Rick Allen , drummer for Def Leppard Mick Mars ' final acts on stage with Mötley Crüe , as both bands are on a joint tour, and commented on the guitarist's decision to retire.
The retirement announcement was made in October 2022 and already included a justification expected by fans: although he is not leaving the band, Mick Mars is unable to continue touring "due to his painful battle with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)," according to a statement.
In a recent interview on the Appetite For Distortion (via Blabbermouth ), Allen supported his bandmate's choice. “It was Mick’s decision to move on and start the next part of his life. And we all know he suffered terribly, terribly with the pain, you could see it on his face all the time. And I think the only time I saw him in the element was when he was on stage, playing with the band. It was more his decision [to retire], it must have been very difficult,” he said. “I mean, it would be different if the guy was kicked out of the band, but that’s not what happened. It was a personal choice he made and you can’t say it was wrong.”
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic disease that causes inflammation of the connective tissues, "characterized by inflammation of the joints of the spine and large joints," according to the definition of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation .
With Mick Mars' retirement , Mötley Crüe announced John 5 as the band's new touring guitarist. This will be the band's lineup when they come to Brazil in March as part of a world tour with Def Leppard.
Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe in São Paulo
- Date: March 7, 2023 (Tuesday)
- Location: Allianz Parque – Av. Francisco Matarazzo, 1705 – Água Branca, São Paulo
- Schedule: Gates open: 4 PM / Opening act: 6:15 PM / Mötley Crüe show: 7:30 PM / Def Leppard show: 9:30 PM
- Tickets available on the official Eventim website.
- Upper Tier Seats - R$ 180.00 half-price and R$ 360.00 full price
- Track – R$ 220.00 half-price and R$ 440.00 full price
- Lower tier seating – R$ 280.00 half-price and R$ 560.00 full price.
- Premium yellow track – R$ 380.00 half-price and R$ 760.00 full price.
Shows, festivals and albums in 2023; Wikimetal podcast discusses what to expect.
In episode #354, the Wikimetal team discusses what to expect from 2023 in rock and metal, commenting on topics such as the highly anticipated new albums from bands like Metallica and Paramore , festivals like Summer Breeze and Monsters of Rock , and solo shows like the Mötley Crue and Def Leppard . The podcast is available on Spotify and Deezer , but you can also listen to it via YouTube.
READ ALSO: Edu Falaschi will open for Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe in São Paulo

