Last month, there was a story circulating about former Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars speaking to Rolling Stone about his fallout with his ex-bandmates, which resulted in an ongoing and contentious lawsuit. On Monday, Rolling Stone released the outtakes from that interview, and Mars didn’t hold back when discussing his bandmates.
Mars shared some strong opinions about albums like New Tattoo and Generation Swine, discussed his relationship with John 5, and made further allegations about the use of backing tracks. However, the most brutal revelation was Mars expressing his hope that the members of Mötley Crüe never communicate with him again.
“I believe all of us would be fine with that. And I’m not just referring to me and them. I mean their interactions with each other. I have no intention of having a funeral. If I did, perhaps they would attend out of courtesy. But as far as I’m concerned, there will be no funeral, no anything.”
Regarding the use of backing tracks, a topic that has been debated between Mars and Mötley Crüe in the past, Mars claims that the band started using them as early as the Dr. Feelgood tour, which took place in 1989.
“I recall saying, ‘People know what’s supposed to be there. Will they notice if it’s missing? Some might, but most won’t. Subliminally, they’ll hear it the way it was recorded as long as the essential elements are present.’ I didn’t want to deceive the audience, but the others wanted to fill in the gaps. I never approved of that nonsense.”
Mars also reiterated his assertion that bassist Nikki Sixx used backing tracks during the band’s 2022 Stadium Tour. Sixx has denied these claims and provided sworn statements from multiple crew members, but Mars remains steadfast.
“I’ve been with him for a long time, and I have fan footage of him raising his arms and such while a bass line is playing. I’m absolutely certain [he wasn’t playing live bass]. I think he did it because he felt threatened by the other bands on the tour, like Def Leppard. I believe they made him doubt his abilities as a bassist.”