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Bad boys of rock

From page 8 of Classic Rock Magazine October 2003

Cover of October 2003 issue.

Vince Neil, Weiland and Maiden’s Nicko McBrain in the dock.

VINCE NEIL HAS BEEN UP TO HIS OLD tricks again. Mötley Crüe’s livewire singer, who in April entered a no- contest plea to charges of misdemeanor battery involving record producer Michael Schuman, has now been accused of assaulting a prostitute.

Andrea Terry, known professionally as Trixxxie Blue, a porn star/sex worker at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel near Carson City, alleges that the 42-year-old singer grabbed her around the throat and threw her against a wall. Neil denies the charges, once again of misdemeanor battery, which carries a maximum jail sentence of six months and a $1,000 fine.

Nevada police declined to issue a warrant for Neil’s arrest after he agreed to post a $1,000 bond. According to the Lyon County District Attorney, it’s uncertain whether the case will go to trial, and if it does “a lot will come down to the difference in testimony between the two”. Robert Shapiro, the lawyer who successfully defended OJ Simpson, is representing Neil.

Dennis Hof, the Bunny Ranch’s owner, has sided with Neil, insisting he is “only guilty of being a celebrity”, and that Neil and his band were at the legal brothel simply to sign autographs for employees who hadn’t made it to his concert in Reno the day before. “No celebrity pays for sex here,” Hof explained. “This girl said he’d promised her $3,000. I was the first person called to the room, and I saw nothing in disarray. At that time I saw no marks or scratches on her.” Regarding his earlier offence, Neil later admitted that he had never met Michael Schuman before beating him up in the car park of the Rainbow Bar & Grill in LA, punching him in the face and breaking his elbow. Neil was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, pay damages and place his fingerprints on file with the LA County Sheriff’s Department.

The singer’s latest brush with the law will frustrate Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, who recently announced that not only had he put his side-project Brides Of Destruction on hold, but also that he’s back in regular contact with the rest of the classic Mötley line-up.

Despite exchanging verbal scratches in the press of late, Sixx and Neil have recently cleared the air. Brides Of Destruction, which also features LA Guns guitarist Tracii Guns, will still record an album with Steve Thompson (Metallica, Guns N’ Roses) for release in Japan later in the year, but the imminent arrival of a long-awaited CD boxed set and DVD video collection suggests that Sixx will concentrate on Crüe instead.

And talking of unexpected bouts of inertia, Nicko McBrain has been charged with third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment in New York. The usually mild- mannered Iron Maiden drummer has been accused of intentionally hitting a parking attendant with his car before an Iron Maiden show.

Charged under his real name of Michael McBrain, the 51-year-old had been trying to drive a black Jaguar into the venue’s VIP car park. An argument ensued with attendant Mark Robinson, who didn’t recognise him.

Richard O’Donnell of the New York State Park Police told reporters: “The employee said Mr McBrain struck [Robinson] in the legs.” When the attendant refused to budge, McBrain allegedly demanded he move or he would hit him again. When he refused, McBrain drove the car forward, apparently causing Robinson to fall on to its bonnet. McBrain will appear in court on September 16 and if convicted faces up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Meanwhile, following his arrested for possessing back in May, Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver (the ‘ex-GN’R supergroup’) frontman Scott Weiland has been sentenced to three years probation by a California judge.

Weiland appeared in a Pasadena court on Thursday where the judge enforced counseling sessions and insisted he continue his rehab sessions. and failing rehab.