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Punk Geography The stinky fruit from D.C.’s ginkgo trees are part of spring’s annual assault on the schnoz. But in 1989 I had no idea what Three’s Geoff Turner (above, second from right) was singing about on “Swann Street” when he belted, “These berries smell like [bleep].” I was still living in Michigan, subconsciously learning about D.C. through Dischord punk bands. “Swann Street,” the song, is on 8o 9^h_ijef^[h Three’s “Dark Days Fehj[h Coming” record; Swann Street, the road, is north of Dupont Circle. Soulside’s “Clifton Wall,” from “Hot Bodi-Gram,” is another 1989 tune that identified a less-glamorous D.C. location: Clifton and 13th streets NW, the highest spot in the city, with a beautiful view of the Monument — and a bad crime problem. “Hains Point” from Rites of Spring’s 1985 self-titled classic doesn’t detail the southern tip of East Potomac Park, but the lyrics “I read somewhere that every wall’s a door to something new/Well, if that’s true, why can’t I get through?” might metaphorically refer to the sculpture that used to be there: “The Awakening” featured a buried giant struggling to escape from the earth. He must have caught a whiff of ginkgo. Comments? Give Christopher your feedback: expressnightout.com/soundbets
?\ A_f M_d][h eh :ed :eaa[d fkj ekj W X[Wkj_\kb Xeea of goth-influenced photography, ’80s metal fans might shake their tresses in surprise. But “This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography, and Life Through the Distorted Lens of Nikki Sixx” ($30, William Morrow) comes from Motley Crue’s bassist, lyricist and visionary — an artist. After 2007’s best-selling “The Heroin Diaries,” Sixx put together a high-quality collection of photos, interspersed with stories from his musical life with Motley Crue and Sixx: A.M. (who recorded the book’s soundtrack), as well as his personal life. The most compelling tale is when Sixx discovers he had a institutionalized sister, Lisa, who was born with Down syndrome and who had been 90 percent deaf and 100 percent blind. CHRISTOPHER PORTER “This Is Gonna Hurt” could have stood on its own as an art book. Why did you include the stories?
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I want to do a book of photography, with no words in it. But this being my first book where I show people what I’m about as a photographer, I was just writing for me — maybe write an introduction, or this is what I’m about. I’m a very aggressive writer, so I write a lot. The text features motivational sections. What kind of feedback have you received from fans?
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It’s been really wonderful to see kids at the book signings crying, parents saying thank you, saying between this book and “The Heroin Diaries,” they feel like they can do more with their lives. It inspires me every day to get up and do better.
Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx shares his artwork and personal stories in his new book.
You express love for Motley Crue, but you also voice some criticisms.
I don’t feel I crossed any lines that, as a fan, I’d be upset with. Sammy Hagar wrote a [critical] book [“Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock”], and, honestly, I’m very disappointed in Sammy, and it bums me out to even want to hear Van Halen. I’m a positive fan, and I have a hard time listening to Van Halen with Sammy Hagar singing now.
Photographer’s Motley Subjects The photos in Nikki Sixx’s “This Is Gonna Hurt” include scenes from international travel, staged grotesques, moody portraits and real-world seediness.
But the closing quote about Motley in the chapter about how you helped guitarist Mick Mars recover from pain-pill addiction is heavy: “They hadn’t visited him at all. This band runs on rock ’n’ roll, but sometimes I wonder if there is any soul in it.”
It’s true, though. We’re trying to get better. We’re very dysfunctional. For all the stories about rock and recovery, it’s your sister Lisa who defines and haunts this book.
Yes. I came to that revelation sit-
ting in my [photo] studio writing this book. I looked up [at the props] and it was like everything was in slow motion: I looked at the wheelchair, the little children’s polio legs, the 1800s medical stuff, the children mannequins — and I said, “Oh, my God, this is all about her.” It was freeing moment but also one of the scariest and most painful moments. I looked around the room and thought, “I’ve been trying to resurrect my sister.” Barnes & Noble, 555 12th St. NW; Wed., 7 p.m., free; 202-347-0176.