs included present tracks from the band’s first four albums, including the original Leathür Records version of Too Fast For Love, with deluxe packaging.

12/11/03
Pink and Tommy spend the night together at the debut of Jive Jones’ party at Avalon in New York, where they share a passionate kiss in full view of everyone in the VIP area and order three bottles of vodka and two bottles of whiskey for their entourage. Tommy repeatedly tries to get Pink to lick a lollipop in his mouth, and sings along to Looks That Kill before dragging her to the dance floor. Earlier in the night, the couple attended In Touch’s first anniversary party at Deep, where Tommy was a guest DJ. Long-time Crüe fan Pink ditched her motocross lover Carey Hart earlier this month because “he got too dull for me.” Tommy and Pink spend the night together in a Manhattan hotel.

14/11/03
Nikki announces Brides of Destruction has signed a three-album deal with Sanctuary Records for Europe and the U.S.A through his production company 12-11 Productions. The band’s first video will be shot this year prior to their debut album release in March.

16/11/03
According to one of Sweden’s biggest daily newspapers Aftonbladet, Mötley Crüe will be headlining next year’s Sweden Rock festival to be held 10-12 June 2004 in Sölvesborg, Sweden. The first few confirmations for the annual event will be announced at the Sweden Rock 2004 kick-off party at Draken in Stockholm on November 28 where Doro will headline the night’s concert.

19/11/03
John has begun work on the authorised biography of his life story, being co-written with biographer Jake Brown. The book will offer a candid account of his life story, including his stints in The Scream, Mötley Crüe, Union, Ratt, and the Brides of Destruction, and will include interviews with family members, band members from Mötley Crüe and others, as well as from fellow rock and metal contemporaries. A summer 2004 release date is expected.

21/11/03
In response to talk of the Crüe headlining the Sweden Rock Festival next year, Nikki says the anticipated farewell tour and movie are not expected to happen until 2005. He says there ‘may be some warm-up dates in 2004 but in the land of Mötley he doubts it as nothing ever runs on time.’ This comes after Launch Radio Networks just reported Nikki saying the band will most likely embark on a reunion tour next year, as all original members seem to be ready for a reunion tour. Nikki says he spoke with Tommy on the phone a few nights ago who said ‘I’ve looked forward to going and making some new music.’ Nikki said they talked about that and “who knows what it’ll sound like, what it’ll be like, but it’ll be us. We’ve been offered the OzzFest twice, but it’s been hard to get Vince and Tommy on the same page as far as wanting to play together. I think all that water’s under the bridge now.”

26/11/03
An April 22 trial date has been set in Dayton Justice Court next year for Vince to face his misdemeanour battery charge, stemming from an incident on July 10 this year where Vince was accused of grabbing prostitute Andrea Terry, aka TrixXxie Blue, by the neck and throwing her against a wall at at a Nevada brothel called the Moonlight Bunny Ranch. Vince posted $1000 bail after he was charged, following the criminal complaint filed on July 17. He was not arrested and is scheduled to enter a plea before the trial starts. His lawyer, Scott Freeman, describes Terry as an opportunist, saying “Celebrities are always targets for this type of behaviour.”

2/12/03
Hanoi Rocks members Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy fax a statement to Entertainment Weekly concerning the title of Mötley’s box set, Music to Crash Your Car To, Volume 1, saying, “The despicable title by the ‘Motley Crude’... is the most tasteless and murderous gimmick to cash-in on the past that we’ve ever heard of. There’s nothing ‘cool’ or ‘funny’ about death... How low can you go?” Their comments are fuelled by Vince’s drunk-driving and vehicular-manslaughter accident nineteen years ago this month that killed his passenger, Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas ‘Razzle’ Dingley, and for which he served thirty days in jail and forked out over $2.6 million in restitution. Nikki retorts that the title was meant as a “sarcastic statement towards a lifestyle” and didn’t realise the connection until Vince recently expressed misgivings, but the product was already on the shelves by that time.

3/12/03
Nikki heads to Toronto this week for Brides of Destruction press promotions and to hang with Sanctuary Records staff. Japanese press is set for next week while filming of the video for Shut The F@ck Up has been pushed back until next month. They plan on having producer Drew Stone direct the clip.

Dreamworks is said to be releasing a new movie directed and produced by Stone on February 1 titled Death or Glory. The documentary focuses on America’s illegal car culture world and features Shut The F@ck Up as the lead track.

5/12/03
Promoter and host of Lotus club’s Friday night party Ronnie Madras walks in on Tommy simulating sex with Pink in front of a urinal in the club’s men’s room. Earlier in the evening Tommy, Pink and a sexy young girl with a blonde mohawk reportedly took turns making out with each other at their banquette, when Tommy wasn’t playing drums on their metal champagne bucket with two forks. Pink spent $20,000 to fly Tommy from Los Angeles to New York in a private jet. Upon arrival, Tommy waited in the Saturday Night Live studios while Pink was being interviewed before they partied the night away at Serena’s club in the basement of the Chelsea Hotel.

10/12/03
Vince and his fiancée Lia Gerardini attend the 2003 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, where Tommy presents the award for Hot 100 Female Artist of the Year award with Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC, and current girlfriend Pink performs on stage.

25/12/03
Brides of Destruction releases their debut album Here Comes The Brides through Universal records in Japan.

30/12/03
Vince attends Jeff Beacher’s Comedy Madhouse at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel. Other guests include Nicky & Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and American Idol winner Justin Guarini.

On with the show