Endurance ( Remastered)

Chapter 10 - Backwash

**The header photo is Nikki in Japan in 1985.

**Backwash was another unused song title for the 94 album.

**I forgot to mention two things about Tommy in last week's end notes. One, the producer, Tom, was wild about Tommy's drumming skills. He's claimed that Tommy was the easiest to work with and that he drumming was exciting. 

Also, the character Tabby in the last chapter represented Robbin's girlfriend Tawny, who was later better known as David Coverdale's (White Snake) girlfriend. She gained recognition from being featured in a few White Snake videos where she did cartwheels on the hoods of cars and spread her legs open, like a sexy vixen. (Check out "Here I Go Again"). But prior to that, she was Robbin's long-time girlfriend. I think as far back as high school. They have both spoken in later years that they were truly each other's first love (Both are gone now. Tawny just died last year). Tommy dated her briefly, perhaps while she was with Robbin, or maybe after. She was starting to go with other guys while she was with Robbin, who finally just let her go. She claimed that Tommy was boring. He'd get really hyper-focus on stupid stuff. She said one night, he was trying to teach her how to throw a knife into the wall. About a thousand holes in the wall later was considered a night of fun for him...but not her.

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Summer 1985 –

Motley Crue's third album "Theatre of Pain" was released the third week of June, just a week behind RATT's newest album. It was amazing to think about what was accomplished in the past few months despite the mental and physical state of the band members.

Then just two weeks after the album's release, the band kicked off their tour with seven shows in Japan. Nina had a clear schedule to accompany Mick on the trip. Beth stayed home with the baby while Vince and Tommy spent a lot of the time sightseeing and nearly getting eaten alive by Japanese fans, who may have had a thing or two to teach the average American fan about how to thoroughly show true appreciation to a rock star. For starters, being mobbed while just trying to enjoy burgers from McDonald's. It got to the point where the police had to go in for the rescue, and their uneaten Happy Meals became unhappy mushed up floor slop.

But poor Nikki, all he could do for the first three days was push himself to get through the shows, wear fake smiles for the camera, fans, press, and then hole up in his hotel room cramping up on the bathroom floor as his body tried to adjust to a lack of smack.

Nikki couldn't bring the drugs with him and underestimated the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. Every chance Tommy had, he was checking on Nikki, completely unaware of the true reason for the bassist's misery.

"Maybe you need to see a doctor," Tommy reasoned.

"Nah, it's just a bout with the flu," Nikki whimpered, as he lay in bed shivering under the covers while squeezing the hell out of a pillow.

"Did you take Tylenol?"

"The whole fucking bottle is gone."

"I'll get you more. Are sure it's not something you ate... or maybe the water here? Remember when I was sick for a day in England? Sometimes travel messes your system up," Tommy questioned while brushing his fingers through Nikki's sweat-soaked hair.

"I felt this way on the plane," Nikki sobbed, referring to the miserable fifteen-hour flight out of L.A. to Tokyo. Between taxiing around in limos, waiting in airports, flying, and being shuffled around, Nikki spent his first entire twenty-four hours being dope-free, traveling.

"I'm just worried about you."

"I'll be okay, I just need some sleep. I know Vince is waiting for you in the lobby. Go see the sights while you can."