Mick Mars Blasts Mötley Crüe Members Over Using Pre-Recordings During Live Shows

Mick Mars has recently sued his band Mötley Crüe after the band reduced the profit he receives from them. In his issue, Mick Mars also confirmed that they used pre-recorded tapes during live shows and blasted his bandmates in Mötley Crüe.

In the world of music, there have been numerous instances of disputes and disagreements between bandmates. Sometimes these disagreements can lead to the dissolution of the band, but other times they can result in one member being left out in the cold while the others continue on without them. That was what Mick Mars really did: leaving the band and focusing on his own solo work.

Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx, and Tommy Lee formed a band together decades ago and enjoyed great success. They had released several albums, toured extensively, and had a dedicated fan base. However, after playing for many years together, tensions started to rise between Mick Mars and the other band members recently. As a result, Mick Mars was replaced by John 5 after the band’s comeback tour, The Stadium Tour.

Following Mick Mars’ dismissal from touring with Mötley Crüe, the band kicked off its The World Tour without the guitarist. Since Mars left the band, both sides have talked a little harshly about themselves. When Mars told Appice that Crüe used pre-recorded tapes during The Stadium Tour, Sixx blasted Appice and Mars, declining the rumors.

Recently, Mick Mars started legal action over the Mötley Crüe band after they reduced the guitarist’s profit from 25% to 5%. According to the lawyers of the band, Mars should be grateful for it. In a copy of the suit obtained by Variety, however, it said the rest of the band members, except for Mick, tried to fire him from the band.

“How did Mars’s brothers of 41 years respond to Mars’s tragic announcement [about quitting the road]? They noticed an emergency shareholders’ meeting for the band’s main corporate entity in order to throw Mars out of the band, to fire him as a director of the corporation, to fire him as an officer of the corporation, and to take away his shares of the corporation,” the suit reads. “When he did not go away quietly, they purported to fire him from six additional band corporations and LLCs.”

Mick Mars Reveals Nikki Sixx Used Pre-Recordings

The lawsuit then revealed Nikki Sixx used pre-recording tapes during the band’s live shows. Sixx even blamed Mick Mars for playing the wrong chords or forgetting his parts, but it was wrong, according to the lawsuit.

“During much of the band’s recent tenure, Sixx continually ‘gaslighted’ Mars by telling him that he [Mars] had some sort of cognitive dysfunction, and that his guitar playing was sub-par, claiming that Mars forgot chords, and sometimes started playing the wrong songs,” the lawsuit reads.

“Astonishingly, Sixx made these claims about Mars’s playing while he [Sixx] did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour. Ironically, 100% of Sixx’s bass parts were nothing but recordings. Sixx was seen fist pumping in the air with his strumming hand, while the bass part was playing.”

The Guitarist Also Claims Vince Neil And Tommy Lee Used Pre-Recordings As Well

The lawsuit further reads, disclosing Mick Mars‘ claims that Vince Neil and Tommy Lee also used pre-recordings. They also gave examples of what they defended.

“In fact, a significant portion of [Vince] Neil’s vocals were also pre-recorded,” they said. “Even some of [Tommy] Lee’s drum parts were recordings. Some fans actually noticed that Lee was walking toward his drum set as they heard his drum part begin.”

Mick Mars Played Live Unlike His Bandmates

Furthermore, the lawsuit defended Mick Mars playing live, unlike his bandmates. Saying that Mars‘ played the wrong chords because he played live, the guitarist’s lawyers added that he every time played from heart and soul.

“Mars, at times on the tour, did play the wrong chords, but not due to any cognitive dysfunction. He was playing live, and his in-ear monitors were constantly malfunctioning, causing Mars to be unable to hear his own instrument.

“The fact is that Mars is rarely mocked or criticized online. He is a quiet member of the group, who shows up to play, and puts his heart and soul into each performance. Conversely, other band members are often criticized online, particularly Neil, who is routinely torn to shreds for, among other things, not remembering the songs.”

The lawsuit is ongoing, and both Mötley Crüe and Mick Mars have been struggling to win.