PHIL VARONE Slams MÖTLEY CRÜE's 'So-Called Fans' For Being Angry Over Band's Return

Former SKID ROW and SAIGON KICK drummer Phil Varone has slammed MÖTLEY CRÜE's "so-called fans" who have expressed their anger over the band's decision to reunite. CRÜE fans who shelled out for the band's 2014/2015 "farewell" tour were led to believe that the group would never return after playing its final show on December 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The band touted the signing of a pre-tour "cessation of touring" agreement as cementing the fact it truly was the end of CRÜE's life on the road.

On Monday (November 18),CRÜE posted a video with Machine Gun Kelly, who portrayed Tommy Lee in the band's biopic "The Dirt", explaining that due to the band "becoming more popular than ever" and "gaining an entirely new legion of fans" in the four years they've been off the road, the band felt the need to blow up their previous contract in order to come out of retirement.

On Tuesday (November 19),Varone took to his Facebook page to write: "After the MÖTLEY CRÜE tour announcement, I was disgusted by the resentment and anger of so-called fans.

"My 3 Cents: If you're angry that a band is going to tour, even after a farewell tour, then you're not a fan. A fan would embrace the chance to see their favorite band again, no matter what circumstances surround it.

"Bands are very complicated. Being in a band is a full-time job, even when not touring or recording.

"I don't expect fans to understand the dynamic of keeping a band functioning, or functional, but it's a lot harder than you think. A band is made up of band members, each with different personalities, different influences, different goals, different addictions, different problems, different egos, and different ideas. Some members will evolve with age, and some will stay assholes for life. Some may see their part in situations, and some continue to blame others. In many cases, a band or a musician will make rash decisions out of survival and self-preservation. As time passes and tempers calm, a once bad situation may not look that bad when seen though the lucid mind. When that happens, the fans get the greatest gift of all; their favorite band back.

"If you love music, if you love MÖTLEY CRÜE, if you love concerts, then you're getting the greatest gift of all.

"I will never, ever, ever, ever understand how someone using the moniker of 'Fan' can be angry about MÖTLEY CRÜE touring again. Contrary to popular belief, a band has enough problems dealing with the band than trying to mastermind a plan to betray its fans. The only betrayal I see is from the so-called fans talking shit about the band. For that, shame on you."

On Monday, Rolling Stone reported that MÖTLEY CRÜE will reunite for a stadium tour with DEF LEPPARD and POISON in 2020. However, as of right now, no official announcement regarding the trek has been made.

This past March, Varone announced his retirement from drumming. He is currently working on an autobiographical movie called "30 Yrs A Drummer", tentatively slated for a March 2020 release.

Photo credit: Joseph Gorelick