STACK #232 February 2024

MUSIC FEATURE

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Credit: All images by Seraina Mars

On founding the Crüe ”I had the name for the band, I had the money for the band – to put stuff together. But I held off ’til I felt that I had the right people, and that was the band: Mötley Crüe. And I felt really positive and sure, ’cause of the image, and we fit in well together. When we came out on the [Sunset] Strip in 1980, ’81 – somewhere around there – everybody was like [makes a stuttering, dumbfounded sound], ’What is this!?’ you know? It was pretty cool.” Sunset Strip memories of Eddie Van Halen ”Oh man, yeah... He really set the bar high

The Other Side of Mars by Mick Mars is out Feb 23 via 1313LLC.

[Eddie Van Halen] always smiled when he played; it was part of him

for the LA – for any - scene, really. The

way that he was approaching and playing and doing his – well, they call them ’hammer-ons.’ it definitely changed the way that we were approaching guitar. He always smiled when he played; it was part of him.

INTERVIEW

LIFE OF MARS Leading up to the eagerly anticipated release date for his debut solo album The Other Side of Mars , Bryget Chrisfield checks in with Mick Mars to discuss Mötley Crüe versus the freedom of flying his freak flag solo, his habit of disappearing and playing in the coal bin ”like it was my rocketship” as a youngster, and more – check out the full article online at jbhifi.com.au/stack . Words Bryget Chrisfield

Some guitarists just play with their tongues out, almost to pantomime what

they’re doing. But Ed just smiled. On his own ’guitar face’

”My mouth mimics where I’m playing, and my eyes open and close about a hundred miles an hour! I had no idea! I would see it in a video and go, ’Oh, I’m gonna wear dark glasses or something’.” Mars needs guitars ”I probably own close to 200 guitars. They’re part of my history, of when I [was] growing up, and seeing different things. They’re like relics, you know?” On being born to rock ”It’s what I wanted to do when I was a little child. I told my mother, and she was looking at me, like, ’What? Are you crazy?’ And I’m going, ’This is what I’m gonna do.’ So to get up there and to really do it is a little surreal. Some of the first music that really captured me, that made me want to be a guitar player, was a country-western guy: Skeeter Bonn. I saw him at, well, here they call them 4-H Fairs. They show all the – ’This is how big a plant I grew’, ’Look at my cows,’ you know? That kind of a thing. I saw him play there and I went, ’I love that.’ And I’m a little kid; I’m not even in kindergarten yet. The other influences – now I’m really showing my age! – Elvis Presley came out and Buddy Holly and Carl Perkins. And listening to old movies; I like those old black-and-white B-movies from the ’40s...”

it’s not linear – it has ups and downs, and different ambiences, and just different things, you know? ”I mean, if I was to play or introduce or bring in [standout track on The Other Side of

On playing guitar for Mötley versus Mars ”If you took a song like,

say, Dr Feelgood, it opens up with this lick. Okay, good. And verse, chorus, verse. But then the anthemy part of it – ’[sings hurriedly] He’s the one they call Dr Feelgood/ He’s the one that makes ya feel

I don’t wanna be restricted to staying on one path – I wanna stray off it

Mars ] Killing Breed to Mötley it would be like, ’No’ [breaks off laughing], you know? Whereas if I was to bring something in like [Mötley Crüe’s] Girls [ , Girls, Girls ] or Dr Feelgood, it’s an instant ’Yes’. So it’s two different things.”

alright…’ – you know, it’s a crowd pleaser. An anthem. ”Mötley Crüe was all about

anthems and stuff, and getting that crowd participation. And on my own, I guess I’m thinking more about: ’Listen to this. Listen to it. You don’t have to try to shimmy, you don’t have to try to understand, but just listen to where it’s going...’ that kind of a thing. Of course it has the licks in it, but it’s a little different because it really doesn’t have a hook. It’s more – I don’t wanna say linear, because

Continue reading the full article online at jbhifi.com.au/stack

26 FEBRUARY 2024

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