Motley Rock Stories
The untold story of Mick Mars, the driving force behind Motley Crue as told by his band mate in their dues-paying era in the Hollywood rock scene of the mid- to late 1970’s.
It’s a comedy. It’s a tragedy. This is the true story of two desperate people sharing the same dreams, apartment, road tours, and life in the crazy world of Southern California’s rock and roll scene. Watch Mick Mars and his climb to the pinnacle of success from the beer dives of Hollywood. Get a glimpse of the mystery man of Motley Crue from someone who knew him best before he became a huge star.
This is also the story of Mick’s friend and bandmate Jack Valentine, the world’s first flying drummer.
“Forrest Gump’s got nothing on me,” says Jack. “You will see my life has been equally as weird as Forrest’s.”
After inventing the world’s first upside-down flying drumming platform, Jack could see fame as a rock star just around the corner. But something caused Jack to throw on the brakes and stop right at the edge of fame and fortune and turn and run the other way.
Their lives took opposite journeys at this juncture, with Mick Mars becoming the lead guitarist for one of America’s most notorious and successful rock bands, Motley Crue.
Additional Photos from Motley Rock Stories
These are photos that weren’t included in the book
Click on a link below to see the photo galleries:
Little Known Facts about the Band
The first Mottley gig was at The Bath House, a Hell’s Angel bar in Mission Beach, Ca. sometime in early Sept of 1972. The band had no name at the time. There was occasionally a stabbing on the dance floor.
Harry unknowingly named the band Mottley Croo in Ocean Beach California Fall of 1972. The band never officially voted on the name but used it, among others, as an alias on occasion to hide from the local musicians union.
The band operated under the name Whitehorse in the union clubs. The band was caught and fined working with fake non union contracts to the point they had to leave San Diego and settle on the name Whitehorse. The band became Whitehorse on a permanent basis around May of 1974
Mick was not the original guitarist. We met Mick April 5, 1973. He replaced G.S. the first guitarist, and Kim Sherman, the fill in guitarist, Winter of 1973 after pretending to be David’s guitar roadie so G.S. would not get wise he was being replaced.
Mick Mars and Eddie Van Halen occasionally shared the same bill as Whitehorse and Mammoth (early VanHalen) crossed paths quite often along the club circuit in 1974.
The whole band was stranded in freezing temperatures in the Mottley Van for 16 hours and nearly froze to death Feb. 25, 1974. Mick’s face became frozen to the van’s tile floor. Someone offered to piss on his head but we melted snow to free him instead.
Mick and Jack built the upside down drum riser to be a diversion to blowing Mick to smithereens on stage. Mick’s biker buddies helped Jack finish the welding.
The first upside down drum performance on planet earth was December 23, 1974 at Big John’s in Long Beach Ca.
As well as being a world renown musician Mick is a tremendously gifted comedian.
Mick Mars hates to be out in the sun because he freckles.
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