“It’s a betrayal to the band who saved his life”: Nikki Sixx responds to Mick Mars’ claim that Mötley Crüe doesn’t play live
Nikki Sixx has once again hit back at former Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars’ claim that the band doesn’t actually play live.
Mars, who retired from touring in 2022 due to his battle with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), sued the band the following year, accusing them of cutting him off from profits and kicking him out against his will. In his lawsuit, he went so far as to allege that he was the only member performing 100 percent live during the band’s Stadium Tour and that Sixx “did not play a single note on bass”.
READ MORE: “We had to make a choice. And we made the right choice”: Nikki Sixx defends Mötley Crüe replacing Mick Mars with John 5
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Sixx dismisses the claims and explains that Mars’s departure was simply down to health issues.
“[Mick] came to us and said, health-wise, he couldn’t fulfill his contract, and we let him out of the deal,” the bassist recalls. “Then he sued us because he just said that he can’t tour. We were like, ‘Well, if you can’t tour, you can’t tour.’ I will probably come to that too someday.”
On the subject of backing tracks, Sixx insists the band has never faked a performance: “Anything we enhance the shows with, we actually played,” he says. “If there are background vocals with my background vocals, and we have background singers to make it sound more like the record. That does not mean we’re not singing.”
Mötley Crüe’s attorney, Sasha Frid, also writes in a statement to the LA Times: “The fact of the matter is that Mötley always plays live. Even Mars’ expert witness in the litigation, who Mars hired and who reviewed hours of footage, agreed and said that the band played live while performing. He disputed Mars’ own claims.”
Meanwhile, Sixx didn’t hide his frustration at Mars’s accusations, calling them a “crazy betrayal”.
“Saying he played in a band that didn’t play, it’s a betrayal to the band who saved his life,” he says. “People say things like, ‘Well, if you guys are really playing, then I need isolated tracks from band rehearsal.’ … It’s ludicrous.”
For now, the Crüe continue with guitarist John 5, who has handled live duties since late 2022. Their Las Vegas residency runs through October, and their latest release – a reimagined version of Home Sweet Home with Dolly Parton – recently topped the charts.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
