The guitarist has been busy on the road with Mötley Crüe
Next year, guitar virtuoso John 5 is returning to the road with his band The Creatures. The run begins on January 26, 2024, at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California and wraps up on March 1 at The Observatory North Park in San Diego, California. Surprise guests for the rest of the run will be revealed soon.
“I am really looking forward to see all of you monsters on the road,” John 5 said.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 11 at 10am EST HERE. VIP Soundcheck Meet and Greet passes are available for all shows HERE. Fellow guitar god Jared James Nichols will be performing at the first two stops of the tour, which take place during NAMM weekend.
John 5 is currently on the road touring with Mötley Crüe. He signed on to be the band’s new guitarist last October 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.
John 5 is also very close with Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, whom he called his “best friend.” In a 2019 interview with Outburn Magazine, John 5 said of Sixx,”We love each other. He has inspired me and taught me so much about life in general. He’s a phenomenal songwriter, lyricist, author, everything. He’s always telling me to listen to this audio book or see this movie. He has a happy marriage, a happy life, a successful band he started from the ground up. He’s one of the most inspiring people. He’ll text me all the time to read something or try something. It’s wonderful. He’s a phenomenal photographer as well. I remember him telling me that he’s going to take bass lessons again and get into playing with his fingers. He was so dedicated.”
John 5 recently entered the studio with Mötley Crüe and producer Bob Rock to begin recording new music.
Back in May, Fender announced a brand new John 5 signature guitar. The Limited Edition John 5 Ghost Telecaster® is the latest Fender artist signature guitar for John 5. Along with the ax, he 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 started his career as a session player before establishing himself as a premiere guitarist for rock music heavyweights including David Lee Roth (Van Halen), Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Marylin Manson, Rod Stewart, and more. For almost three decades, John 5 has become one of the most in-demand guitar players on the planet, having worked with an impressive array of talent from across the industry. An eternal student of music, John 5’s expansive knowledge of various genres shows up in his bluegrass licks, sweep-picking solos and high-speed chicken-pickin’ lines.
1/26/24 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory*
1/27/24 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theater*
1/28/24 – Las Vegas, NV – Count’s Vamp’d
1/30/24 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunshine Studios
2/1/24 – St. Charles, IL – Arcada Theater
2/2/24 – Turtle Lake, WI – St. Croix Casino
2/3/24 – Green Bay, WI – Epic Events Center
2/4/24 – Kansasville, WI – 1175 Event Center
2/6/24 – Angola, IN – The Eclectic Room
2/7/24 – Harrison, OH – The Blue Note
2/8/24 – Cleveland, OH – The Winchester Music Tavern
2/9/24 – Flint, MI – Machine Shop
2/10/24 – Columbus, OH – The King of Clubs
2/12/24 – Pittsburgh, PA – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
2/13/24 – Lititz, PA – Mickey’s Black Box
2/14/24 – Derry, NH – Tupelo Music Hall
2/15/24 – NYC, NY – Gramercy Theater
2/19/24 – Leesburg, VA – Tally Ho Theater
2/20/24 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room
2/21/24 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft @ Centerstage
2/23/24 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
2/24/24 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
2/25/24 – Tulsa, OK – The Shrine
2/27/24 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
2/28/24 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
2/29/24 – Mesa, AZ – The Nile
3/1/24 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
*with Jared James Nichols