It’s been nearly two months since Mötley Crüe announced that Mick Mars would be hanging his guitar up in retirement and filling the void left behind with ex-Rob Zombie guitarist John 5. Seemingly after that announcement was made, it felt like the metal community accepted the changes and moved on. Yet for ex-Mötley Crüe frontman and one-time Vince Neil replacement John Corabi, something still smells fishy about Mars’ departure.
During an interview with Backstage Pass Rock News (via Blabbermouth), Corabi further articulated his stance on the matter, reflecting on his relationship with the other members of the band and how Mars’ silence on his departure seems unlike the guitarist.
“Personally, my verdict is… I have an opinion, I have a thought on what transpired, but I haven’t heard anything from Mick. The statement that we’ve all gotten was from Mötley and their management and whoever’s on that side of the camp.
“I know John 5. I think he’s a brilliant guitar player. I am not taking [anything] away from John, because I love the guy to death. He is a guitarist’s guitarist. But I can’t help but think, when we were doing the Generation Swine record, there was a rub between me and Mick, which transpired during… They had already told me that they were bringing Vince back, and their manager said to me, ‘Can you help them finish the record?’ And I said, ‘Yes.’ And every day they would call me at nine or ten o’clock in the morning, and it was Nikki, this guy Scott Humphrey and Tommy — [they] were producing the record — and they would call me every day, and they would go, ‘Hey, can you come by the studio and play some guitar?’ And I said, ‘Well, as long as Mick is cool with it, sure.’ Well, every day I’d get to the studio and they just complained, like, ‘Oh my God. We had Mick here yesterday till two o’clock in the morning. We couldn’t get anything out of him,’ and blah blah blah. So, that was ’95. And then they did the record. Now, I can tell you right now most of the rhythms on that record were mine. And if Mick was sitting here, he’d go, ‘Yeah, most of the guitars were his.’ So I played on the Generation Swine record. I don’t know if Mick played on New Tattoo — I’m not sure — but I know it was DJ Ashba on Red, White & Crüe, on the new songs, and I know on Saints Of Los Angeles, it was DJ Ashba. And then I know on the movie The Dirt, the new songs that they did [for the accompanying soundtrack], [a cover of Madonna’s] ‘Like A Virgin’ and all that shit, it’s John 5. So they haven’t had Mick… they haven’t been using him since — fuck — ’95.
“Again, I’m just looking at things the way I look at ’em and I can’t help but think that they just went for the upgrade — in their minds,” Corabi added. “You do have a history there; the fans are used to that history.
“And you know what? Folks, if I am wrong, I’ll come back again with you and I will say, ‘I apologize. I’m wrong.’ But until I hear it from Mick, I don’t buy any of it.”
According to the band, Mars left because of continued pain he experienced because of his degenerative condition ankylosing spondylitis—a form of arthritis that causes inflammation and stiffness in the spine. Rather than having him perform, they said, they let him go so he could rest and not be on his feet so much. And while that may seem like a viable reason, Corabi has since suggested that Mars was kicked out because of the aforementioned issues he’d witnessed within the band.
It’s seriously doubtful that we’ll ever learn the truth behind Mars’ departure unless something happens in court. Regardless, John 5 is in the band now and they’re getting ready for this current lineup’s first shows as they get set to tour with Def Leppard. Check out the date for that below.
February 18 – Mexico City, Mexico – Foro Sol
February 21 – Monterrey, Mexico – Estadio Banorte
February 25 – Bogota, Colombia – Parque Simon Bolivar
February 28 – Lima, Peru – Estadio Nacional
March 03 – Santiago, Chile – Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida
March 07 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Allianz Parque
March 09 – Curitiba, Brazil – Estádio Couto Pereira
March 11 – Porto Alegre, Brazil – Arena do Grêmio
May 22 – Sheffield, UK – Bramall Lane
May 25 – Mönchengladbach, Germany – SparkassenPark
May 27 – Munich, Germany – Koenigsplatz
May 29 – Budapest, Hungary – MVM Dome
May 31 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena Kraków
June 02 – Prague, Czech Republic – Prague Rocks *
June 03 – Hannover, Germany – Expo Plaza
June 07 – Solvesborg, Sweden – Sweden Rock Festival *
June 09 – Hyvinkää, Finland – RockFest *
June 11 – Trondheim, Norway – Trondheim Rocks *
June 14 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhell *
June 18 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop Metal Meeting *
June 20 – Milan, Italy – Ippodromo SNAI San Siro
June 23 – Lisbon, Portugal – Passeio Maritimo de Alges
June 24 – Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain – Auditorio Miguel Ríos
June 27 – Thun, Switzerland – Stockhorn Arena
July 01 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium
July 02 – Lytham, UK – Lytham Festival *
July 04 – Dublin, Ireland – Marlay Park
July 06 – Glasgow, UK – Hampden Park
August 05 – Syracuse, NY – JMA Wireless DomeZ
August 08 – Columbus, OH – Ohio Stadium
August 11 – Fargo, ND – Fargodome
August 13 – Omaha, NE – Charles Schwab Field Omaha
August 16 – Tulsa, OK – H.A. Chapman Stadium
Friday, August 18 El Pxwl Stadium