With Mick Mars stepping away from touring, one of the highest profile guitar gigs in rock music is now on the job market. Mötley Crüe’s founding axeman will still remain a member of the band, but will no longer play live shows due to his ongoing battle with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a crippling degenerative disease that affects the spine.
In addition to his health issues, Mars is the elder statesman of the Crüe, roughly a decade older than everyone else in the band. In the infamous Crüe biography The Dirt, Mars described how he often caught flak for his age, as he was already established as a journeyman guitarist in the years prior to Mötley Crüe’s formation.
Given Mars’ experience, it’s only fitting that Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, and Vince Neil tap someone who not only fits the part but has also proven their versatility with the axe. Heavy Consequence offers up five prime candidates to take Mars’ place onstage when the Crüe return to the road next year, as the band continues its co-headlining tour with Def Leppard.
5. Tracii Guns
<img data-attachment-id="1250688" data-permalink="https://consequence.net/2022/10/motley-crue-top-guitar-candidates-mick-mars-retirement-touring/tracii-guns/" data-orig-file="https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?quality=80" data-orig-size="1200,675" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="tracii guns motley crue" data-image-description="
tracii guns motley crue
” data-image-caption data-medium-file=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?quality=80&w=300″ data-large-file=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?quality=80&w=1024″ class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1250688 jetpack-lazy-image” src=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?quality=80&w=1024&resize=1031%2C580&strip&is-pending-load=1″ alt=”tracii guns motley crue” width=”100%” data-lazy-srcset=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg 1200w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=1031,580 1031w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=590,332 590w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=278,156 278w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=173,97 173w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=140,79 140w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=198,111 198w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=674,378 674w” data-lazy-sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px” srcset=”https://via.placeholder.com/590×332.png/fff?text=…”>
<img data-lazy-fallback="1" data-attachment-id="1250688" data-permalink="https://consequence.net/2022/10/motley-crue-top-guitar-candidates-mick-mars-retirement-touring/tracii-guns/" data-orig-file="https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?quality=80" data-orig-size="1200,675" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="tracii guns motley crue" data-image-description="
tracii guns motley crue
” data-image-caption data-medium-file=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?quality=80&w=300″ data-large-file=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?quality=80&w=1024″ loading=”lazy” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1250688″ src=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?quality=80&w=1024&resize=1031%2C580&strip” alt=”tracii guns motley crue” width=”100%” srcset=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg 1200w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=1031,580 1031w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=590,332 590w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=278,156 278w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=173,97 173w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=140,79 140w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=198,111 198w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/tracii-guns.jpg?resize=674,378 674w” sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px”>
L.A. Guns founder and Sunset Strip O.G. Tracii Guns certainly has the experience and skill to slot right in alongside Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, and Vince Neil. On one hand, Guns already worked with Sixx in the shortlived L.A. supergroup Brides of Destruction.
However, the two had a falling out after the dissolution of the band following its 2005 sophomore album Runaway Brides, with Sixx claiming that Guns ripped him off for “a lot of money” in a 2017 tweet, adding that he would “never” work with Guns again. So, yeah, Tracii Guns joining the Crüe is a long shot. To top it off, Guns tossed John 5’s name into the ring in a recent interview, stating that the Rob Zombie guitarist would be a “great choice” to step in for Mars.
4. Acey Slade
<img data-attachment-id="1250742" data-permalink="https://consequence.net/2022/10/motley-crue-top-guitar-candidates-mick-mars-retirement-touring/acey-slade/" data-orig-file="https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?quality=80" data-orig-size="1200,675" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Acey Slade" data-image-description="
Acey Slade
” data-image-caption data-medium-file=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?quality=80&w=300″ data-large-file=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?quality=80&w=1024″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-1250742 jetpack-lazy-image” src=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?quality=80&resize=1031%2C580&strip&is-pending-load=1″ alt=”Acey Slade” width=”100%” data-lazy-srcset=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg 1200w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=1031,580 1031w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=590,332 590w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=278,156 278w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=173,97 173w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=140,79 140w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=198,111 198w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=674,378 674w” data-lazy-sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px” srcset=”https://via.placeholder.com/590×332.png/fff?text=…”>
<img data-lazy-fallback="1" data-attachment-id="1250742" data-permalink="https://consequence.net/2022/10/motley-crue-top-guitar-candidates-mick-mars-retirement-touring/acey-slade/" data-orig-file="https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?quality=80" data-orig-size="1200,675" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Acey Slade" data-image-description="
Acey Slade
” data-image-caption data-medium-file=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?quality=80&w=300″ data-large-file=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?quality=80&w=1024″ loading=”lazy” class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-1250742″ src=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?quality=80&resize=1031%2C580&strip” alt=”Acey Slade” width=”100%” srcset=”https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg 1200w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=1031,580 1031w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=590,332 590w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=278,156 278w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=173,97 173w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=140,79 140w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=198,111 198w, https://consequence.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Acey-Slade.jpg?resize=674,378 674w” sizes=”(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px”>
Current Original Misfits guitarist Acey Slade is another long shot, in that his name hasn’t really been mentioned in rumors surrounding Mars’ retirement from the road. But he certainly looks the part. Mars has maintained an almost ghostly, vampiric stage presence over the years, an aesthetic that Slade has down pat.
Slade has also played in numerous bands such as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Dope, horror punk act Murderdolls, and more. While he might not be on the radar, he’d certainly be a good fit, quite literally.
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