Nikki Sixx Maintains That Mötley Crüe Were Shocked That Mick Mars “Quit”

Previously on Days of Our Lives—oh, sorry, I meant previously on the ongoing drama of Mick Mars leaving Mötley Crüe, I always get those two mixed up—Mars allegedly told the band that his ankylosing spondylitis would force him to retire from touring but that he was still willing to record and write with the band and occasionally join them on stage. According to Mars, the band held a meeting and chose to fire him instead, with John 5 being announced as his replacement by the following day.

Well, Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx has held that Mars quit and the band was shocked to hear it, and that’s the story that Sixx is sticking to. In a recent interview with Rock 95.5 radio station in Chicago (transcribed by Blabbermouth), Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx discussed the situation and stuck to their original stories. Said Sixx:

“We didn’t see this coming. We were out doing our stadium tour, and Mick had decided to leave. And we really had to sit down and go, ‘Well, what do we do? Do we fold? Do we fold on the fans and (concert promoter) Live Nation (and 2022-2023 tourmates) DEF LEPPARD?’ John, we’ve all known John. I’ve worked with John. We kind of talked about it. And if we had to move on, it’s moved on in a such a beautiful way. It’s been great.”

Even if Sixx’s version of events has any truth to it, let’s not pretend that the band chose to bravely soldier on for the fans and not for the money. When a 40+ year old band loses a founding member and has to ask “Is this it; do we fold?” that might be a legitimate option that they should consider. Of course, Mötley Crüe is too much of a cash cow for any of the band members to seriously consider that. Considering what the band’s first post-Mick Mars single, “Dogs of War,” sounds like, it seems they may have made the entirely wrong choice.