It seems that Mötley Crüe can’t shake off the accusations of playing to backing tracks. However, John 5 has stepped forward to defend the band in a way that no one expected. In a recent conversation with Trunk Nation’s Eddie Trunk, John 5 flipped the narrative, stating that he sees these accusations as a compliment rather than an insult.
The remarks Mick Mars made before leaving Mötley Crüe have been making the headlines for the past two months. Among them, the most important claim was Nikki Sixx’s use of backing tracks. Nikki took these accusations seriously and used his social media accounts to respond to them. As of today, the issue gained a new depth as John 5 has decided to get involved.
Here is what John 5 said about the accusations:
“It doesn’t really make me crazy when people say we’re playing to backing tracks; I take it as a compliment. I know that sounds crazy, but I take it as a compliment because we rehearse so hard. We even have penalty flags if someone messes up at rehearsal; we throw a penalty flag at them. We rehearse so much, and I take it as a compliment because that means we sound that good live. So, in my heart of hearts, I know that course we’re playing live.”
Speaking about the Crüe’s live shows, John 5 continued:
“If you listen to these concerts that I do with [Nikki], you hear bum notes. Do you really think that we would put a mistake on a track? No! It’s so crazy, but a hundred percent he plays every single note on there. Just listen to the shows before you make these statements because you’ll hear mess-ups. And that’s what rock and roll is. Yes, we do rely on technology for backup vocals, intros, outros, sirens, and horn hits. Of course, they’ve been doing that since ‘Dr. Feelgood.’ I’m not saying we don’t rely on technology for things that we can’t replicate ourselves, but me, Nikki, Tommy, and Vince; we’re all live up there.“
Despite the controversy surrounding Mötley Crüe’s use of backing tracks, John 5 remains unfazed. He defends Nikki Sixx with these remarks, but there are others supporting Mick Mars’ stance, such as Carmine Appice.
Source: rockcelebrities.net