Ex-Mötley Crüe Singer John Corabi Doesn’t “Envy John 5 At All At This Point”
In the ongoing saga that is Mötley Crüe versus their ex-guitarist Mick Mars, there are players, referees, and there are spectators. Naturally, the players are the band and Mars himself, the referees are now the major legal teams representing both sides in a heated legal proceeding, and the spectators are you, me, and everyone else — including former Mötley Crüe singer John Corabi.
During a recent interview with the On The Road To Rock podcast, the band’s ex-frontman shared personal stories of his time in Mötley Crüe and how what he saw during that time feels like the same playbook they’re running on their former guitarist. And ultimately, he says, that’s putting the band’s current guitarist, John 5, in an awkward spot.
“None of this stuff, all the shit that’s going on between Mick and them, none of it surprises me. It doesn’t. And John’s got big shoes to fill, and he’s kind of stuck in this. And trust me, I get it, ’cause I was stuck in this shitty place as well between Mötley Crüe and whoever was being replaced’s fans. You know what I mean? I had to deal with the fans that were massive Vince Neil fans, and I get it. And it was awkward at times to sit and listen to the guys do interviews where they went out of their way to slag Vince. I didn’t even know the guy, so I had nothing shitty to say about him. But it is what it is, man.”
In the weeks and months that have followed Mick Mars’ retirement from touring with the Crüe, an incendiary lawsuit has been filed by the ex-axeman, stating that he was screwed out of potential earnings and that the band was selling a false bill of goods during their previous world tour, as he alleged that multiple members of the band were using backing tracks.
The band has since gone back against Mars, making the counter claim that Mars was getting progressively worse at guitar and was unable to keep up. They also accused Mars’ legal team of “elder abuse,” which was an interesting take.
So basically, it devolved into a he said, she said scenario.
As someone who joined the band to replace Vince Neil, Corabi said he feels for John 5, who jumped in after Mars dropped out of his touring responsibilities.
“I love John. He’s great. And it’s weird because I have nothing but mad respect for John because I’ve known him for a gazillion years. My manager used to manage him, so I’ve known about him forever. And he is an insanely talented guitar player.”
Say what you will about Corabi and his takes on Mötley Crüe — it’s just a shit show at the moment. And here’s hoping it gets resolved amicably, though that’s likely not happening any time soon…
