Motley Crue guitarist retires from touring - issues statement

[whiplash1972]

 

Motley Crue recently announced plans to take the "Stadium Tour" with Def Leppard to other parts of the world next year, but one of the band members won't be coming with them. Guitarist Mick Mars has announced his retirement from touring, though he will remain in the band, revealing the news in an exclusive statement to Variety.

The statement reads as follows:

"Mick Mars, co-founder and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe for the past 41 years, has announced today that due to his ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), he will no longer be able to tour with the band. Mick will continue as a member of the band, but can no longer handle the rigors of the road. A.S. is an extremely painful and crippling degenerative disease, which affects the spine."

While the statement reveals Mars' plans to no longer tour, it did not reveal who the band intends to replace him. There have been rumors circulating in recent weeks that Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 would be joining the lineup, but as stated, no official word on who would be taking over the vacant guitarist spot was revealed.

Mars is a co-founding member of Motley Crue along with the band's current lineup of Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee. The group formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group initially played what was meant to be their final tour in 2015, but after the success of the film version of "The Dirt" memoir, they decided to come out of retirement and tour again. Though initially announced in 2019, the pandemic forced the highly anticipated "Stadium Tour" with Def Leppard and special guests Poison, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Classless Act to this summer.

Earlier this month, the band announced another leg of their co-headlining tour with Def Leppard that would take them to Latin America and Europe in the first half of 2023.

The 71-year-old guitarist has dealt with Ankylosing Spondylitis throughout his career. Speaking about it in the 2001 biography, "The Dirt," Mars stated, “My hips started hurting so bad every time I turned my body that it felt like someone was igniting fireworks in my bones. I didn’t have enough money to see a doctor, so I just kept hoping that I could do what I usually do: will it away, through the power of my mind. But it kept getting worse.”

“Then, one afternoon while doing my laundry,” he continued, “I started having trouble breathing. At first, it felt like someone had plunged a knife into my back. But as the weeks passed, the pain kept moving around my back. Next, my stomach started burning, and I worried that my whole body was about to fall apart. I thought that there was a hole in my stomach, and acids were leaking out and destroying my bones and organs. I’d grab hold of doorknobs, anchor my legs into the ground, and pull with my hands to stretch my back and ease the pressure out.” Mars was eventually able to have hip surgery that allowed him to return to the stage.

In addition to Motley Crue, Mars has been working on solo music in recent years as well.

Motley Crue's Mick Mars Retires from Touring, Issues Statement (loudwire.com)

[KarpetRydOFunk]

He was the reason they "quit" in the first place, so this comes as no surprise. 

[T-BONE]

John 5 was the rumored replacement, but I'm leaning towards DJ Ashba considering he opened his mouth stating he played on Saints Of Los Angeles and assisted on other stuff.

[auslander]

Yeah I have been reading it will be John 5 as well.

[Geoff]

I have no idea who he is, but I am trusting the John 5 sources too. 

[lettard]

Any of the two mentioned above would fit....sad to see Mick done though...hope he gets a few studio things done now as well as a rest.

[Geoff]

I was wondering that too, that if they ever get back in the studio, I assume he'll still play all the guitar? If. 

I agree it's sad, but from all reports he battled through it a hell of a lot longer than many thought he could/would. But yeah, still a downer, no doubt. 

[auslander]

Retiring from touring doesn't necessarily mean he won't do another studio album with Motley Crue if they ever decide to do new music, I guess.

[Captain Howdy]

9 hours ago, auslander said:

Retiring from touring doesn't necessarily mean he won't do another studio album with Motley Crue if they ever decide to do new music, I guess.

I'd guess it's more the strain of standing for two hours and all the travelling than actual guitar playing, and with studio recordings it's not all done at once, and in this day and age a lot of musicians can record from home studios rather than having to travel to whatever recording studio they used to have to travel to.

That said, I don't think they will ever do another album, just maybe the odd song here and there for whatever. I mean, apart from a couple of stand alone digital tracks and new songs for compilations, they have not recorded a full album of material in 14 years.

Edited October 27, 2022 by Captain Howdy

[whiplash1972]

Official statement from the Crue:

 

[auslander]

https://www.theprp.com/2022/10/27/news/john-5-has-officially-joined-motley-crue-as-their-touring-guitarist/

It's official on the replacement. Looks like John 5 is a weird dude who has cats. Always an iffy sign in a bloke.

[lettard]

14 hours ago, Captain Howdy said:

apart from a couple of stand alone digital tracks and new songs for compilations, they have not recorded a full album of material in 14 years.

Jebus has it been 14 since Saints already 

[KarpetRydOFunk]

3 hours ago, lettard said:

Jebus has it been 14 since Saints already 

Was thinking the same thing. 

[Captain Howdy]

8 hours ago, lettard said:

Jebus has it been 14 since Saints already 

Yup ... fuckin scared the shit out of me realising how long ago it was.

[Doug]

71 years old, significant physical challenges, can't really blame him. John 5 will be a good replacement, IMO. 

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Who John5? Why are we all talking about him like he's a household name?

[auslander]

2 hours ago, KarpetRydOFunk said:

Who John5? Why are we all talking about him like he's a household name?

I certainly know nothing about the 4 who came prior to this one.

[Captain Howdy]

6 hours ago, KarpetRydOFunk said:

Who John5? Why are we all talking about him like he's a household name?

Well he is pretty well known after playing for two huge names outside our tiny pool, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. Plus he got his "big break" playing guitar for David Lee Roth on the DLR album when he went under his real name, John Lowery.

 

[nyoilers]

7 hours ago, Captain Howdy said:

Well he is pretty well known after playing for two huge names outside our tiny pool, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. Plus he got his "big break" playing guitar for David Lee Roth on the DLR album when he went under his real name, John Lowery.

 

Yes, he's well known and also one of the top guitarist right now. He's had quite a few solo releases.

[nyoilers]

 

[whiplash1972]

Kickstart My Heart

 

[whiplash1972]

The seasonally and current events appropriate “Zoinks!” 😜

 

[AlphaMale]

[whiplash1972]

Motley Crue 2023

 

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Photoshopped? Or did Vince Neil finally lose weight? Maybe now he can sing the other half of the lyrics.