John 5 approaches Mötley Crüe’s catalog with the attachment of someone who grew up listening to it. When he plays Mick Mars’ guitar parts, he wants audiences to hear the details they know from the records. His opportunity to improvise comes elsewhere in the show.
Speaking with Summa Inferno, John 5 said his bandmates have welcomed him and included him in their work. He nevertheless views the position as a responsibility to the music and its history. “I just want to be able to represent Mick and Mötley Crüe as best as I can,” he said.
John 5 took over guitar duties following Mars’ retirement from touring in 2022, after a long association with Rob Zombie. Familiarity with the Crüe catalog gave him a starting point, but he still prepared extensively. In a September 2023 interview with Guitar World, he described spending months reviewing the material daily. His preparation included studying concert footage to learn stage movements, introductions and the arrangements connecting songs.
That work extended to individual sounds within the solos. He singled out the squeals in “Looks That Kill” and the harmonics in “Dr. Feelgood” as details that mattered to him as a listener. Knowing the songs meant reproducing those features, alongside the notes themselves. He also explained that the live medley’s arrangement required attention even though its component songs were already familiar.
The pursuit of accuracy has become a challenge he enjoys repeating. In an October 2026 interview with MusicRadar, John 5 described trying to make each performance as precise as possible in its timing, pitch and execution. He pointed to the pinch harmonics in “Home Sweet Home” as an example of something he wants to land correctly every night. That attention also informs his instrumental solo shows, where he applies the same standards to his own material.
With Crüe, he identifies extended endings on “Wild Side” and “Too Fast For Love” as places to introduce his own flourishes. The band also gives him a dedicated guitar solo where he can play freely.
