Earlier this week, electric guitar titan Mick Mars announced his retirement from touring with Mötley Crüe, a band he's been a part of since their inception in 1981.
Mars has spent decades battling Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), a painful degenerative disease that affects the spine, and a statement from his representatives said that his decision stemmed from his no longer being able to "handle the rigors of the road" due to the condition.
After they first disbanded in 2015, the glam-metal mainstays reunited for a North American stadium tour with Def Leppard, Poison, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts that was originally scheduled for the summer of 2020, then subsequently postponed first to 2021, then 2022 due to COVID-19.
The trek wrapped up with a September 9 gig at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, at which the band played a 15-song set loaded with hits like Dr. Feelgood, Girls, Girls, Girls and Shout at the Devil.
Last up on the setlist was Kickstart My Heart, an adrenaline shot of a rocker defined by Mars' riffing and motorcycle-evoking Floyd Rose antics.
You can see fan-filmed footage of the band's performance of the song – the final song of the final show of Mars' onstage career with the band – below.
The cumulative wear and tear of the full tour certainly shows on frontman Vince Neil's voice, with the band's over-the-top props and wild onstage pyrotechnics also competing for viewers' attention.
Through it all though, just as he did for decades, Mars stands steady, anchoring the song's riff-heavy attack with precision, even through what one could only imagine was significant pain.
“To say ‘enough is enough’ is the ultimate act of courage,” Mötley Crüe said in a statement following the announcement of his retirement. “Mick’s sound helped define Mötley Crüe from the minute he plugged in his guitar at our very first rehearsal together. The rest, as they say, is history. We’ll continue to honor his musical legacy."
Mars's place in the band is set to be taken by John 5, who added in a statement of his own that he was "honored" to carry on Mars's legacy.
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