Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx has defended the band’s choice to replace guitarist Mick Mars with John 5.
The bassist, 65, stands by the decision in a new interview with Classic Rock. “It was becoming harder and harder and harder to get anything done with Mick because of his memory problems and just his physical ailments,” Sixx says. “And we have a lot of empathy for that.”
However, he continues, “When Mick left the band, we had to make a choice. And we made the right choice with John. We wish Mick nothing but the best.”
Sixx then adds, “I run this band with an iron fist and nobody can get in and f-ck with our band, legally, marketing-wise.” He adds that Mötley Crüe had to make “a self-sufficient decision” regarding how to continue without Mars, which he calls “the right thing to do”.
“But doing the right thing isn’t always f-cking fun,” Sixx finishes, “[with] fans believing we did something we didn’t do.”
Mars announced his retirement from Mötley Crüe in October 2022, through a representative citing his “ongoing painful struggle” with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Former Rob Zombie player John 5 was announced as band’s live member the next day, before being promoted to full-time guitarist in 2023.
In April 2023, Mars sued Mötley Crüe, arguing that the band had conspired together to remove him from their lineup. He later claimed they were “trying to take my legacy away,” including “my ownership of the name, the brand.”
additional source: guitar.com
One Response
Nikki, the “right thing to do” would first be to honor the “Cesation of Touring Agreement”. The next “right thing to do” would have been to keep Mick Mars as a member of Motley Crue and let John 5 be the touring guitarist. Another “right thing to do” would be to learn to play your bass so uncredited musicians weren’t needed for studio recordings and tracks wouldn’t be needed for, what should be, live performances.