Personal Life
By 2002 Craig Nicholls had gained a reputation as an erratic performer. In August, The Vines' performed "Get Free" on Late Show with David Letterman with Nicholls trashing Hamish Rosser's drum kit. In December, they were prevented from performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after Nicholls damaged the set during a rehearsal. His behaviour was seen as "a sign of stress and mental exhaustion."
Nicholls dated Australian media personality and ecologist Elissa Sursara from 2006 before splitting in 2008.
Late in May 2004, The Vines appeared at a promotional show for Triple M radio, where Nicholls bleated at the audience and demanded they not talk during their performance. When he heard a laugh, he said to the crowd, "Why the fuck are you laughing? You're all a bunch of sheep. Can you go baa?". An official photographer, Janie Barrett, snapped a picture of Nicholls who allegedly kicked out at her, smashing her camera. As a result, Matthews left the stage and never played with The Vines again (he later joined Youth Group) and Triple M banned the group's music from being broadcast by their station. Subsequent performances on their Australian, United States and European tours to promote their second album, Winning Days were cancelled.
In November, Nicholls faced assault and malicious damage charges at Balmain Local Court in Sydney, he was accompanied by his brother Matt, and his manager and friend Andy Kelly. It was revealed that Nicholls has Asperger syndrome, which is a neurological disorder of the autism spectrum.
His condition had been suspected by Nicholls' guitar technician, English road crew veteran Tony Bateman, who had toured with The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy and Black Sabbath. Bateman felt there was something clinically different with Nicholls and downloaded information about Asperger syndrome, handing it over to Kelly. Professor Tony Attwood, an autism spectrum disorders specialist, confirmed the diagnosis after seeing Nicholls and his family in August. The judge dropped all charges against Nicholls on the condition that he seek immediate treatment. Nicholls yelled "I'm free!" upon leaving the courthouse. He was under medical treatment and therapy for six months, he gave up his intake of fast food and marijuana habit. He has spoken about his condition in subsequent interviews.
In November 2008, The Vines cancelled shows in Australia and Japan due to Nicholls' mental health having deteriorated over the previous month and he required further help.
Nicholls was arrested on 13 October 2012 at his Sydney home on allegations he had assaulted his mother. He reportedly struck his mother in the head twice, and injured a responding police officer whilst resisting arrest. He appeared before a judge at Sutherland Local Court on 17 October 2012, where a trial date of 14 November was set. The charges include "two counts of domestic assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalking and resisting arrest."
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