Mick Mars discussed Mötley Crüe’s choice of hiring John 5 and reflected on Van Halen’s rise to fame in the late ’70s.
Amid the controversies surrounding Mick Mars’ lawsuit against Mötley Crüe, John 5, who replaced Mars after the latter’s retirement from touring due to Ankylosing Spondylitis, has largely remained outside of the spotlight. Although the aftermath of the lawsuit remains uncertain, it appears that both parties have moved forward to some extent. Mötley Crüe has recorded new material with John 5, while Mick Mars is preparing to release his debut solo album, “The Other Side of Mars.” In a recent interview with Guitar World, Mick expressed his pride in the band’s past achievements:
“I’m very proud of that body of work. I have all my plaques hanging around. It became too burdensome for me to tour due to my Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) condition. I tried to be as upfront as I could with them, saying, ‘I just can’t do this anymore!’ It was tough, but yeah, I’m proud of everything Mötley Crüe accomplished and everything we did together.”
When asked about his current relationship with John 5, Mick revealed:
“Well, I’ve never disliked John. I’ve always liked him, and I still do. He’s been a good friend of mine for a long time. So I think they made a very, very wise choice with John.”
John 5, a lifelong Mötley Crüe and Mick Mars fan, also shared that his predecessor had offered words of encouragement when he joined the band:
“Me and Mick, we talk all the time. We exchange Christmas gifts and things like that. When I was announced as the guitar player, he was one of the very first texts that I got, and he said, ‘You’re going to kill it.’ It’s good. It’s not like it’s some stranger coming in. We have a great respect for each other.”