From Mick Jagger to Stevie Nicks, age doesn’t seem to mean much to musicians who still want to rock stages. Since most of its members are in their sixties, Mötley Crüe also wanted to hit the road once again, but it seems like this became a challenge for 71-years-old Mick Mars. While chatting with Michael’s Record Collection, drummer Carmine Appice disclosed how Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars got sick of being on the road.
76-year-old Appice discussed how he didn’t enjoy excessive touring anymore since he hated sitting in buses. The drummer remarked that he preferred to do a few days-long tours where he and Vanilla Fudge could fly wherever they wanted to, then do the show and return home. It seemed that he wasn’t the only rocker who shared the same exhaustion with months-long touring.
“I’m friends with Iron Maiden, with Nicko McBrain,” mentioned Appice as he discussed some of the rockers who didn’t want to tour for long durations anymore. “He left his house in Florida in April. He’s coming home next week. He’s been on tour the whole time, rehearsing and on tour. We’re too old for that. I talked to Mick Mars, who’s been touring with Mötley Crüe. He just gave up his seat in touring with Mötley Crüe. And John 5 is going to tour with them.”
It sounds like Mars got tired from hitting the road but is excited to continue making music, as Carmine Appice continued, “He said, ‘Man, we did our final tour. Now we’re out again doing this major tour with Def Leppard.’ And he said, ‘I don’t wanna do it no more. I’m sick of being in a bus.’ He said he’s going to do a solo album and go out and do some gigs.”
Appice also revealed that he had offered Mars his help if he needed a drummer. “I said, ‘Look, if you need anyone to play drums, I’ll play with you.’ He goes, ‘That would be great.’ So maybe I’ll do some gigs with him. But it’s not going to be big tours. It’ll be a weekend, maybe somewhere, and then go home. Two weekends later, maybe a weekend, and go home.”
Luckily for Mick, his Mötley Crüe bandmates were supportive of the guitarist’s decision not to join them on tour. However, whether older rockers should hit the road or perform is a much-debated subject. Previously, Faith No More’s Mike Patton had disclosed that he feared he would become a Vince Neil, and Jefferson Airplane icon Grace Slick had said that she was embarrassed for anyone who still performed after the age of 50.
