In a new interview with Guitar World, Mötley Crüe bassist, Nikki Sixx, talks about moving on without guitarist Mick Mars, who retired last October due to health issues. He was replaced by John 5. Sixx explains how Mars’ decision to leave came completely out of the blue.

“We never saw it coming that Mick wasn’t going to be able to tour and was going to have to quit the band,” says Sixx. “In the middle - not even the middle - of a huge tour, we had to ask ourselves, 'Do we want to let the fans down? Do we want to let Live Nation down? Do we want to let Def Leppard down? Do we want to let ourselves down because an original member of our band can’t tour anymore?' We had to have a deep, deep look into what we were going to do.”

Sixx went on to describe John 5’s appointment as “a no-brainer in a horrible situation”, given their existing relationship to each other.

“[In regard to] John, knowing all the members of the band, and me having this relationship with him writing and as friends, and even being in the studio with him writing stuff with the band for The Dirt, it felt like a no-brainer in a horrible situation - something we did not ask for or want.

“And then it was just kind of obvious. If there was 'the guy', John was the guy. Like I said, we didn’t choose this, but since we had to be put in this position, we’re very happy with where we’re at right now.”

Read the full story at Guitar World.

Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard's The World Tour, with special guest Alice Cooper, lands in Fargo, ND at Fargodome on Friday, August 11. Find the full itinerary here.