Nic Nemeth recently commented on Mötley Crüe’s retirement announcement and addressed the band’s credibility in a statement shared on The Stunner.
Nemeth reflected on how the band’s initial retirement announcement affected him and other fans. He expressed disappointment about the circumstances surrounding their supposed final performance.
“They lied to us. Yes, they’ve broken my hearts many times over. But the fact that I was fell like into the pro wrestling. ‘I’m retiring, but I’m coming back in six months.’ They did an 18-month tour… And their final show… they did the same damn show. They said, ‘Later, we’re out.’ And that was it. And I we were like, we had tears in our eyes. It was beautiful,” Nemeth said.
Despite his initial frustration with believing in the retirement, Nemeth acknowledged that the experience ultimately brought positive outcomes for him and his friends.
“They’re like, ‘Hey, we signed this contract with a lawyer.’ They’re like, ‘We blew it up. Screw it. We’re back.’ So, that’s on me for believing a pro wrestling retirement. But my friends and I and the Crüe crew get to go check ’em out even more. So, we’re happy to be able to see ’em,” he continued.
Nemeth’s frustration stems from the band’s highly publicized farewell tour and the circumstances that followed.
Mötley Crüe’s final show took place on December 31, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, according to Wikipedia. This performance marked the conclusion of their The Final Tour, which had been running since 2014. The concert was intended to be their last performance together before a planned retirement from touring. The setlist included iconic songs like “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Wild Side,” and “Primal Scream,” ending with “Home Sweet Home.”
The band’s commitment to retirement was formalized through a legal agreement. Per Metal Injection, Mötley Crüe signed a Cessation of Touring Agreement in January 2014. This binding contract was meant to ensure the finality of their retirement from touring and made their 2015 farewell show appear to be a definitive end to their touring career.
However, the band’s commitment to staying retired proved short-lived. As reported by Ultimate Classic Rock, Mötley Crüe destroyed the Cessation of Touring Agreement in 2019 to facilitate a reunion. The band subsequently announced The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett. The tour was initially scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rescheduled for 2022.
This pattern of retirement followed by reunion prompted Nemeth’s criticism. The band’s decision to break their legal agreement and return to touring just four years after their supposedly final show reinforced the perception that their retirement announcement had been insincere from the beginning. This sentiment clearly resonated with longtime fans like Nemeth, who had invested emotionally in what they believed was a genuine farewell.
