Yesterday, news came out that Mick Mars was suing Mötley Crüe. Mars claims the band is attempting to cut his profit percentage shares related to the band’s businesses, and he’s requesting to see financial books related to those businesses.
Among the other claims Mars has made, he says that the other members of Mötley Crüe kicked him out of the band and that for years, Nikki Sixx has been belittling him, insulting his ability to play guitar and saying he has cognitive issues.
At one point during a new interview with Variety, the confusion surrounding Mars’ “retirement” is brought up. The interviewer brings up how Mars initially said he was retiring from touring, but that the band said he was retiring, period.
The interviewer then brings up how, per Mars’ lawsuit, the guitarist has clarified that he does not want to retire 100%, but just from the road. When asked if this is correct, Mars replies with the following:
“Yes, exactly. Things get twisted around sometimes from other band members. I don’t really know if I should say this, but… Those guys have been hammering on me since ’87, trying to replace me. They haven’t been able to do that, because I’m the guitar player. I helped form this band. It’s my name I came up with [the Motley Crue moniker], my ideas, my money that I had from a backer to start this band. It wouldn’t have gone anywhere.
“I don’t know, and I can’t say I positively know, but I have a pretty good feeling that they wanted me gone anyway. Because they’ve been wanting that since forever. It’s just frustrating for me. I’m pretty upset that they’re even pulling this crap, when I carried these bastards for years.”
“And then to be hearing stuff from people like Bob Daisley from Ozzy Osbourne’s band, when we were touring with them, and Carmine Appice… [In his 2014 memoir, Daisley recounted a conversation with the other members of Motley Crue on a tour bus in 1984 when they allegedly solicited his advice about firing Mars, and he strongly advised against it, saying Mars was an integral part of their chemistry. Daisley retold the story in an interview four months ago with Blabbermouth.]
“The thing that they keep pushing, for many years, is that I have a bad memory. And that’s full-blown, out-of-proportion crap. Around 2012, when they first started saying that my memory was bad and I didn’t remember the songs, I came home and saw all my doctors, because I keep myself together, because I’m an old bastard.
“They had all the 10th Street people there [from the band’s management] — probably about five or six people — (versus) all my doctors going: ‘There’s nothing wrong with him.’ And now they’re still playing that game with me.”
Mars then goes on to add:
“So, no, the truth is: I want to retire from touring because of my AS [Ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory, arthritic disease that causes vertebrae to fuse]. I don’t have a problem remembering the songs. I don’t have a problem with any of that stuff. But I do have a problem with them, constantly, the whole time, telling me that I lost my memory. No. Wrong. That’s wrong. Absolutely wrong. But my stupid body is telling me ‘No, don’t do that’ [stay on the road]. You know, I’m gonna be 72 years old, and I’ve been touring with these guys 41 years, helping build the brand, helping do this and that. And you’re served with papers and going, this is crazy. This is stupid. I mean, come on.”
What do you make of Mars’ points here? What do you make of this legal conflict as a whole? Keep a look out for updates on this story as they arrive.
Mötley Crüe Says Mick Mars' Lawsuit Is 'Completely Off-Base,' Band Release Statement
BREAKING: Mick Mars Is Suing Mötley Crüe Over Band Profits, Says He's Been Kicked Out of The Band
