University of South Carolina Libraries
McFly-ing on new wings Two ex-members of’80s pop band form Lixxy explore fresh territory Bnndy dlcflair FOR THE GAMECOCK The first thought one might I have while watching a Lixx performance is, “Hey, aren’t those the people from Mighty McFly?” Why, yes, they are. Nikki Lixx, former guitarist of Mighty McFly, and former drummer Soumen (pronounced “showman”) left the band earlier this year to start one of their own. “The lead singer’s wife came in in January and decided to take over as manager, which is not very professional, so me and Soumen decided to start our own band,” Lixx said. “They didn’t tell the fans what | happened.” “One of the things that bothered me was that they don’t even own ‘McFly,’” Soumen said. “They don’t even own the rights to the name.” Lixx said former Mighty McFly bassist Ricky Zero owns the rights. Nikki and Soumen’s “differences of opinion” with the management of Mighty McFly led to the creation of Lixx. The pair held auditions for new members and found frontwomen Lady Luna and Frankie Lixx (only “mildly” related to Nikki Lixx) and bassist Scotti Rockitt. Rockitt, who tried to audition for Mighty McFly, was hired on the spot at his audition with Lixx after talking with Nikki and playing a few songs. “Actually, the first time I talked to Nikki, I talked to her for like an hour about music,” Rockitt said. Luna joined Lixx after being contacted by Soumen. She had been working at her father’s company and had a background singing funk and R&B. “The only reason I was doing funk and R&B was because I couldn’t find people that wanted to do rock with me,” Luna said. “Rock’s always been a passion. I’ve always loved rock.” Frankie was the first singer hired to perform with Lixx. Petite and soft-spoken, Frankie catches many people by surprise when on stage, belting out rock hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Before performing with Lixx, Frankie recorded background vocals for various artists and still works at an after-school program sponsored by the YMCA for elementary school students. While the band been touring as Lixx for only two months, its members have become a tight knit group. “It’s really cool and strange though how we’re all so different, but we immediately clicked when we all got together,” Frankie said. “We’re so good together.” “She’s like my little sister over there,” Rockitt said, pointing at Frankie, “and I’m always picking on her.” “Scott pisses me off all the time, but I swear to God I’ll kick someone’s ass for him,” Lady Luna said. Their touring schedule keeps them on the road most of the week. “Gigs are really picking up now. We’re pushing like five nights a week,” said Rockitt, who gets to go home about once every two weeks. The rest of the group lives in Atlanta, and they spend much of their downtime hanging out together. “We’ll get home like on a Sunday,” Lady Luna said. “We have Pajama Sunday where we go everywhere in our pajamas. And then Rehab Monday.” Lixx performs on the East Coast,-anywhere from Georgia to North Carolina. The band has performed four times in Columbia since it started touring and plans on booking more next year. Its next Columbia performance is Dec. 17 at the new Wild Wing Cafe in northeast Columbia. For show and band info, visit lixxband.com. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu Special to THE (IAMECOCK Lixx is made up of two former members of Mighty McFly and three new members. The band has played four shows in Columbia. 1 lat kind of g is ^achmkS <* . .mmMmmmmmmmmmmmmammmmmmmmmmmrnmmm ...■ii.i.iiiw—r v MORALE, WELFARE 8c RECREATION csasos $a@ AVAILABLE AT Russell House (USC) Greater Columbia Bi-Lo Stores Sounds Familiar FORT JACKSON Solomon Center \ POCK 93.5 ABMV \ MWR “ % > CONCERT TOUR * «P i*11 No U S. Army endorsement implied