(l-r) Mars, Neil, Lee + Sixx in the band’s early days (Photo: Motley Crue Official Facebook page)
If you’re among those who will be going to see the Mötley Crüe concert film The End in its one night stand in theaters on June 14th, keep this in mind: The camaraderie you see among the band members onstage is just another part of the act. Ever since the group said farewell to its fans with a final tour capped by two nights at The Staples Center in Los Angeles at the end of last year that were filmed for the movie, the group members have largely ended contact.
In fact, says drummer Tommy Lee, they didn’t even say farewell to one another following the final show on the last day of 2016. “[A]fter the final night, we had a big party backstage on New Year’s Eve, and I never saw the other guys. We never even said ‘goodbye.’ Fucking strange as hell, dude. I mean, what the fuck?”
“It’s kind of strange, man,” Lee told Rolling Stone. But then again, he observes, “We’re a fucking weird band.”
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And since then? “I haven’t spoken to Vince [Neil] or Nikki [Sixx]. I speak to Mick [Mars] a lot,” Lee said. “He’s actually working on some new stuff, and I’m really happy for him.”
But the two-man braintrust at the heart of the group that ruled the 1980s hair band scene, Lee and Sixx, were and remain on the outs. “I think fucking Nikki unfollowed me on fucking Twitter, like, the next day. I was like, ‘Wow. OK, dude.’ “But as Lee points out, “There’s always been issues.”
Nonetheless, he says, “I mean, if you’re getting divorced, you still give your ex a hug, or flip her off or something. You either get a kiss or a slap, or… something. Give me a sign! Let me know you’re alive.”
But Lee isn’t holding his phone in hand, hoping it will ring with a call from Sixx or Neill. He vowed to take a year off following Crüe’s final bow, but says he is already starting to make music again. As for his band’s legacy, “We accomplished everything that we set out to do,” he concludes. “I’m just happy to be part of something that was so impactful on so many people’s lives musically and lifestyle-wise.”
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