Rock & Metal

MÖTLEY CRÜE Blasts MICK MARS’s Lawsuit As ‘Unfortunate And Completely Off Base’

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MÖTLEY CRÜE has blasted Mick Mars’s lawsuit against the band as “unfortunate and completely off base.”

In documents filed on Thursday in Los Angeles County’s Superior Court, the 71-year-old guitarist claimed MÖTLEY CRÜE wanted him to sign a severance agreement stripping him of his 25 percent share in the band in exchange for a 5 percent share of the band’s current tour, which he is not performing on for medical reasons. Mars also claimed he informed his bandmates he would retire from touring due to crippling pain from ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time, but that he would remain a member of the group.

Earlier today, MÖTLEY CRÜE released the following statement to the media:

“Mick’s lawsuit is unfortunate and completely off-base. In 2008, Mick voted for and signed an agreement in which he and every other band member agreed that ‘in no event shall any resigning shareholder be entitled to receive any monies attributable to live performances (i.e., tours).’ After the last tour, Mick publicly resigned from MÖTLEY CRÜE. Despite the fact that the band did not owe Mick anything — and with Mick owing the band millions in advances that he did not pay back — the band offered Mick a generous compensation package to honor his career with the band. Manipulated by his manager and lawyer, Mick refused and chose to file this ugly public lawsuit. Equally unfortunate are his claims about the band’s live performances. MÖTLEY CRÜE always performs its songs live but during the last tour Mick struggled to remember chords, played the wrong songs and made constant mistakes which led to his departure from the band. There are multiple declarations from the band’s crew attesting to his decline. The band did everything to protect him, tried to keep these matters private to honor Mick’s legacy and take the high road. Unfortunately, Mick chose to file this lawsuit to badmouth the band. The band feels empathy for Mick, wishes him well and hopes that he can get better guidance from his advisors who are driven by greed.”

In the attached signed declarations, seven crew members offered complaints about Mars’s playing during the 2022 tour. Robert Long, the band’s production manager since 2007, said in the statement provided by group attorneys to Variety:

“When he is off, the band’s entire performance suffers. Mick’s performance during ‘The Stadium Tour’ was unworkable and very difficult to manage. It began with the band’s rehearsals in April 2022. Mick would consistently forget chords and songs so the band would have to stop and re-teach those parts to Mick to remind him of the arrangements. … Mick’s performance issues continued throughout the tour. He would consistently miss notes; play out of tune; play the wrong chords during a song; stay within a chorus of a song and never come out of it; forget the song that he was playing and start a different one; and would get lost in songs. This happened at every show. … Our playback engineer put in cues for him to follow, but it didn’t help.”

The band’s response highlights the tension and differing perspectives between Mars and the remaining members of MÖTLEY CRÜE, shedding light on the challenges they faced during their recent tour.

I'm Emma. I Love rock music, doing guitar reviews, and making food. I love writing works because it is the best way to provide information to people.

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