He's been a rock star, a TV star and even an accidental porn star.

Now here's a guy who never has a problem making conversation at cocktail parties.

Not that Tommy Lee gets invited to many dress-up affairs. But if he did, the rangy, tattooed drummer of Mötley Crüe is the one whom people would accost in the corner.

Say the names Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx or Mick Mars to anyone older than 45 and the most common response is a blank stare. But Lee? He's the household name. The guy who, with all of his goofy charms, bulldozed his way across the University of Nebraska campus last year and suffered through chemistry for our amusement in NBC's "Tommy Lee Goes to College" (out on DVD April 25, for those who care).

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He's the one who patiently sat through ex-wife Pamela Anderson's raunchy roast on "Comedy Central" as a parade of comedians targeted his famous manhood rather than razzing the roastee.

And he's also the one whose surprisingly melodic solo tune, "Good Times," got some airplay over Olympics footage ("I heard about that! That is so rad!" Lee exclaimed in his excited-puppy manner).

Last year, Lee, 43, joined his original bandmates for a reunion tour that few had faith would succeed. Now, the tour is in its third leg - stopping at the Richmond Coliseum on Saturday - and the band has committed to recording a new album this summer, its first in almost a decade.

Talking by phone from Boston earlier this week, a polite and recently awakened Lee (at 12:30 p.m.) talked about road life - "We were in Canada last week and it was, like, minus 8. I was like, you guys can have this. I'm a Cali boy!" -what kind of onstage debauchery fans can expect from the boys and the future of Mötley Crüe.

For anyone who might have seen you guys last year in D.C. on the first leg of the tour, what is different this time around?

TOMMY: A couple of tunes are different, but the one major difference is we moved the drum solo stuff over the audience, so I'm over their heads. It happened kinda by accident that one night. The roof of the venue couldn't handle the weight [above the stage] so we had to hang it over the audience, and it was like, this is killer! But you can't blow pyro over people's heads, so we moved the drum stuff over them and have the pyro at the front of the stage.

Your spinning drum kit from the "Girls Girls Girls" tour is pretty legendary ...

TOMMY: That was freaking bananas! That one came to me in a dream. I woke up and was like, 'Guys, we gotta do this,' and they looked at me like I was nuts.

Is [your solo] your favorite part of the show?

TOMMY: I enjoy it, yeah, but I enjoy the whole two and a half hours up there. There's so much [stuff] going on. I pretty much live for those two hours every day. The other 22 kinda suck, which is why I'll hang out in my bus and work on new music in the recording studio I have in there.

In D.C., you got miffed when the girls in the crowd wouldn't lift their shirts for the Tommycam. Are you still trying that every night?

TOMMY: (Laughs) Yeah, that happens sometimes when you get a really reserved crowd, and other times, you can't get them to put their clothes on. But I give the guys some screen time, too. You know, just to be fair.

The music you're working on in the bus, is it solo material or things for the new Crüe record?

TOMMY: Yesterday I did some electronic music. I'm doing this thing in Miami called the Global Gathering and building some original tracks ... Being a drummer, I've always been attracted to beats and dance music. I've been a dance electronic fan forever and in 2000, with DJ Arrow, my partner, I started DJ-ing and making some music. I had the best time doing it. I love to dance and I love to watch people.

What is the status of the new Mötley Crüe record? Still happening?

TOMMY: Yeah, it'll be out sometime next year. We're gonna start working on it in May or June.

Has the band written anything yet or do you all work on stuff separately and then bring it to the table?

TOMMY: We have a jam room backstage and usually riff out in there. At the end of the tour, we'll take all the ideas we worked on and see where it is. It's so early to tell. We've been on the road for 15 months, so I think everyone is ready to go home soon and then regroup.

How much time do you guys spend together when you're not onstage?

TOMMY: A pretty good amount. Nikki and I will go shopping, and a couple of us went to a strip club the other day.

You and Vince Neil have had some public skirmishes, but since this tour began, he's said that everything is cool between you two now. True?

TOMMY: I think we're getting along better than we ever have. We're sorta designed for success now. We have our own space, our own tour buses, so we're not in each other's faces 24/7. People have kids who come out on tour; my kids come out on tour sometimes.

Any chance of another season of "Tommy Lee Goes to College" or are your academic days over?

TOMMY: In about two days you're gonna hear a statement about something new. I'm looking at the press release right now, but I can't tell you what it is.

Is it an NBC press release?

TOMMY: No, a different network.

But we'll be seeing you back on TV?

TOMMY: Absolutely.

Allrighty. So what's going on with your love life these days? Single?

TOMMY: I am as single as you can be. I'm really enjoying myself very much. Being single doesn't suck. I kinda thought it might, but I just kinda do my thing and ... well, why not?