Page 18 - Black Velvet Issue 91

BV91 pg16,17,18,19 sixxam alternative_BV91 pg18 19/12/2016 05:08 Page 3

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because it’s giving a voice to the frustration louder voice on things. It’s a responsibility
just like this election cycle just did,” says that I think all of us take very seriously and
James. are just now starting to realize that you can
We don’t want to talk too much about pol- move mountains if you take a position on
itics though. What we are more curious about things; you have the ability, you have the
is the person behind the James Michael we voice, you can gather people around you, you
see up on stage. There are many revealing can gain support. It’s actually starting to
lyrics on the new ‘Prayers For The Blessed’ make a little difference. So yeah, I think that
album that give more of an insight into the all of us have started to delve into that in our
person he is – or has been in his past. In ‘The own personal mission.”
Devil’s Coming’ he sings ‘I’m insane, I can’t
explain, I question everything’. We don’t think ut getting back to James and the re-
he’s insane, far from it, but we’re curious to Bvealing lyrics on ‘Prayers For The
find out more. Blessed’… Last time we interviewed him, we
“When you’re in a band like this, a band talked about how he’d been sober for three
that’s very vocal and a band that’s very mes- years. Now, on ‘Prayers For The Blessed’,
sage-orientated, I do think that you develop a James has actually written a song, ‘Maybe It’s
persona as far as the one delivering the lyrics, Time’, looking back to when he drank. ‘Maybe
the one writing the lyrics, the one creating I’ll sober up, maybe before I die, maybe I’ll fi-
these sentiments in our songs. And there IS nally deal with all the wreckage in my life,’ he
a distinction between the two. I’m a very, very
private person, but probably the opposite of
what you would imagine. I’m an extremely
passionate political person in my personal
life. I have very, very strong views and I have
kept those completely out of my public per-
sona because I don’t think that it is relevant.”
We did notice this, as while Nikki Sixx
tweeted around the election, James remained
silent.
“Believe me when I tell you, there have
been many times when I’ve bit my tongue,
wanting to tweet something and say some-
thing, but I just don’t think it’s my position. I
don’t think that is my position to use this as a
bully pulpit, so I do keep those two things
very, very separate, not just in a political
sense but in my personal life as well.”
Despite not being vocal on certain sub-
jects in public, James says he admires folks
that do speak out. “Whether I agree with
someone politically or socially or whatever it
may be, I always have a sense of admiration
for people that: No. 1, have strong opinions
or convictions, whether I agree with them or
not; and No. 2, that can act on them. And not
be filled with words but be filled with action.
Get out and speak loudly and make a differ-
ence. I admire that. I think that one of the most
admirable qualities in a person is to have re-
ally, really steady and strong convictions. And
then you have to decide whether you’re going
to agree with somebody, if you’re going to be
equally as vocal on the opposing side of it, or
if you’re going to step forward, however it
may be, but yeah, anytime someone rises up
and says ‘I don’t like how things are being
done, I’m going to stand up against this,” I
find that impressive and I think it’s part of our
responsibility as human beings.”
Speaking of rising up, the band members,
James, Nikki and Dj Ashba, all revealed their
‘reason to rise’ earlier in the year, as a cam-
paign to get fans to speak out using the #rea-
sontorise tag. James’ own reason to rise was
against human trafficking. Dj’s was against
bullying and Nikki’s was the heroin epidemic.
James says, “We’re starting to create
more music that addresses things more par-
ticularly. And another thing that we’re hoping
to do is connect with multiple organisations
that take on all of our little personal struggles
or missions and bring some awareness to
them. That’s one of the exciting things about
being in a position like this, is that you can
bring awareness to things that you may not
have been able to do otherwise. That’s some-
thing that I didn’t really anticipate as
Sixx:A.M. started to take off but it’s really
been quite a benefit to have just a little bit
SIXX:A.M.