As a frigid February night settled over Sellersville, Pennsylvania, fans from all walks of life gathered, eagerly awaiting a night of blistering guitar riffs and electrifying performances from John 5 and The Creatures. This is first of his solo tours since he left Rob Zombie and joined Mötley Crüe.
After a brief snippet of 1971’s Willy Wonka’s “Pure Imagination” played as his intro, which was an appropriately creepy way to get the crowd in the right mindset for the unbelievable guitar skills they were about to witness, John 5 appeared on stage in his signature white and red jacket with the big John 5 logo at the bottom and his new signature “Ghost” Telecaster by Fender.
The setlist was an epic journey through John 5’s diverse musical influences, blending elements of rock, metal, country, and even bluegrass. Tracks like “Crank It – Living with Ghosts” “I am John 5″and “Howdy” showcased John 5’s technical prowess, with lightning-fast fretwork that left jaws on the floor. A highlight of the show was when John 5 played a medley of Motley Crue songs.
Bill Hughes – Youtube.com
But what truly set this concert apart was the sense of camaraderie between John 5 and the audience at The Sellersville Theater. Despite John 5’s larger-than-life stage presence, there was an undeniable intimacy to the performance. Between songs, he told the crowd how much he loved the Sellersville Theater and that he will always come back there, creating a connection that made the concert feel more like a gathering of friends than a typical rock show.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a John 5 concert without some theatrics, and the show did not disappoint in that regard. Throughout the night, the stage was bathed in an array of colorful lights and eerie horror videos on the screens, adding an extra layer of visual excitement to the already electrifying performance.
John 5 signed on to be the Mötley Crüe’s new guitarist in October of 2022 following the retirement of founding member Mick Mars. Mars, 71, retired from touring due to his “ongoing painful struggle” with Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), a degenerative disease which affects the spine. John 5 was an obvious choice, given his history with the band. In 2019, John 5 co-wrote the songs “The Dirt,” “Crash and Burn,” and “Ride with the Devil” for the soundtrack to Netflix’s Mötley Crüe biopic, The Dirt.
The Sellersville Theater is a homecoming of sorts for John 5 as this is where he recorded The Live album “It’s Alive” in 2017.
It was also the first album released by John 5 to be featured on vinyl. John 5 said, “I remember pulling up to a beautiful venue that we played in Sellersville, Pennsylvania and before we were unloading the equipment, the soundman said, ‘Hey guys, would you like to record the show?’ We said, ‘sure that would be amazing!’ I always wanted to have a really great recording of the show. We were a few weeks into the show so we were really well rehearsed, so I said, ‘Alright guys, let’s not jump around. Let’s just really try to get a great performance because we only have one shot – no other shows – if we mess up!’ So, we explained to them that we would be recording. You can hear that on the recording of the album, which makes it very magical. It came out amazingly! That’s the magic of live albums to me – capturing the performance.”
Fender announced the all-new Ghost Telecaster® last May. Along with the guitar, John 5 revealed a special accessories collection that includes a white leather strap with red suede backing, a 10’ cable in arctic white with custom molded red ends and a six-pack of 351 celluloid picks featuring John 5’s logo and graphics.
“I’ve played Telecasters my whole life and getting to design my own is a dream come true,” said John 5. “When it came to design, I was inspired by some of Fender’s previous collaborations, but sought to create a model that would be both visually stunning and comfortable to play. Fender helped me design a Telecaster that was different from anything else on the market and the easy-to-play all-white fretboard and unique pickguard is proof of that. The leather strap and cable match the guitar’s white aesthetic and the pick visuals are absolutely killer!”
John 5 recently entered the studio with Mötley Crüe and producer Bob Rock to begin recording new music.
On May 9, Mötley Crüe are headlining Welcome to Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida. Also topping the bill are Foo Fighters, Slipknot, and Limp Bizkit. Other feature performers are Judas Priest, Disturbed, Queens of the Stone Age, Greta Van Fleet, Falling In Reverse, Breaking Benjamin, and more. In June, the band is headlining Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From there, they head to Canada for an appearance at the Ottawa Bluesfest in July, plus a headlining concert at Scotiabank Arena in Calgary
John 5 and The Creatures tour runs through March 1, wrapping up at The Observatory North Park in San Diego, California.
John 5’s Remaining 2024 Tour Dates:
02/19 – Leesburg, VA @ Tally Ho Theater
02/20 – Greenville, SC @ Radio Room
02/21 – Atlanta, GA @ The Loft @ Centerstage
02/23 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
02/24 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
02/25 – Tulsa, OK @ The Shrine
02/27 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
02/28 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
02/29 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile
03/01 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
2024.02.18 John 5
