Gibson.com recently conducted an interview with MÖTLEY CRÜE/SIXX: A.M. bassist NIKKI SIXX. In the interview Sixx talks about what makes his new book so personal, gives details on the forthcoming album and explains why he “can’t really stand on a stage” without a Thunderbird in his hand. Excerpts from the interview are below:

Gibson.com: Your forthcoming CD, This is Gonna Hurt, is a companion to the book. How are the emotions of the book and album intertwined?

Nikki Sixx: “Well, the book was originally going be a coffee table book with just the art. Having a huge body of work, I was able to look at it and try to find some consistency in it, to bring it together in one collection. I started writing a passage that would accompany the photography book, and it ended up being almost 500 pages. It really turned into a breakdown on social commentary on beauty and those messages that have been downloaded into my head and my life, and I was able to find that thread. In that moment of inspiration, the guys in Sixx: A.M. could see it, too. We had that moment where we sat together as a band and talked and they were like, “Dude, I relate to this,” or “I felt like that, as well.” So we started writing music, and that started to push me more as a photographer. It really became like one in itself.”

Gibson.com: This book is filled with photos you took and passages that bleed out your thoughts and experiences. Would you say this is extremely personal?

Nikki Sixx: “It’s very personal, but yet I think the social commentary in it doesn’t necessarily speak from my voice. It’s speaking from what I’ve found to be true in the world, which is wonderful. I think a lot of people relate to it.”

Gibson.com: On top of writing, performing, and photography, you also host a nationally syndicated rock radio show, Sixx Sense. How do you do it all?

Nikki Sixx: “Radio is an opportunity to say something into a microphone, and whether you play a song or say something provocative or funny, it makes people have an emotional reaction. They feel something. They feel good. They feel bad. They feel angry. They feel disappointed. You have an opportunity to change something, and for me, that’s where radio has always been a bit like magic. When I turn on the radio, it creates a mood, and I really enjoy that. Kerri Kasem, my co-host, and I do seven shows in four days, and it’s very organized. It’s a lot of work, and it’s the most fun I’ve had outside of playing rock and roll. We laugh every day. No matter what you’re going through, you have to deliver. If you’re going through a high, you have to control that, and if you’re going through a low, you have to control that, because that part of your life is personal and you always have a responsibility to entertain them."

Read the entire interview here.

Sixx’ new book This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx, just bowed in the #4 spot on The New York Times bestellers list.

Written as a tribute to Sixx's institutionalized sister, the book (and companion album) explores what true beauty is and embraces our own power around that. The book was written entirely by Sixx with no ghostwriter, the book is part journal, part memoir, and part social commentary and features his original photography. Sixx is currently on a national book-signing tour, please see below for upcoming cities/dates. He continues to host his syndicated radio program Sixx Sense and The Side Show Countdown With Nikki Sixx.

Bravewords.com correspondent Deb Rao was on hand at the unveiling of This Is Gonna Hurt, in Los Angeles, CA.

Rao: "Sixx kicked off his book signing tour at Barnes And Noble at 189 The Grove on Tuesday, April 12th. Fans lined up early to purchase the book and received a wristband to ensure a place in line for the special signing event. By the time the signing event commenced at 7:00pm all the copies of the book were sold out. Sixx graciously signed copies of his book from 7:00pm to 11:00pm."

Sixx has added a Toronto date to his upcoming Book Tour schedule on Saturday, May 7th. His complete schedule is below:

May 2nd

7pm

Bookends

211 E. Ridgewood Ave

Ridgewood, NJ

May 3rd

7pm

Borders

10 Columbus Circle

New York, NY

May 4th

6pm

Barnes & Noble

555 12th Street NW

Washington, DC

May 5th

6pm

Barnes & Noble

1805 Walnut Street

Philadelphia, PA

May 6th

7pm

Boston University Bookstore

660 Beacon Street

Boston, MA

May 7th

3pm

Chapters Festival Hall

142 John Street

Toronto, ON

To read BraveWords.com scribe Aaron Small's interview with Nikki Sixx, click here.

(Photos by Deb Rao, retouched by Carl Begai)