Def Leppard’s Phil Collen recently spoke to QFM96’s “Torg & Elliott” radio show about the experience touring with Motley Crue.

He said:

“We’re really good friends with Motley. I’ve known ’em since ’83. And they’re great. They’re great to tour with. It’s great that we’re all grown up now. Me and Nikki Sixx, our birthdays are, like, four days apart and a year.

”We’ve both got five kids, we’ve both come out the other side, and we’re all grown up. And it’s amazing. And we’re getting to play our music to the world. So it’s really great teaming up with them, to be quite honest. We’re having a blast.”

During a conversation with Linea Rock, Def Leppard’s Phil Collen talked about Motley Crue’s decision to hire guitarist John 5 to replace Mick Mars.

Phil said:

“The thing with Motley Crue, Mick Mars was really in pain. We’d done the American tour with him, and he has physical issues. So it was great that John 5 had come out.

”John 5 is just a wonderful human being and plays great and everything, so he fits in.

”And he really helped the band out, because Mick couldn’t really do that. Traveling is the problem; he was having trouble [with all the travel]. It just was painful. It worked out great.”