Nikki Sixx is defending Vince Neil against criticism of his recent live performances, stating the Mötley Crüe frontman was powerful throughout their Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM.
Mötley Crüe recently concluded their rescheduled Las Vegas residency, which had been postponed after Vince Neil suffered a stroke last Christmas. Despite the health scare and uncertainty, Neil returned to the stage determined and, according to Nikki Sixx, performed stronger than many anticipated.
Sixx’s comments came after a social media user claimed that “Vince needs to get in shape and fix his voice first” before hitting the road in 2026, when Mötley Crüe will embark on a summer tour with Tesla and Extreme. Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Sixx fired back: “Did you hear him in Vegas? He sounded solid and bad a*s.”
Guitarist John 5 previously echoed this sentiment, telling Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF that Vince Neil delivered a standout performance, serving as the emotional core of the residency.
“So, here’s the thing: I was so excited for it, ’cause I’ve never done a residency,” John 5 told. “And I’ve always wanted to do a residency. I love Vegas. I love the desert. And I was so excited. I was so excited. And we get there. And I had my hotel room. And the guys were just — after a show, they’d fly home. And I just stayed and I enjoyed — ’cause I love being on the road. I like the hotel, I like the room service, I like the whole thing. I mean, I came back a couple of times here and there.
“The real magic was Vince Neil,” he added. “What he went through and his struggles and how he performed and how he sang, I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life. He did such a great job, and I was so proud of him because I knew what hell he went through, and I was so happy for the guy. What he said — he even said it — he was in a wheelchair and then he had to learn how to walk again. And I was, like, ‘Oh my God.’ The struggle and how terrifying that must have been. So that was the real magic of that residency. And I’m telling you right now — every single show was amazing. There wasn’t a bad show. And I listen and I read those comments and I listen and I’m so focused in on every show. And every show was awesome. I was so proud of him.”
Vince Neil has spoken candidly about his stroke and recovery. In recent interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal last month, the singer revealed: “I had a stroke. My whole left side went out… I had to learn to walk again, and that was tough. The doctors said they didn’t think I’d be able to go back on stage again. I go, ‘No, no, I’m gonna do it. Watch and see.’”
“I went from people carrying me to the bathroom, because I couldn’t walk myself, finally to a wheelchair,” he revealed. “I graduated to a walker, and then I had a cane. Now I don’t need anything. But it’s like a full-time job getting back to where you feel good again.”
He added that retraining his body was a grueling process: “It takes a while to get your brain to start moving your legs, for them to do what your brain wants to do. You try to walk but it doesn’t come out right.”
To assist with his recovery, Vince Neil worked with a football coach in his hometown of Nashville, and through intense running and training, he claims to have regained nearly all of his strength.
“It’s been tough, but I’m back, I’m 90, 95 percent to where I was before, and it’s going to be great.”
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