Mick Mars: It’s “Impossible” to Hash Things Out with Mötley Crüe Outside the Courtroom
As the legal battle between ousted Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars and his former bandmates continues on in the courts, the 72-year-old musician thinks both parties are well past the point of no return. Things are at a point now that he thinks it would be “impossible” for both parties to meet without lawyers present to find common ground.
His latest statements came during a recent interview with Guitar World, where he was asked whether he would be able to sit down across from his former bandmates to come to an agreement as individuals.
“I would say it’s past… impossible.”
During the interview, Mars said he had to be careful what he said about the Crüe, noting that anything he could say in the media could be used against him and his interests.
“I don’t have a gag order, but it’s like anything you say can and will be used against you. I have to be pretty cautious about what I say because it could be relevant to what’s going on.”
According to Mars’ original complaint, he alleged that the band was actively trying to sever him from the band he’d been in since 1981. Though he announced that his battle with ankylosing spondylitis was why he would no longer be touring with the band, Mars contends that it didn’t mean he was willing to stop recording music or occasionally join them on stage. Despite that, he claims the band ultimately had a meeting and decided to kick him out of the band anyway. He’s since been replaced by John 5.
He also alleges that the band proposed that Mars legally separate from the band. If he agreed, his percentage of the touring and merch profits would be cut from 25% to 5%. That stake would eventually become 0% for future tours. Mars claims that the band’s management increased that initial 5% to 7.5% for the band’s 2023 tour. It’s a claim that the band’s manager Allen Kovak confirmed with Variety last April.
When asked whether his retirement from touring was the same as effectively resigning from the band, Mars fired back that that wasn’t the case at all.
“Two different words, two different meanings. It was just retiring from the touring part. I’d actively be involved in every entity of Mötley Crüe. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them. I don’t regret anything we’ve ever done — good, bad or ugly, whatever. My body just couldn’t do it anymore.”
