Mötley Crüe explored the possibility of expanding their upcoming reunion tour by approaching other bands from their era. According to insights shared on Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, several potential collaborators declined the invitation due to conflicts with certain band members.
During an interview with Nikki Sixx, Eddie Trunk posed a question about whether Mötley Crüe had reached out to other bands to potentially broker reunions or collaborations for their tour.
Nikki Sixx explained the band’s approach to selecting tour partners, emphasizing the importance of drawing power and audience appeal. “I mean, you look at who’s available, you know, you look at who’s alive, right? And then you’re like, well, which bands are still drawing?” Sixx said. “There are a lot of bands that I really like that only have maybe two members, and they’re playing to 200 to 500-seat clubs, and it’s like, I love them, but you’re playing an amphitheater. It can go up to 40,000 people.”
Sixx highlighted the mutual benefits of pairing complementary acts on the tour. “You want to be sure that you know you got someone that’s pulling in people, and if you’re an Extreme fan or a Tesla fan and you like some Mötley Crüe songs, you may get really turned on to more Mötley Crüe songs or vice versa,” he continued. “Mötley Crüe fans may know one or two Tesla songs, and then they go see them live and they become a bigger fan of their bigger catalog.”
Following the interview, Eddie Trunk revealed that behind-the-scenes negotiations had extended beyond the currently announced lineup. “They’ve got Tesla and Extreme, but they were attempting to go and get some other bands of their era to come together and play,” Trunk explained. “But I’ll say this, and I know Nikki can’t get into it and all that, but I’ve heard some stories through my sources that there were several bands approached about coming together or reuniting with certain members or what have you to potentially make this thing even bigger or to build it out even more.”
Trunk added, “But those bands did not accept the invitation because it would have required them to work with or to reconcile with certain members not in those bands anymore. So, I’ll leave that up to you to speculate on who those bands may have been, but you know, they were attempting to, I think, make it an even bigger thing.”
Mötley Crüe’s ambitious plans are part of a larger celebration marking significant milestones in their career. The band is undertaking a major North American tour in 2026 called “The Return of the Carnival of Sins,” as detailed on Tour Setlist. This tour celebrates both the 20th anniversary of their iconic Carnival of Sins tour and the band’s 45th anniversary. The expansive tour will span 33 cities across North America, beginning in July 2026.
The confirmed supporting acts for this extensive tour represent a significant lineup. Tesla and Extreme have officially accepted invitations to join Mötley Crüe as special guest bands, performing at all tour stops throughout the 2026 tour dates, according to Ticketmaster. Unlike the bands Eddie Trunk referenced in his report, these two acts successfully navigated any potential conflicts and committed to the full tour.
The band’s current lineup reflects recent changes in their roster. Vince Neil handles vocals, Nikki Sixx plays bass, Tommy Lee performs on drums, and John 5 plays guitar—a role he has held since 2022 following Mick Mars’ departure, as noted on See Rock Live. This configuration has been active throughout their 2024-2025 performances, including a Las Vegas residency that showcased their biggest hits.
The negotiations Trunk described appear to have been selective. The band ultimately secured two powerhouse acts in Tesla and Extreme while reportedly encountering resistance from other potential collaborators. The specifics of which bands declined remain undisclosed. However, Trunk’s comments suggest the conflicts involved reconciling with former members—a common challenge in the rock music industry where lineup changes and departures often create lasting tensions.
