How Motley Crue Ended Up Inside a Garbage Truck

Motley Crue has gone out of its way plenty of times to create a spectacle. On October 7, 2024, they demonstrated that yet again, arriving for their performance at the Troubadour in a garbage truck.

The energy was running high with Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and John 5 even before the first night of their “Hollywood Takeover,” where the band played rare club shows at three different venues. “Everybody was excited,” John recently told the UCR Podcast. “I remember Tommy going, ‘Dude, we should all get out of a garbage truck, for one of these club shows.'” It was an idea that the drummer and his bandmates had been discussing for a while and the Troubadour seemed like a good chance to bring the idea to life.

But as 5 shares now, there were some things about the experience that were perhaps a bit unexpected. “It was so cool, but it’s crazy, because it’s pitch black in there,” he explains. “You can’t see your hand in front of your face. You see little cracks and stuff, but it was pitch black in there. [But’ the thing opened up, we jumped out and got right on stage. Then, for the [subsequent] Whisky [concert], we got out of the Dr. Feelgood ambulance. It’s just an incredible experience being in that band. It’s the best.”

READ MORE: Motley Crue Launch ‘Dr. Feelgood’ Tour With Club Show

As fans know, the guitarist was a fellow fan long before he joined the Motley ranks and he has a lot of appreciation for the legacy established by the Crue. “It’s so hard to explain, but Nikki and the guys, [they have] something you just can’t teach. It’s something you can’t learn,” he says. “[They’re] churning out songs that people can really relate to. ‘Home Sweet Home,’ it’s about being on the road and wanting to go home. But anybody can relate to that. You don’t have to be in a touring band. You could be at work or you just want to get home. Everybody can relate to that. I can’t write a lyric. I don’t know what I’d write about, like, boobs and guitars, that’s all I’ve got. But it’s fun to write lyrics that can connect to millions of people. It’s such an art.”

John 5’s Kiss Museum Opens in May

Kiss fans will have a chance to get a look at John’s collection of more than 2,500 items that he’s amassed over the years including the last known pair of boots owned by Gene Simmons from the Destroyer era as well as his first tour outfit from ’74. Tours of his museum will be conducted personally by 5, who is looking forward to the experience. “it’s taken an absolute lifetime to do this. It really has. I started collecting when I was a kid, but when I decided to do a museum, it’s taken a couple of years, just putting it together,” he shares.

“You have to document everything. You have to really get into detail and talk about everything and have everything correct [with] the right years and the right months,” he continues. “I’ve got all of these tickets, passes, buttons from all over the world. Records and magazines from all over the world. Promoter shirts, jackets and towels, it’s just endless. So it’s a lot of work and it’s been overwhelming, but I’m really happy.”