Mötley Crüe to Play Third Vegas Residency – Without Mick Mars

Posted on: November 11, 2022, 03:00h. 

Last updated on: November 17, 2022, 10:42h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Las Vegas Myths.

Mötley Crüe will play its third Las Vegas residency sometime in 2024, as previously revealed by singer Vince Neil to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. However, the residency will not include Mick Mars. The founding guitarist for the ’80s hair metal band is retiring from the road because of his painful struggle with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a degenerative spinal disease.

The band has confirmed John 5 (real name: John Lowery) as his replacement. Lowery has performed with David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Zombie.

Motley Crue
A third Las Vegas residency is in the cards for Mötley Crüe (from left: bassist Nikki Sixx, guitarist Mick Mars, drummer Tommy Lee, and singer Vince Neil). However, it will not feature Mars, who suffers from a crippling degenerative spinal disease. (Image: audioinkradio.com)

“While change is never easy, we accept Mick’s decision to retire from the band due to the challenges with his health,” the band wrote on social media. “We have watched Mick manage his Ankylosing Spondylitis for decades and he has always managed it with utmost courage and grace. To say ‘enough is enough’ is the ultimate act of courage.”

The second and final leg of Mötley Crüe’s Stadium Tour resumes on May 22, 2023 in the UK. The tour will take them around Europe – as well as to Mexico and South America – for a good chunk of next year. Tickets are currently for sale on ticketmaster.com.

The Crüe’s 2024 Vegas residency will be the ’80s hair-metal band’s third stint of semi-permanence in Sin City. That’s following 2012 and 2013 residencies at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (now Virgin Hotels Las Vegas).

Not Tiring of Retiring

The Crüe has claimed to be retiring on several occasions. In fact when they announced their “Final Tour” in January 2014, each member signed, in full view of reporters, a “Cessation of Touring Agreement” – a supposedly legally binding document that promised that the group would never tour again.

However, the buzz from the band’s 2019 Netflix biopic The Dirt obviously caused some reconsideration of that legal situation. Postponed for two years, the Stadium Tour – a coheadlining jaunt with Def Leppard that also featured Poison and Joan Jett – earned a massive $173 million before wrapping its initial leg on Sept. 9, 2022 at Allegiant Stadium.

It can safely be assumed that Mars’ retirement is not a similar case of crying wolf. Having struggled with AS since his late teens, but soldiering through for decades, Mars (whose real name is Robert Deal) says he’s in too much pain to deal with the rigors of touring at age 71.