The fortune and fame that came with being a rock star in the 1980’s was a dream-come-true. Sex, drugs and rock n roll. A life of debauchery. The visionary and driving force behind Motley Crue had created the life that most of his hard rock brethren dreamed of, but despite his success, Nikki Sixx’s life was miserable. What appeared to be a rock n roll fantasy to others was really nothing more than a well-financed nightmare for Sixx. The Heroin Diaries is a gripping look at a year in the life of a rock star hitting rock bottom over and over again.
Sixx’s documentation of his ongoing battle with heroin and his past was originally intended to be for his eyes only…
“I’m reading Diary of a Rock Star by Ian Hunter. Maybe I’ll release my diary as a book one day…yeah, right, can you imagine?” (June 27, 1987)
Long before reading the aforementioned diary entry, which comes well into the book, you can’t help but wonder how The Heroin Diaries ever saw the light of day. Not necessarily because it paints Sixx in a depressing, and often times, ugly light, but rather because it’s hard to fathom how he managed to stay alive long enough to write it. The massive amount of daily drug and alcohol abuse would have killed most people, but then again, Nikki Sixx isn’t most people.
At one point, Sixx was officially pronounced dead when he overdosed during a wild night with Slash (Guns N’ Roses). Most people would have seen this as a wake-up call, and Sixx eventually did, but before he finally made a commitment to living, he found a way to hit a new low that defied all logic.
The Heroin Diaries will leave you shaking your head in disbelief at the matter-of-fact attitude that Sixx and his “friends” had towards drug abuse, sexual conquests and egregious behavior that resulted in arrests on more than one occasion.
This inside look at the world’s most debaucherous band takes you through a roller coaster of emotions.
At times, you’ll find yourself laughing out loud at some of the sophomoric antics that Sixx got into with the people closest to him. Other times you will feel oddly sympathetic towards a rock star who was so strung out, that he thought nothing of spending more on drugs each day than many people earn in a month.
One thing is for sure…The Heroin Diaries is not for the faint of heart or for those who want to preserve their nostalgic memories of Motley Crue. However, it is a must read for hard rock music fans who want a behind-the-scenes look at the band that helped define the music of a generation.
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