JOHN 5 Says MÖTLEY CRÜE And GUNS N' ROSES 'Would Be A Wonderful, Wonderful Tour'

During an appearance on the latest episode of the GUNS N' ROSES-centric "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, John 5 was asked about the possibility of MÖTLEY CRÜE teaming up with the Axl Rose-fronted outfit for a tour. The MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, if you were to ask me in a reality sense, like bands that are touring and bands that I love, my number one would be GUNS N' ROSES. And me and Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] talked about this. He was, like, 'Who would you wanna tour with?' No — someone was asking us; I forget who it was. Someone was asking us, and we both said, 'Oh, GUNS N' ROSES.' And just because it's such a perfect fit. We both love them very much. And we're friends. I mean, I love all the guys so much and I've been friends with them for a very long time. I mean, a long time."

He continued: "That very first [GUNS N' ROSES] show that I went to when they first started, I remember after the show — this was way before meet-and-greets and all that stuff, they came out and sat… I'll never forget this. It was very weird. They sat in these seats, all of 'em, and just talked to a couple of people hanging out. And I was hanging out. We just talked. And this was like so early on, like when the [first] video just hit or something like that. But that's when I met them, and I would see them. 'Cause I was getting tattooed at Sunset Strip Tattoo, and I would always see them, and I would see them at the Cathouse. So I've known them for that long. And I just think it would be a wonderful, wonderful tour."

Two years ago, Sixx told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion" that GUNS N' ROSES apparently once considered recording a cover version of the early MÖTLEY CRÜE song "Stick To Your Guns". The CRÜE bassist said: "After we took them out on tour, and they first put out 'Welcome To The Jungle', or was it 'Sweet Child O' Mine', I remember going to the Rainbow [in West Hollywood], and I saw Axl there. And he jumped up and he said 'hi' and 'thanks for the tour. Thanks for the tour because now MTV is gonna play 'Sweet Child O' Mine'.' It really gave 'em a shot. And I was super stoked for those guys. And then he kind of told me he always loved that song 'Stick To Your Guns' and had thought about covering it in GN'R. That's pretty cool to hear, that those guys thought that was cool. And that song's got its own little life, so to speak."

Back in 2016, Sixx told Neon Sunsets that he didn't know Rose "that well. I mean, I knew him a bit in the '80s when [GUNS N' ROSES] opened for MÖTLEY CRÜE," he said. "He was always sweet to me. He was always kind of shy and respectful. And I'm happy for him [now that he is reunited with Slash and Duff McKagan]. He looks happy. He looks healthy. He missed doing what he's doing right now, and I'm sure having Slash and Duff by his side feels really good. So it's badass. Good for him. And good for Slash and Duff too. Good for the fans."

In his "The Heroin Diaries" memoir, Sixx wrote that Tom Zutaut, the former Geffen Records executive who signed GUNS N' ROSES to a record deal in 1986, told him in 1987 that he was "being considered" to produce GN'R's debut album, "Appetite For Destruction". Sixx added: "I went to see them play at the Roxy, but I didn't think they were all that great. The truth is that I was so out of it that I had no idea who was any good and who wasn't. Fuck, at the time the most I would have been able to do as producer would have been pressing 'play' on the tape machine."

A few years ago, Sixx said that GUNS N' ROSES' "Welcome To The Jungle" was one of his top five favorite 1980s tracks. "I always loved that song because the energy of it," he said. "I like the way the vocal lays in and it has this nice swagger to it. But I think really was a defining moment for GUNS N' ROSES.

"We love GUNS N’ ROSES," he added. "The guys would come hang out at my house in Los Angeles. We took them out on tour and they opened for us for a leg of the tour. It was really great because they were really green and they were really raw and they had just finished recording their first record. I felt good for us for turn our audience on to a new band."

"Stick To Your Guns" was the A side of MÖTLEY CRÜE's debut single, which was released in May 1981 via the band's own label Leathür Records.