There’s more drama in the land of Mötley Crüe.
As previously reported, guitarist Mick Mars sued the “Kickstart My Heart” outfit last week, alleging that the band decreased his share of tour profits from 25% to 5% after he announced he was retiring from the road last October. He also claimed that the other three members — Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Vince Neil — played along to prerecorded tracks during last summer’s Stadium Tour and that Sixx in particular “did not play a single note on bass” live.
“I carried these bastards for years,” Mars told Variety in a subsequent interview.
Now, Mötley manager Allen Kovac is firing back, specifically at those representing the 71-year-old Mars, who cited his ongoing battle with the inflammatory disease ankylosing spondylitis in his retirement announcement.
“What’s upsetting to me is not Mick, but his representatives, who have guided Mick to say and do harmful things to the brand he cares about so much,” Kovac tells Variety.
“He has a degenerative disease and people are taking advantage of him,” the manager continues. “It’s called elder abuse.”
Kovac also contends that Sixx “played his bass and always has,” but Mars “would play the wrong songs and the wrong parts” during the tour. Mars has called such criticism of his guitar playing gaslighting.
At the heart of the suit, though, is the financial disagreement. Mars maintains that his retirement from touring does not mean he’s retiring from the band, and thus feels his share should not be affected.
“Resigning from touring — or even from the band entirely — is not resigning from the band’s corporations and LLCs,” says Mars’ lawyer, Edwin F. McPherson. “Corporate law doesn’t work that way.”
However, the Mötley team disagrees.
“[Without touring], there’s nothing left,” Kovac says. “What is left?”
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