MICK MARS Left MÖTLEY CRÜE Because Every Show Was Pre-Recorded, Says CARMINE APPICE

Mick Mars

Legendary drummer Carmine Appice was recently interviewed by Ultimate Guitar. During the chat, Appice reflected on his friendship with guitarist Mick Mars and his departure from MÖTLEY CRÜE.

As previously reported, Mick Mars has retired from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE due to worsening health issues, and has been replaced with John 5Mars still remains as a member of the CRÜE, but he will not participate in any touring activities.

When asked about his thoughts on Mars’ departure from CRÜE, Appice said: “Well, I tell you what I’ve been talking to Mick, and he told me, ‘When I was on the Stadium Tour, I was not happy.’ Basically, everything was on tape; it was all planned out and ultimately a lot of crap. And Mick is a pretty good player, and so, to now let him loose and play the way he wants, that was never going to work for him. The truth is that everything has been weird for a while with MÖTLEY CRÜE, and Mick didn’t like that everything was on tape. Mick told me that people that came to see it could tell that it was all pre-recorded and that everything was on tape.

“When you play in a stadium like that, you can hear a lot of things come to the monitors or what doesn’t. And with Vince‘s vocals, bass, drums, guitars, and all the other stuff, it was obvious that it was all on tape. And Mick was pissed off and said, ‘I can play these things. I want to play them. I don’t want to make believe I’m playing them.’ So, I think that’s one of the reasons why he said, ‘I’m done.’ Sure, the disease that he has doesn’t help, and it doesn’t make life easy on tour, but Mick can play all the licks, and he was allowed to.”

“He had his own means of travel and would travel alone on a bus while the other guys flew everywhere,” Appice continued. “He said, ‘Man, these guys are pissing their money away, flying to every gig.’ They were all busy still trying to be rock stars, and Mick just wanted to play the music. Mick wasn’t interested in wasting time and money flying everywhere, so he traveled by bus.

“Their lifestyles are different than his, and so there were a lot of disagreements. I think he was just done. They were supposed to have done their last tour, and then they came back. Then they did the Stadium Tour, and that was apparently supposed to be the last. So, when they came back again, he said, ‘You can do it. I’m not going out with you for this.’

When asked about his thoughts on John 5, Carmine responded: “He’s a good player. But if they’re on tape, it doesn’t matter. It’s sad because when MÖTLEY CRÜE first went out with Ozzy, they were smoking. I lived out in L.A., and I’d see them perform on the Strip; they’d walk in with their makeup, and they looked like the New York Dolls. A lot of people said, ‘They’ll never make it; that look is over.’ But a year later, they blew up and did it all themselves.

“They put their posters all over town, and they were selling out arenas quickly. Then they got a record deal with Tom Werman producing, and that’s when Ozzy caught wind of them and asked them to open for us. At that point, they were really good.”