In an interview with Illinois Entertainer this January, John 5 shared details about his journey with Mötley Crüe. While the news of his addition to the band came shortly after Mick Mars retired from touring, the guitarist revealed that he was approached for the role while Mars was still in the band.
Talking about his relationship with the group, he explained:
“We’re always on the phone and chitchatting about our life and about things we have to do during the day and just what friends do. I first got the call near the last show of the Freaks On Parade tour when I was with Rob Zombie. Mötley was still touring, so I got a call saying,’ Hey, Mick’s gonna retire. Is this something you’d be interested in?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I would love to.'”
The guitarist also recalled his past collaborations with the Mötley Crüe members:
“I was working on ‘The Dirt’ [movie] with them. I worked on that song ‘The Dirt’ and the other songs that were on that [movie soundtrack] album they released. I’ve worked with Nikki [Sixx] on a bunch of other collaborations in the past, and I’ve worked with Tommy [Lee] in the past, too. So I’ve always been kind of in the family.”
John 5 Loves Mick Mars
John 5 officially joined Mötley Crüe during their Stadium Tour with Def Leppard in 2022. While introducing him as the new guitarist, the band announced that Mars would not take part in the rest of the tour and future live performances due to health issues.
Following that, legal disputes arose between Mars and the other Mötley Crüe members, straining the relationship between the two parties. Still, the former Rob Zombie guitarist shared his thoughts about the original band member by saying:
“Mick’s tone is incredible, and his playing is incredible. I had to change [guitar amp] heads; I adjusted my sound. I still use a Telecaster, but Mick also used Telecaster during ‘Girls, Girls, Girls.’ He used the Telecaster quite a bit. I have such a respect for and a love for Mars, and he knows that.”
Mick Mars’ Reacted Well To The New Mötley Crüe Guitarist
The feud caused harsh remarks on both sides, as Mick Mars claimed his former bandmates tried to strip him of his rights to their music. The accusations of using backing tracks during live shows added to the tension throughout 2023.
Despite that, John 5 and Mick Mars’ relationship remained on good terms, according to what the new member told Eddie Trunk in May 2023. About how the former guitarist reacted to being replaced by him, he explained:
“Me and Mick, we talk all the time. We exchange Christmas gifts and things like that, and when I was announced as the guitar player, he was one of the very first texts that I got, and he said, ‘You’re gonna kill it!’ It’s good; it’s not like it’s some stranger coming in. We have great respect for each other.”
The Two Guitarist’s Have Plans For New Projects
Currently, John 5 is working on his first studio record with Mötley Crüe. Meanwhile, Mick Mars is set to release his solo debut album, ‘The Other Side Of Mars,’ on February 2023.
