NIKKI SIXX SURPRISED BY SUDDEN LOVE FOR KAT VON D:

Jeanmarie Tan of The Electric New Paper reports that back in the decadent '80s, hard-living Motley Crue bass guitarist Nikki Sixx was notorious for his heroin addiction and overdosing several times.

These days, the leader, founding member and chief songwriter of the legendary Los Angeles heavy metal quartet doesn't do drugs or booze any more.

But he's still living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle and getting plenty of love from the ladies.

Like his 'killer girlfriend' of eight months, in particular. She's celeb tattoo artist Kat Von D, sexy star of popular reality series LA Ink.

Surprisingly charming and friendly over the phone from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Motley Crue was playing a gig, Sixx told The New Paper: 'We get along so good, it's unbelievable and fantastic.'

But it wasn't love at first sight for the heavily-inked couple.

'We've been friends for very long, and suddenly something happened, one thing led to another and we went crazy. We were not expecting it.'

Von D has since tattooed him about 10 times - including his kids' portraits, an angel he photographed in Italy, the words 'Los Angeles' below his rib cage and even a portrait of one of his band members.

Sixx apparently surprised him with it at a Motley Crue concert, leading to a sentimental moment on stage.

So was the lucky fella guitarist Mick Mars, drummer Tommy Lee or singer Vince Neil?

An apologetic Sixx declined to reveal his identity as the episode was filmed for LA Ink but hasn't aired in the US yet.

However, he did confess that he and Von D have tattooed 'I love you' on each other and gushed it was 'awesome'.

The rocker, who has four children aged 7 to 17 from his previous marriages to ex-Baywatch actress Donna D'Errico and former Playboy Playmate Brandi Brandt, added, chuckling: 'She's probably going to finish off my whole body.'

Sixx, who turns 50 in December, credits Von D, 26, for helping him feel younger and inspired. He said: 'She keeps me on my toes... We're very creative together'.

Don't expect age to slow Motley Crue down. Sixx insisted: 'I look at all my heroes like Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones and they're still kicking ass and tearing it up, so there's no reason I can't do exactly the same.'

Indeed, he sounded stoked that the group is finally coming to Singapore on Thursday for its first-ever concert in South-east Asia after 27 years together.

Motley Crue's current world tour is in support of its ninth studio album Saints Of Los Angeles - its first release since the original line-up reunited in 2004.

Sixx said: 'I'm so excited... I'm dying to play for the fans there. We never came to South-east Asia because we weren't paid enough to break even.

'We don't care about making money, we just don't want to be losing money. So we've scaled things back... but it's still the same raw, dirty rock 'n' roll - no holds barred.'

And unlike Mars, who thought Singapore is in China, Sixx assured us that he as done his homework.

'Thank God for the Internet! Every time we go to new cities or countries, I read about them online because I want to know more about the people I'm about to meet.

'I was surprised to hear the crowds there are crazy, so we're going to bring our A-game,' he chortled.

Though all of them have survived their colourful past filled with long addictions and brushes with the law, it doesn't mean they've mellowed to the point of blandness.

Sixx said: 'That was a time when we didn't think about survival. But now that I'm on the other side, I look back and go 'wow'. I mean, we're still crazy. We still have very different personality disorders that come together to make a great rock band.'

As if to prove that it was just like old times, Sixx related how Lee returned to their hotel at 5am after a wild night out - just as Sixx was on his way out to explore Buenos Aires for 'obscure' subjects to photograph.

He said he heard Neil, who was staying in a different hotel, had a 'crazy' party, while Mars 'never leaves his room' and is like some 'mad scientist cooking up stuff in there'.

On how their relationship with one another has evolved despite the break-ups and make-ups, Sixx said: 'We understand and respect each other more now. Mick and I are pretty close, but I love all of them as friends and band members because we have so much history together.

'It's like children - you can't choose one over another.'



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