Rock Can’t Last Forever

Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes about Mick Mars legal disputes with his former bandmates in Mötley Crüe for So It Goes.

Mötley Crüe eventually got back together because that’s what old rock stars do: sure, they can’t leave money on the table but they also have nothing else to do but play rock & roll. Mick Mars kept playing until he literally couldn’t take it anymore: as the 71-year-old told Willman, “My body just doesn’t wanna do it.” Reading between the lines in the Variety interview, it could be argued that the other members of Mötley Crüe are facing a similar point of no return. Mars says “Nikki’s bass was 100% recorded” and that “a lot” of Lee’s drums were also on tape, not to mention some of Neil’s vocals. All of this isn’t exactly surprising, considering that the Crüe are charging into their sixties, an age where physical capabilities tend to diminish. This essential fact gets lost by the band’s very presence on the road suggesting that they’re a hardy bunch that can withstand all the damage.

Despite a promise never to tour again, the Crüe just can’t seem to stay off the road. Their aging bodies are no longer built for stadium performances every night, but what else can they do?

When I was in the 8th grade, just after the release of Mötley Crüe’s 5th record, Dr. Feelgood, they were my favorite band. However, when someone asked me if I liked them, I felt the need to qualify that I liked their music, but not necessarily the band. Such was my habit in those days, knowing the bands that I liked were not necessarily role models.

→ So It Goes 2023 7: Mick Mars sues Mötley Crüe, RIP Vivian Tremble of Luscious Jackson

Via Jason Morehead

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