Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee recently shared a post on his official Instagram account that has fans buzzing. The post featured a photo of himself, bassist Nikki Sixx, and guitarist John 5 jamming together with the caption ‘New Crüe?’ This has led to speculation about the future of the band and whether they intend to continue producing music with a new member, excluding Mick Mars.
The relationship between Mick Mars and Mötley Crüe has been a hot topic since the guitarist announced his decision to retire from touring last October. Assuring fans that Mars would remain a part of the band, Mötley Crüe announced John 5 as his replacement. This sparked rumors and eventually led to Mars rejecting the band’s severance package offer, which consisted of a percentage of earnings from the upcoming 2023 tour without his participation.
Feeling insulted, Mars launched a countersuit against his former bandmates. Amidst the tension, Sixx took to social media to confirm that the band is, indeed, writing new music. He shared a tweet last week about spending time in the studio with John 5. Then, in a subsequent Instagram post, he mentioned upcoming plans for the band as well as working on new riffs and ideas with Tommy Lee and John 5.
With a recent tweet, Sixx confirmed the ongoing creative process, with the band set to record some new tracks and let the songs guide their direction. Tommy Lee’s Instagram post featuring himself, Sixx, and John 5 seemed to reaffirm the band’s commitment to continue creating music together, even with the uncertainty surrounding Mars’ involvement.
Sixx’s tweet read:
“We are writing. The creative process of songwriting has always been the heartbeat of our band. We’re gonna go in the big studio next week and record a few off the floor and see where it goes. We don’t have a definitive plan at this point. Just letting the songs guide us.”
Some fans have expressed mixed feelings about the ‘New Crüe’ hinted at in the comments of Lee’s Instagram post. Several comments under the post reflect disappointment and frustration about the band’s apparent disregard for their history and the bond they once shared. Fans point out that while John 5 is an incredible musician, the band’s essence lies in the original members, and creating music without Mars would not truly be Mötley Crüe.
Another fan suggested that if the band intends to release new material without Mars, they should consider renaming the band, as they did during their stint with John Corabi. This would show respect for Mick Mars’ contributions to the group and acknowledge that this new lineup represents a different chapter in the band’s journey.
A fan comment said:
“Blood oath? Brotherhood? Family? Mean nothing to any of you anymore? John is amazing but not Crüe. You guys wanna write? Do it. But it’s not Crüe. I’m so f*cking disappointed in all of you.”
Another one wrote:
“Take notes from your stint with John Corabi & rename the band if you’re planning to put out new material without Mick. Put some respect on his name, at least.”
Thus, Mötley Crüe appears to be moving forward with new music and a potential lineup change, as evidenced by Tommy Lee’s recent Instagram post and Nikki Sixx’s tweets. While the ongoing legal issues between Mars and the band create uncertainty, fans can take solace in the fact that the legendary rockers are still committed to making music and carrying on the Mötley Crüe legacy.
We are writing.The creative process of songwriting has always been the heartbeat of our band. We’re gonna go in the big studio next week and record a few off the floor and see where it goes. We don’t have a definitive plan at this point.Just letting the songs guide us.
— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) April 13, 2023
