by Deb Raok
– Senior Columnist —
April 11, 2015 at The Joint in Las Vegas, NV. —
One of the most anticipated tours of the Spring SIXX A.M hit Las Vegas at The Joint on April 11 with a vengeance. It has been a long time coming for the die-hard SIXX A.M. fans but tonight the band roared in Sin City.
SIXX A.M. hit the stage at 10 P.M. for an almost 90-minute set. The set list was carefully orchestrated combining all of the hits and fan favorites from the three studio albums including songs from The Heroin Diaries, This Is Gonna Hurt and Modern Vintage. SIXX A.M. kicked off the show with “XMAS In Hell.” The eerie monologue set the stage for a spectacular set filled with so much emotion. Next up the high energy “Let’s Go.” Nikki Sixx, James Michael and DJ Ashba were at the top of their game. The Motley Crue bassist has many accolades and it was so inspiring to see the vision of SIXX A.M. as a full touring band. Nikki commented during the set that the fans turned SIXX A.M. into a touring band. They were content to just release studio albums and not tour. But due to the popular demand from the fans SIXX A.M. is now a live band.
The band performed the title track from their second album This Is Gonna Hurt. The set flowed very well setting the stage for a very poignant moment with “Dead Man’s Ballet.” One of the highlights of the set occurred when James Michael performed on piano, as the band chimed in to The Cars hit “Drive.” I loved the slowed down version of this song. One of the great aspects of SIXX A.M. is that they proved that you don’t have to be all heavy and hit the audience over the head with blasting guitars to make a point. The same was done with “Stars” a softer vibe is just as effective. Front man James Michael is a dynamic performer with an amazing vocal range. Both DJ Ashba and bassist Nikki Sixx commanded the stage. Other highlights included “Help Is On The Way.” There were also two girl back-up singers giving the chorus a nice touch.
As confetti filled the air, the band returned to the stage for two encores including “Skin” and the song that started it all “Life Is Beautiful.” The evening was filled with many impromptu moments. It was mesmerizing to watch SIXX A.M. perform the heartfelt songs live. This is what the music industry needs. A fresh new sound and songs filled with meaning and emotion combined with great lyrics. It is sad to see the era of Motley Crue end, but also exciting to see Nikki Sixx and company create a brand new animal filled with so much potential and talent from some of the top musicians in the industry.
Apocalyptica opened the show with an amazing orchestral performance. It was great to see the band infuse their brand of metal with this amazing string performance of classical trained musicians. They are definitely a band to look out for. Be sure to get to the show early.
SIXX A.M Set List:
XMAS in Hell
Let’s Go
Give Me A Love
Relief
This Is Gonna Hurt
Pray For Me
Dean Man’s Ballet
Accidents Can Happen
Miracle
Live Forever
Gotta Get It Right
Drive
Help Is On The Way
Goodbye My Friends
Stars
Skin
Life Is Beautiful
Visit Sixx A.M. online: www.facebook.com/nikkisixxofficial – www.facebook.com/sixxammusic
Special Thank you to Graham and Jamie of Eleven Seven Music for making this review possible.
