Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx has issued a public response to former Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin. Larkin had recently claimed that Sixx was using backing tracks in live performances.
In his statement, Sixx addressed Larkin’s comments directly, dismissing the criticism while reflecting on what he sees as a broader pattern among lesser-known musicians.
“Who’s this Shannon Larkin hater? It’s funny how so many B- and C-level bands seem to spend more time talking about us than writing songs people actually remember,” Sixx said. “Maybe it’s jealousy, maybe it’s insecurity, maybe ticket sales are a little slow. Either way, borrowing someone else’s spotlight has never been much of a long-term career strategy.”
Sixx went on to express what he described as genuine sympathy for musicians who, in his view, have failed to build lasting careers through their own work.
“I genuinely feel for musicians who never figured out that the best publicity is writing great songs—over and over again, decade after decade for fans not critics,” he continued.
He also drew a comparison to what he called the “bimbo podcast crowd” before closing with a pointed remark aimed at Larkin.
“It reminds me of the endless bimbo podcast crowd that builds an audience by talking about everyone else instead of creating something worth talking about,” Sixx added. “Anyway, maybe he needs to take a nap before he does more press.”
The exchange traces back to comments Larkin made while defending Godsmack’s decision to bring in drummer Mike Mangini for the band’s current tour. What began as a discussion about lineup changes quickly turned into a broader critique of how modern rock acts approach live performance.
Larkin specifically called out Sixx during that conversation, pointing to a moment onstage where Sixx appeared to look away from the microphone while his voice continued to be heard. “You see Nikki Sixx up there. He’s not really singing, he looks away, but you still hear his voice. Well, it’s a track playing,” Larkin said. He argued that the increasing use of pre-recorded parts has stripped live rock shows of their unpredictability and raw energy.
Larkin retired from Godsmack roughly a year and a half ago following the band’s tour in support of their album Lighting Up The Sky. His comments about Mangini — a former Dream Theater drummer widely regarded as technically overqualified for the role — were largely supportive. The backing track remarks, however, quickly overshadowed that discussion.
Godsmack has long positioned itself as a band that performs without click tracks or backing tracks. Larkin argued that relying on pre-recorded elements forces a band onto a rigid click track, removing the natural push and pull of tempo that defines a truly live performance. In his view, that shift represents a homogenization of what once made rock shows feel genuinely dangerous and unpredictable.
The debate over backing tracks in live rock performances has grown louder in recent years as more artists incorporate pre-recorded elements into their shows. The practice spans everything from layered harmonies to full rhythm guitar parts played through a track with no musician performing them onstage. For purists like Larkin, the line between a live show and a polished playback experience has become increasingly blurred.
No further public reply from Shannon Larkin has been reported at this time.
