Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5 explained his approach to filling the role vacated by founding member Mick Mars, speaking on Summa Inferno. The guitarist stressed that his main goal is to honor the band’s legacy rather than draw attention to himself.
John 5 said the other band members have been supportive of him since he joined. He described his aim as a guitarist in the band and how he approaches the music.
“The [other] guys [in Mötley Crüe] are so nice to me and so welcoming to me and so kind and involve me in everything,” John 5 said. “But I just feel like, of course, Mick has been there for 40 years, [and they] wrote the greatest songs, and I just want to be able to represent Mick and Mötley Crüe as best as I can.”
“So that’s just my job. I never wanna feel like I’m the guitarist for Mötley Crüe. I just wanna feel like I want to represent the history of Mötley Crüe as best as I can.”
He explained his method for playing the band’s songs. “I play exactly what is recorded, because of the fact — me included — these songs are so important to me growing up and so important to you and the fans of Mötley Crüe, that I give the respect as playing those songs exactly how they were written and recorded.”
John 5 added that he does have some room for personal expression within his role. “So at the end of certain songs, like if there is an extended ending, then I’ll play, like the end of ‘Wild Side’, where there’s an extended ending, or at the end of certain songs like ‘Too Fast For Love’, I’ll add some craziness. But the Mötley Crüe [guys] — Vince [Neil], Tommy [Lee and] Nikki [Sixx] — are so kind, they give me a guitar solo just to go nuts, and that’s what I do.”
He described his philosophy as a session and touring guitarist across his career. “I always learned that I am there — if it’s Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie or Mötley Crüe — I am there to do the best job I can to make them sound the best that they can. Not to say, ‘Hey, look at me.’ I’m there to play the songs how they were written and recorded, and make sure the sound is great as possible, and that’s always been so important to me. And I think that’s what I’m doing with Mötley Crüe.”
John 5 took over as guitarist in Mötley Crüe in late 2022, replacing Mars. His comments highlight his commitment to preserving the band’s sound while respecting their history.
Mötley Crüe announced John 5 as the touring replacement for co-founder Mick Mars in October 2022 after Mars stepped down from the road due to health reasons. Mars, who had battled the degenerative condition ankylosing spondylitis, remained a member of the band but could no longer manage the demands of touring.
John 5 had worked with the band before joining as a full member. He contributed to three songs on the 2019 The Dirt Soundtrack and had built a resume that included work with David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. The band played their first U.S. shows with John 5 on February 10 and 11, 2023, as part of the co-headlining tour with Def Leppard that ran through November 2023.
In 2024, Mötley Crüe released “Dogs of War,” a song the band described as “the start of a brand new chapter.” The track marked John 5’s first appearance as a full member on new material. The EP Cancelled, released in October 2024, contained two original songs, Cancelled and Dogs of War, along with a cover of the Beastie Boys’ Fight For Your Right, representing the band’s first original material since John replaced Mick Mars on guitar.
