Guitar hero: John 5 talks Mötley Crüe, Marilyn Manson, Eddie Van Halen before NE Ohio show

Guitarist John 5 has played before stadium crowds as a new member of Mötley Crüe.

But the 53-year-old musician sounds just as excited to be touring small clubs as a solo instrumentalist before Mötley Crüe begins shows this spring and summer following last year's tour that featured co-headlining concerts abroad with Def Leppard.

Given those obligations, as well as his previous stints with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, it's clear John 5 schedules the more intimate gigs by choice, for sheer joy.

It will be no different when John 5 and special guests perform Feb. 8 at Winchester Music Tavern in Lakewood. Tickets cost $30 and can be purchased at https://thewinchestermusictavern.com/ and https://www.ticketweb.com/. VIP packages are also available for sound check and meet and greet.

Doors open one hour before the 8 p.m. Northeast Ohio concert.

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John 5's tour begins Jan. 26 in Santa Ana, California, with stops in around the country before the Lakewood concert. Additional Ohio shows will be Feb. 7 at the Blue Note Harrison in Hamilton County and Feb. 10 at The King of Clubs in Columbus.

"I just have a blast doing it," the guitarist said during a recent phone interview. "And it's just so hard to explain, but it's just comforting to me. I've been playing these places forever since I was like probably in seventh grade. I was just always going out and playing live, and I really love it."

Fans will be treated to songs from across John 5's solo catalog, as well as a sampling of Mötley Crüe riffs.

"Instrumental music, it's a hard sell, really," he said. "I'm being honest, but it is going to be so much fun because there's going to be so many things happening. I'm going to play bass and mandolin and banjo, and I'm going to do a Mötley Crüe medley (and) try to squeeze in like 13 songs in seven or eight minutes."

"... And everyone will be able to have fun with that because everybody knows these songs. I think people are really going to enjoy it, enjoy the show, and I look forward to seeing everybody."

New Mötley Crüe songs have 'Shout At The Devil' vibe

An ode to his new bandmates makes sense given how thrilled he was to join Mötley Crüe.

After a 17-year run with Rob Zombie, including both studio work and touring, the guitarist, whose real name is John Lowery, opted to join Mötley Crüe in 2022 following the departure of original lead guitarist Mick Mars.

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The musician said he's living his rock 'n' roll dream. Asked what his ultimate super group would be, the answer shot out: "I have to be honest with you, it's just exactly where I am now − it's with (vocalist) Vince (Neil), (drummer) Tommy (Lee) and (bassist) Nikki (Sixx), that's the truth."

Things have gone so well he's even written new music with the heavy metal bad boys.

While Mötley Crüe released a few new tracks for "The Dirt" soundtrack in 2019, including co-writing credits for John 5, the band hasn't released a full-length album since 2008.

"I don't know if we're going to put out a record, but we're going to put out songs here and there and there, and maybe it will be a record one day," John 5 said of Mötley Crüe. "I'm not really sure, but I know we're going to be putting out new music in 2024 for sure."

John 5 described the new songs as heavy and in the mold of the band's 1983 album, "Shout At The Devil."

He said the songs are difficult to describe. "Because it sounds like it could be off something like 'Shout At The Devil' because (on the debut album) 'Too Fast For Love,' a lot of the songs except for 'Live Wire,' I mean, they're incredible songs, but 'Shout At The Devil' is a little heavier, and I would say probably something off 'Shout At The Devil' − that kind of vibe."

"I don't know when it's going to come out, but man am I excited," the guitarist added. "I think I'm more excited than anybody. It's going to be crazy cool. It's going to be insane."

John 5 said he collaborated with the other band members on the new tracks.

"We all contribute except for me with lyrics," he said with a laugh. "I don't do that. I'd be the worst lyricist ever, but Nikki is incredible; Nikki writes the lyrics and it amazes me ... like my friend wrote all those amazing songs. I forget about it sometimes.

"Like my friend that I go to a mall with and go do dumb stuff with wrote all these classic, incredible songs, these lyrics," John 5 added. "That's unbelievable, and music, too. So yeah, we all collaborate on writing."

John 5 touts unreleased song with David Lee Roth

John 5's road to rock stardom began as a young boy who fell in love with guitar in Michigan.

Leaving the Midwest for Los Angeles in the 1980s, he made musical connections in the rock scene before randomly contacting David Lee Roth's management and sending the singer guitar tracks for consideration.

The former Van Halen frontman was so impressed that he invited Lowery into the studio. Several songs from their collaboration ended up on the 1998 album, "DLR Band," a release that is commercially obscure but was well received by Roth fans.

"That is a great record, and we just did that live and we were just in the studio and rocked it," John 5 said.

One of the songs he wrote with Roth didn't make the 14-track album, which also includes guitar work by Mike Hartman and Terry Kilgore.

"I think there's one track that I have that Dave doesn't even have, and I'm going to look for it," John 5 said.

"Let me think of what that song is called because now it just makes me curious, and I'd love to put it out. I haven't thought about it in a very long time but yeah, I think there's one, there's like one song.

"And it's really cool, too, and it's different ... because the stuff (Roth) wanted to do was very acoustic and things like that, but this is different. This is a more rock type of vibe."

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Performing with Canton native Marilyn Manson 'was a great experience.'

Also in the late '90s, the budding guitarist joined Canton area native Marilyn Manson's band and started performing as John 5.

"There's so many great bands of that time and that era," John 5 said. "Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Ministry. All these amazing, amazing acts and the touring, everything − it was a magical time. It was a really fun time, and the music I just loved.

"Before I got in the band (with Marilyn Manson), I loved (his 1996 hit album) 'Antichrist Superstar' and all that stuff,'" he added. "I love the music, so I was very excited about the whole thing. It was a great experience, and I'm again so fortunate for everything that has happened (in my career)."

In 2007, the prolific guitar player again made music with Roth, but this time with a more mellow and relaxed sound. Roth has released several of the songs from those sessions in recent years on music streaming services.

Asked if he would be open to someday performing live the two batches of songs he recorded with Roth, John 5 didn't rule it out.

"My year, it's like I'm so happy about it, but my time frame is so crazy," he said of touring both solo and with Mötley Crüe in 2024. "But yeah, if Dave was like, 'Let's do this or that,' I'd be like, 'Cool, no problem.' I'm always there for Dave."

Eddie Van Halen: 'He was the best.'

Proficient at bluegrass, industrial metal and other guitar styles, John 5 has written music or made guest appearances with a plethora of other stars, including Meat Loaf, Dolly Parton, Ace Frehley, Steve Perry and Rod Stewart.

He also was friends with guitar trailblazer Eddie Van Halen.

"Me and Eddie were friends, and of course he was a super cool guy and super funny," he said of the late musician. "And we had a lot of wonderful encounters. Just hearing him play; like not on stage or not on record, but just hearing him jam at like I'd go to their rehearsals and things like that.

"A lot of cool things, and we would sit on the phone, me and Eddie for a long time. It was a wonderful thing because I have such a fondness and respect for Eddie. He's Eddie Van Halen, and he was the best."

John 5 said he had no insight into whether the virtuoso's unreleased studio work would ever be shared.

Asked if he's eager to hear the vaulted recordings, he replied, "Of course I'd want to check it out − who wouldn't."

Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and Instagram at ed_balint

This article originally appeared on The Repository: John 5 expects new Mötley Crüe songs, maybe not album in 2024