MÖTLEY CRÜE’s Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil discuss the addition of John 5 to the band and why they chose to move forward without original guitarist Mick Mars
Speaking with Chicago rock radio station Rock 95.5, MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx discussed their decision to bring on guitarist John 5 to replace original axeman Mick Mars following his decision to no longer tour due to increasing health issues.
Discussing touring with John 5 for the majority of the last year, Vince said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “He’s a good fit for the band. He’s a wonderful human being. He’s a great guy and he’s so talented, it’s scary. On stage, when he’s doing the solos, I usually go sit in the back and have some water and stuff and kind of kick it, but when he does the solo, I’ve gotta be out there watching him because he’s mesmerizing. He’s got that thing about him.”
Touching on Mick Mars‘ departure from MÖTLEY CRÜE, Nikki said: “We didn’t see this coming. We were out doing our stadium tour, and Mick had decided to leave. And we really had to sit down and go, ‘Well, what do we do? Do we fold? Do we fold on the fans and [concert promoter] Live Nation [and 2022 and 203 tourmates] DEF LEPPARD?’ John, we’ve all known John. I’ve worked with John. We kind of talked about it. And if we had to move on, it’s moved on in a such a beautiful way. It’s been great.”
Nikki also discussed MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s plans for the future, saying: “We’re having a great time. We’re getting ready to leave on tour pretty soon. We’re not doing a lot of shows this year. We’re doing, like, what? 17 or 20 shows. We’ve got some surprises coming up, which we can’t tell you about… But we’ve got some really fun stuff coming up at the end of the year we’re really excited about that we’re keeping just between us. And it’s gonna be a great year, and new music. And then next year we’ve got a lot of fun stuff planned. So it’s just a great time in the band.”
John 5 became a part of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the autumn of 2022, stepping in as the replacement for Mick Mars, the band’s co-founding guitarist. Mick had disclosed his decision to retire from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October of that same year due to worsening health issues.
Mars has been grappling with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a chronic and inflammatory type of arthritis primarily affecting the spine and pelvis. Despite enduring years of performing amidst the discomfort, he informed his bandmates in the summer of 2022 that touring was no longer feasible for him. However, he expressed willingness to participate in recording sessions or performances at fixed locations that didn’t involve extensive travel.
Upon announcing his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, Mars reiterated his commitment to remain a member of the band, with John 5 stepping in for live performances. However, in April 2023, the 72-year-old musician initiated legal action against CRÜE in Los Angeles County’s Superior Court. He alleged that following his announcement, the other members of CRÜE attempted to diminish his role as a significant stakeholder in the group’s corporation and business assets through a shareholders’ meeting.
Yesterday (April 26, 2024), MÖTLEY CRÜE released the official music video for the new song, “Dogs Of War”. The track was made available via MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s new deal with Nashville’s Big Machine Records and can be seen below.
MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s new deal with Big Machine Records sees the band working together again after making the 2014 project “Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe”, which featured CRÜE tracks covered by country stars RASCAL FLATTS, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, Darius Rucker and more. Big Machine also partnered with John 5 for the release of his 2021 album “Sinner”.
MÖTLEY CRÜE‘s last studio album was 2008’s “Saints Of Los Angeles”.