Prosecutors likely to charge rocker for conduct at concert

Bill Gang

Wednesday, Aug. 25, 1999 | 10:48 a.m.

Prosecutors appear to be poised to pursue criminal charges against one member of the rock band Motley Crue and three crew members.

Las Vegas attorney Michael Amador, who represents all four who were arrested Aug. 11 after a concert at Mandalay Bay, said Tuesday he believed the Clark County District Attorney's Office was in the process of filing charges.

But Las Vegas Justice Court personnel said late Tuesday that charges have not yet been filed, although the band's bass player, Nikki Sixx, and three crew members are tentatively scheduled to appear in court Sept. 13.

The four were arrested during a confrontation with officers after Metro Police said the crowd was incited "to become violent."

Sixx, whose real name is Frank Carlton Ferrano, is charged with provoking a breach of the peace while crew members Chris Reynolds and Geoff Perren face charges of obstructing a peace officer. Those charges are misdemeanors.

A third crew member, John Gabrielli, is charged with a gross misdemeanor count of battery on a police officer.

Amador said he is going to review a videotape of the concert "to see exactly what happened" and he said prosecutors should do the same.

"Once both sides finish their investigations, I think the end will be that there was a misunderstanding between band members and police," Amador said.

District Attorney Stewart Bell said the case "is not a big deal. It's not the Ted Binion case."

Though according to the charges Sixx encouraged the crowd to commit violence, "We're glad nobody got hurt," Bell said.

More than 8,000 fans were at the concert when Sixx began advocating violence, according to Metro Police Lt. Richard Alba.

Police went to arrest Sixx around midnight and a scuffle broke out between crew members and officers, leading to the three other arrests.

Alba said his department had an understanding with the band's management about the actions of the group on stage in an effort to avoid a repeat of a 1997 incident.

After that concert at the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts, a man assaulted vocalist Vince Neil on stage, forcing a temporary halt to the concert, Alba said.