MÖTLEY CRÜE's NIKKI SIXX Explains Decision To Hire JOHN 5 As MICK MARS's Replacement: 'He Checks All The Boxes' - BLABBERMOUTH.NET

MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx has praised the band's caller guitarist John 5, saying helium "checks each the boxes" arsenic Mick Mars's replacement pursuing the latter's determination to nary longer circuit with the legendary stone act.

Sixx commented connected John 5's summation to CRÜE portion answering instrumentality questions connected Twitter connected Friday (October 28). Asked wherefore the set chose John 5, who is 1 of the credited co-writers connected the 3 archetypal songs connected CRÜE's "The Dirt" soundtrack, Sixx said: "He checks each the boxes. He's a insane player. Has respect for our music, is comic arsenic fuck and has past with america and we've written immoderate beauteous large hits together."

Sixx besides addressed Mars's announcement that helium was retiring from touring due to the fact that of his agelong struggles with degenerative illness ankylosing spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis is simply a benignant of arthritis that causes inflammation successful the spine joints and ligaments and tin pb to stiffness implicit time, according to the National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases.

"He's been a worker on with america for 4 decades," Nikki said astir his longtime bandmate. "We volition proceed to carrying our bequest to Generations of fans and grant Micks petition for america to support touring arsenic Motley Crue."

In summation to co-writing the 3 songs connected "The Dirt", John 5 collaborated with Sixx and Desmond Child connected Meat Loaf's "The Monster Is Loose". Last year, Sixx and John 5 launched the L.A. RATS supergroup successful which they were joied by Rob Zombie and drummer Tommy Clufetos.

The 71-year-old Mars — whose existent sanction is Robert Alan Deal — served arsenic MÖTLEY CRÜE's pb guitarist since the band's inception successful 1981.

A time aft Mick announced his status from touring, remaining members Sixx, vocalist Vince Neil and drummer Tommy Lee vowed to "continue the legacy." In a statement, they said: "While alteration is ne'er easy, we judge Mick's determination to discontinue from the set owed to the challenges with his health. We person watched Mick negociate his Ankylosing Spondylitis for decades and helium has ever managed it with utmost courageousness and grace. To accidental 'enough is enough' is the eventual enactment of courage. Mick's dependable helped specify MÖTLEY CRÜE from the infinitesimal helium plugged successful his guitar astatine our precise archetypal rehearsal together. The rest, arsenic they say, is history. We'll proceed to grant his philharmonic legacy."

The connection continued: "We volition transportation retired Mick's privation and proceed to circuit the satellite arsenic planned successful 2023. No uncertainty volition it instrumentality an perfectly outstanding instrumentalist to capable Mick's shoes truthful we are grateful that our bully friend, John 5 has agreed to travel connected committee and articulation america moving forward. We'll spot each you Crueheads retired connected the road!”

John 5 said: "I'm honored to transportation connected Mick's bequest and americium looking guardant to playing these songs."

In his statement, Mick said that helium had decided to measurement backmost from unrecorded shows owed to his "ongoing achy struggle" with ankylosing spondylitis and portion helium volition proceed to beryllium a subordinate of the band, helium cannot "handle the rigors" of touring life.

The connection read: "Mick Mars, co-founder and pb guitarist of the dense metallic set MÖTLEY CRÜE for the past 41 years, has announced contiguous that owed to his ongoing achy conflict with Ankylosing Spondylitis, helium volition nary longer beryllium capable to circuit with the band. Mick volition proceed arsenic a subordinate of the band, but tin nary longer grip the rigors of the road. A.S. is an highly achy and crippling degenerative disease, which affects the spine."

John 5's engagement with MÖTLEY CRÜE arsenic the band's caller guitarist was archetypal reported arsenic a rumor by the Metal Sludge web tract connected October 7.

Speculation astir John 5 replacing Mars gained spot aft the longtime ROB ZOMBIE guitarist failed to look with the daze rocker astatine this year's Aftershock festival successful Sacramento. Rob was alternatively joined connected signifier by returning guitarist Mike Riggs for the archetypal clip since 2006.

John 5 has performed MÖTLEY CRÜE songs a fig of times successful the past. Back successful 2018, John 5 was joined by Sixx on with ANTHRAX's Scott Ian and his woman Pearl Aday astatine the Whisky A Go Go successful West Hollywood, California to play a screen of "Shout At The Devil". Earlier this year, the guitarist ran done renditions of some "Home Sweet Home" and "Kickstart My Heart" astatine assorted shows connected his U.S. tour.

Back successful 2013, Neil said that Mars's conflict with ankylosing spondylitis arsenic good arsenic the band's tendency to "go retired connected top" were the superior reasons for CRÜE's determination to telephone it quits aft 2015. "It's conscionable time," Neil said astir a decennary ago. "Mick's wellness is not that good, and touring is pugnacious connected him. I'm definite successful five, 10 years' time, we'll astir apt bash thing unneurotic again, but it's not gonna beryllium similar a KISS farewell to the farewell to the farewell tour. We're not gonna beryllium similar that."

Lee echoed Vince's comments astatine the time, telling Canadian progressive-house euphony shaper and performer Deadmau5 successful a video: "Our guitar player, Mick, helium has a spinal illness that's dilatory fusing his vertebrae together. It's 1 of those things that's treatable, but not curable. So it's conscionable progressively getting truly worse and it's achy for him, truthful helium doesn't wanna circuit overmuch longer. I can't accidental I blasted him… The past happening we ever wanna bash is spell retired moving connected 2 cylinders with immoderate hired feline playing guitar; that's conscionable wack. So we wanna spell retired with 1 large hurrah with the archetypal guys and beryllium done with it."

However, successful an October 2013 tweet, Mars painted a antithetic picture, claiming that his aesculapian information had ne'er affected his playing. "Once again, immoderate rumors regarding a farewell circuit owed to 'my mediocre wellness is BS," helium wrote. "I americium doing fine, my AS has ne'er kept maine from touring." He added: "Thank each of you for knowing the truth… When I'm done touring, you'll perceive it from me."

Mars has struggled with Ankylosing spondylitis since his precocious teens and spoke astir his archetypal experiences with it successful CRÜE's 2001 biography "The Dirt".

"My hips started hurting truthful atrocious each clip I turned my assemblage that it felt similar idiosyncratic was igniting fireworks successful my bones," helium said. "I didn't person capable wealth to spot a doctor, truthful I conscionable kept hoping that I could bash what I usually do: volition it away, done the powerfulness of my mind. But it kept getting worse. Then, 1 day portion doing my laundry. I started having occupation breathing. At first, it felt similar idiosyncratic had plunged a weapon into my back. But arsenic the weeks passed, the symptom kept moving astir my back. Next, my tummy started burning, and I disquieted that my full assemblage was astir to autumn apart. I thought that determination was a spread successful my stomach, and acids were leaking retired and destroying my bones and organs. I'd drawback clasp of doorknobs, anchor my legs into the ground, and propulsion with my hands to agelong my backmost and easiness the unit out."

Mick told Metal Sludge successful 2008 that his information had worsened successful the aboriginal decades and that helium stopped playing guitar for astir 2 years. "Nowadays, it's not truthful bad, but backmost past erstwhile I was precocious connected each that worldly and MÖTLEY were having a break, I knew if I didn't stop, I was gonna die. In the end, I had to spell to a neuro-psychiatrist to straighten maine up, and helium said to me, 'Just clasp the guitar for an hr a time — don't play it, conscionable clasp it.' It was beauteous bizarre but I got done it, and successful the end, I deliberation I'm really a amended subordinate due to the fact that of it."

Last week, it was announced that MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD volition spell planetary successful 2023 with their co-headline "The World Tour". Produced by Live Nation, the trek volition footwear disconnected connected February 18, 2023 astatine Foro Sol successful Mexico City and see stops passim Latin America earlier heading to Europe successful May 2023.