John 5: Rob Zombie “Wasn’t Psyched, But He Understood” Me Joining Mötley Crüe
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The post John 5: Rob Zombie “Wasn’t Psyched, But He Understood” Me Joining Mötley Crüe appeared first on Consequence.
The retirement — or removal, depending on who you ask — of founding Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars set in motion a chain reaction of sorts. Rob Zombie guitarist John 5, who had been rumored to take over Mars’ role, was quickly announced as his replacement, and the Crüe promptly hit the studio and live stage with their new axeman.
Until now, we didn’t know what Rob Zombie thought about his trusty guitarist of 17 years moving on to another full-time gig. In a new interview with SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, John 5 reflected on the moment when he broke the news to Zombie, who was understanding despite some reticence.
“We never had a negative word between us,” John 5 said of his relationship with Rob Zombie [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]. “And he’s my buddy and we made great music and great live shows together for 17 years, and we never really had a problem. But I was thinking to myself, I was, like, ‘Life is short … I wanna experience as much as I can in life.’ And I was thinking about myself. And I was, like, ‘I wanna do this for me, because I’m 51 years old [at the time]’ … How many times do you get a new chapter in your life at this magnitude later in life?”
The guitarist said he was initially approached by Nikki Sixx to join Mötley Crüe to fulfill the band’s current tour obligations, and he immediately jumped at the opportunity. But the “hard part was telling Rob.”
“I talked to Rob, and he understood,” added John 5. “Rob is a smart, rational person. I mean, he wasn’t psyched, but he understood. And I think that was amazing of him. And he was just, like, ‘Go get ’em.’ He was fine about it. And then [Zombie] got [Mike] Riggs, who I think is a great addition. That’s who he was using when Rob did the early solo records, and I think it’s a great addition. And they’re kicking ass.”
He continued: “I told Rob before it got out in the press. But I agreed to Nikki. And I called Rob and I said, ‘This is what’s happening.’ And we did a show, Louder Than Life, together, and that was my last show [with Rob] in Kentucky. … But it was no bad blood or anything; it wasn’t anything bad; it wasn’t dramatic or anything. And Rob was super cool. He was, like, ‘Hey, I get it.’ He was cool about it.”
Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx: Mick Mars Is a “Little Bit Confused” and “We Wish Him the Best”
Despite their friendship, John 5 revealed that he hadn’t been in communication with Zombie since exiting the latter’s band, saying, “I miss talking with him and texting with him. I’m more worried about him not texting me back or not replying. I think that would really break my heart. That’s the thing. I think I’d be really bummed out about that.”
Having recently hit the studio, Mötley Crüe are John 5 are set to resume their 2023 world tour with Def Leppard later this month. Tickets are available here.
Meanwhile, Rob Zombie is set to embark on a co-headlining North American summer tour with Alice Cooper, along with support acts Ministry and Filter. You can pick up tickets to those dates here.
John 5: Rob Zombie “Wasn’t Psyched, But He Understood” Me Joining Mötley Crüe
Jon Hadusek
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