As Mick Mars prepares to release his debut solo album, The Other Side of Mars, the former Mötley Crüe guitarist is opening up about his contentious relationship with his ex-bandmates. In a new issue of Guitar World, Mars doesn’t seem hopeful about ever reuniting or even reconciling with Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, and Tommy Lee following his October 2022 departure from the group.
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Asked by the magazine whether he thought it was possible to “hash things out” with those guys, Mars said, “I would say it’s past… impossible.”
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Mötley Crüe initially announced that Mars, who suffers from suffers from the painful inflammatory disease ankylosing spondylitis, was just retiring from touring. Former Rob Zombie/Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5 was hired to replace Mars. According to the 72-year-old guitarist, he’d intended remain a member of the group, continuing to participate in recordings and select concerts that didn’t involve excessive travel.
Then, in April of 2023, Mars launched a lawsuit claiming that he was fired by the band and that they were preventing him from receiving profits he was due as a 25-percent stakeholder of Mötley Crüe.
In the Guitar World interview, Mars said he was reticent to discuss the lawsuit.
“I don’t have a gag order, but it’s like anything you say can and will be used against you,” he noted. “I have to be pretty cautious about what I say because it could be relevant to what’s going on.”
More About Mars’ Conflict Mötley Crüe
As for Mars’ conflict with the other band members over the question of whether he resigned or retired from Mötley Crüe, Mars said, “Two different words, two different meanings. It was just retiring from the touring part. I’d actively be involved in every entity of Mötley Crüe.”
The guitarist maintained that despite the rift, he is proud what he and his former bandmates accomplished together.
“I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them,” Mars said. “I don’t regret anything we’ve ever done—good, bad or ugly, whatever.”
On Retiring from Touring
Mars also reflected on his decision to retire from touring because of his ongoing health issues.
“I couldn’t do it anymore—the traveling part,” he admitted. “I mean, I’m 72 and I have this crap [ankylosing spondylitis]. It gets a little bit strenuous for me to travel around the world and keep doing that for months at a time with a two-week break.”
About Mars’ Debut Solo Album
As previously reported, The Other Side of Mars will be released this Friday, February 23. Three of the album’s 10 songs have been released as advance tracks—“Loyal to the Lie,” “Right Side of Wrong,” and “Undone.” Among the other musicians who contributed to the project was Korn drummer Ray Luzier.
Mötley Crüe’s 2024 Tour Plans
As for Mötley Crüe, the band will be hitting the road later this year.
The band currently has eight confirmed concerts on the books for 2024. The shows run from a May 3-4 engagement in Atlantic City, New Jersey, through an August 29 performance at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. You can check out the full list of shows at Motley.com.
Tickets for the concerts are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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