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“It wasn’t Nikki (Sixx) playing bass” on Motley Crue’s Theatre of Pain Says ‘Eye Witness’ Greg Leon

full in bloom | December 27, 2025



A full in bloom News Brief – Former Tommy Lee bandmate Greg Leon talks about how he met Tommy, Suite 19, Dokken, Quiet Riot, visiting during Motley Crue’s Theatre of Pain sessions and seeing someone other than Nikki Sixx playing bass, and helping Mick Mars get his guitar sound.

Entire Guitar World Feature:
https://www.guitarworld.com/features/greg-leon-motley-crue

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Intro & Outro by FOOL OF FATE

#motleycrue #mickmars #ozzyosbourne #tommylee #nikkisixx #vinceneil #quietriot #dokken

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Written by full in bloom

Comments

This post currently has 49 comments.

  3. @TheLordGoat

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    Few rumours stood out back then. One, was that Nikki didn't write SATD by himself like the credits reflected. Nobody thought he could write Too Young To Fall In Love by himself, even Too Fast For Love was rumoured to be not written by Nikki either, or by himself. Too Young, it's not an easy song on guitar to write, with his skills highly unlikely. Go look at the YT of how to play Too Young. Second was that Mick Mars helped on a lot but couldn't accept credit due to his child support payments which would've taken everything.

    Tripp claimed he wrote the most complicated songs on that album, said Nikkis arm was screwed up when he was selected to join. Which would've made sense time wise, Tom Werman said NS recorded all of his bass parts by himself with his arm in a sling downing percocets, most don't buy that story either. All would've signed NDA's back then too. Tom would've kept silent. Matts story never changed, even in the smallest details, like meeting with their manager, seeing producers and engineers and a very clear version of events. Bizarre and incredible, but why would Matt go to court twice based on lies, also he was barely able to afford lawyers. Was he that disturbed?

  4. @TroyVanLeeuwen-c9s

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    Tom Werman said Nikki played every note on each record. There were never any ghost players for anyone. The only person brought in was a football player to do the low line in Smokin in the Boys room.

  5. @TheRockinDonkey

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    The last part about him dialing in Mick's tone for Theatre of Pain wouldn't surprise me if it were true. Mick's guitar sound only sounds like that on Theatre. On every other record it sounds different. The guitar tone on that record is my favorite Motley Crue guitar sound of all their records.

    That said, I haven't listened to anything they did after Dr. Feelgood. Just lost interest. I did, however, listen to their cover of Like A Virgin and it was dogshit.

  10. @funny0000000

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    Correct me if I am wrong but Nikki wrote almost all the Motley Crue songs? Nikki reminds me of Roger Waters in the sense people say Roger is not a good bass player but look at the music he made. Almost all Pink Floyd songs are Roger Waters.

  12. @elistone7731

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    Milli vanilli was actually the singers for motley Crue it was never Vince Neil and Nikki six's bass guitar was never hooked up to an amp so there you have it let's call it a theater of pain😂😂😂

  15. @JeffWagner-i5w

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    I saw the first tour he was a bull shit bass player I play guitar and everything he played was off I was watching very closely I was up front watching and comparing him and Mick everything he played was out of sink with Mick and did not match one note this was in Phoenix by the way the first album tour live wire to fat for love marry go round great music ruined by a con artist.

  18. @charvel1apm

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    No disrespect to bass players but bass is the easiest instrument to play (you don't need to play chords it's one note at a time) so the fact the Nikki Sixx didn't play bass in Crüe records speaks values how untalented this dude is

  20. @zacheryyoung9426

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    He never practiced or talked about his instrument over the years ,nothing about it. It was secondary to his showmanship I guess. Idk . I'd rather learn and practice my instrument first I think . But hey everyone is different.

  21. @philipholmes5884

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    I'm far from being a Nikki Sixx fan…In fact…I can't stand the guy …and his fake tough guy/crazy rock star drug addict BS…but this guy sounds like he's bitter Nikki & Tommy made it had no one knows who he is…😐

  32. @HumblySoAlejandro

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    Nikkie uses dubs live, vince can't sing and uses dubs, and mick " the heart and soul and sound of the band" , nikkis words is gone. Probably one of the worst situations of " shell of former selves " for performing artists

  39. @andrewmcauley5202

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    I think the thing with Nikki is that he blagged his way into the LA music scene without knowing how to play and then learned on the job. I don't doubt that he wrote the lyrics to the songs, but the bass chords – particularly on the early stuff like Shout at the Devil – are very simple with a lot of open chords; I think it shows that he was not a great player. I think the fact that the chords were simple disprove claims he wasn't playing live. I'm sure they quite likely got someone to play the album stuff in the 80's as there are plenty of accounts to that effect, but I think over time Sixx has become a competent bass player and claims he 'can't play' and has somehow faked it for 45 years without learning his craft are somewhat ludicrous.

    I think Sixx has got a lot of hate because of his often arrogant attitude – many still think he wasn't the original Nikki Sixx, which I think is more out of dislike for the guy than belief in a fantasist who was defeated in court. Nikki also seems to think he is some sort of lyrical genius and often makes social media comments about writing and creativity from an assumed position of wisdom – you have to give him credit that he's done well for himself, but the lyrics are about as simple as the bass playing. I remember him posting something recently on social media asking which lyrics of his connect with listeners, and I thought to myself that for most people it was probably none – the songs are mainly about prostitutes, drugs, and even more recent songs are largely still about struggling to achieve fame in the LA music scene. People didn't gravitate toward MC because of great bass playing or amazing lyrics, it was the sound – which Mick is responsible for – and, of course, the fact that they looked the part. To be fair, if Nikki has managed to become one of the most famous people in the rock industry while not knowing how to play his instrument particularly well, perhaps that is more impressive than being a good bass player.

  42. @PRIMAL73

    December 27, 2025 at 6:52 pm

    Say what you want about Nicki, but he can write some awesome sounding songs. He knows how to put a song together. And most of this is gaslighting.

Comments are closed.

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