The story of Mick Mars and Mötley Crüe splitting goes back to October 2022, when Mars retired as a touring member of the band. John 5 was announced as his replacement the next day, and was later named as a permanent member of the band in 2023.
Mars subsequently sued Mötley Crüe in April 2023, alleging the band was screwing him over financially (amid accusations that Mötley Crüe was awful to him and that certain members mimed their performances). Mars ultimately prevailed in January 2024 when a judge ruled that Mötley Crüe unjustly “refused” to hand over their business reports to Mars. As for Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, he’s held the line that Mötley Crüe was shocked that Mars left the band.
So it’s not surprising that during an interview with Rock 95.5, Sixx stated that Mötley Crüe very bravely carried on after Mars “quit” the band, adding that they had the tough choice of letting everyone down or recruiting John 5 in his place.
“We didn’t see this coming,” said Sixx as transcribed by Blabbermouth. “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 Live Nation [and regular 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.”
The disparity between Sixx‘s opinions and Mars‘ are interesting. Mars has the opinion that Mötley Crüe treated him poorly and that their live shows weren’t up to snuff, while Sixx portrays the split as more of a surprise. What the truth is remains a mystery, but fans certainly seem to have chosen sides.
Vocalist Vince Neil added on the addition of John 5: “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.”
Mötley Crüe has since released their first post-Mars single “Dogs Of War”, which is… certainly something.
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