Motley Crue played their first show without Mick Mars last night (Feb. 10), with John 5 taking over as the band's new touring guitarist during a show in Atlantic City, NJ.

If 5 was nervous about his latest assignment it certainly didn't show. He was the first musician to hit the stage, gesturing for the crowd to get loud before launching into the riff for "Wild Side." He prowled the stage throughout the night, adding a handful of cool new twists and solos to otherwise faithful renditions of Mars' guitar parts.

After Nikki Sixx introduced 5 to the crowd mid-show, the guitarist took a brief solo spot to lead off the group's nightly medley of cover songs. Later in the set drummer Tommy Lee raved about his new bandmate: "And this motherfucker right here, 5... dude, it sounds beautiful baby!"

The show was the first of two stripped down theater shows Motley Crue will perform this weekend with Def Leppard in advance of their co-headlining 2023 world tour. Def Leppard opened last night's show with a tight, powerful 90 minute set and will headline tonight's show.

Watch Motley Crue Perform 'Wild Side'

Two months after performing with Motley Crue for the last time at the closing show of their summer 2022 tour with Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett, Mars announced his retirement from touring as he continues an ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing Spondylitis. He will remain an official member of Motley Crue, which he helped form in 1981.

Motley Crue announced David Lee Roth and Rob Zombie collaborator John 5 as Mars' onstage replacement the following day. "He checks all the boxes," Nikki Sixx explained. "He's [an] insane player. Has respect for our music, is funny as fuck and has history with us and we've written some pretty big hits together."

Sixx and 5 previously collaborated three original Motley Crue songs that appeared on the soundtrack to Netflix's 2019 adaptation of The Dirt — "The Dirt (Est. 1981)," "Ride With the Devil" and "Crash and Burn."

Motley Crue and Def Leppard will spend much of 2023 touring Latin America and Europe before returning to America for a handful of stadium dates with support from Alice Cooper.

Watch Motley Crue Perform 'Shout at the Devil'

Motley Crue, 2/10/23, Atlantic City, NJ Set List
1. “Wild Side”
2. “Shout at the Devil”
3. “Too Fast for Love”
4. “Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)”
5. “Saints of Los Angeles”
6. “Live Wire”
7. “Looks That Kill”
8. “The Dirt (Est. 1981)”
9. Guitar Solo / “Rock and Roll, Part 2" / "Smokin' in the Boys Room" / "Helter Skelter" / "Anarchy in the U.K.” / "Blitzkreig Bop"
10. “Home Sweet Home”
11. “Dr. Feelgood”
12. “Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)”
13. “Girls, Girls, Girls”
14. “Primal Scream”
15. “Kickstart My Heart”

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