In a recent appearance on the “Zach Sang Show“, legendary Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee opened up about the band’s upcoming “The Return Of Carnival Of Sins” tour, the creative struggles that led to his temporary departure from the group in the late 90s, and the undeniable chemistry that keeps the iconic rockers together today.
The highly anticipated 33-city trek, produced by Live Nation, will celebrate both the 45th anniversary of the band and the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking 2005-2006 “Carnival Of Sins” tour. Kicking off on July 17, 2026, in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, the tour will feature support from hard rock veterans Extreme and Tesla.
Speaking on the rigorous preparation for the massive summer run, Lee shared:
“We start rehearsing in — I don’t know — two weeks. So I’ll be playing every single day then. We’ve been playing these songs for so long, if anything, we’re just brushing up on some of the newer stuff. But we’ve played those songs so many times, we could all play them blindfolded, drunk and standing on your head.
Reflecting on the enduring bond and musicianship between the members of Mötley Crüe, the drummer noted that time has only strengthened their connection.
“The vibe’s cool, man. As we’ve grown, the vibe as a band has really gotten closer, and you would think it wouldn’t. We’ve gotten closer. Everybody, I think, has had enough time to kind of step back and reflect on what we’ve done together, man, and we’re still doing. Count that on one hand. There’s not a whole lot of bands that are still doing it from when we started. So we all have a big gratification, a new love, and just — I don’t know — appreciation for a lot. And we’ve been very, very fortunate,” he shared.
When asked if the band is bigger than any single member, Lee agreed, emphasizing the unique magic that occurs when the four musicians collaborate.
“Yeah… When the four of us get together, each guy brings a certain something to the party, and only those four guys can do that. You can’t really assemble it. And it’s really hard to be objective talking about yourself. You’re, like, ‘Uh, I don’t know, quite know how to answer that.’ I’ll just tell you how I feel. But it’s a trip, dude.”
As for the secret to Mötley Crüe‘s monumental success, the drummer attributed it to a mixture of elements aligning perfectly.
“The reason? Oh my God, dude… Okay. Luck, talent, timing. There’s so many reasons. I don’t know if you can necessarily just be it’s one thing. It really is a combination of timing, luck, talent, just all this stuff that somehow the universe lined up for you to go and play with,” he explained.
Despite the massive success, Lee admitted there were moments he wanted to walk away, most notably his highly publicized exit in the late 1990s.
“Oh, for sure. Oh, yeah. I mean, I actually did quit Mötley for a couple years. I was creatively dying slowly as just my personal musicianship and craft and stuff, and I needed an outlet. So I actually quit for a couple years, and that’s when I started Methods of Mayhem and started doing some solo stuff because I had to switch gears. I wasn’t able to creatively do anything outside of the Mötley format. And with my own stuff, it was a place for me — I call it the adult sandbox. Like, literally anything goes. No genres, no style — it doesn’t matter. We’re doing whatever I wanna do and just have fun with it. Creatively I needed that, ’cause I was at kind of a bad place in my life. And then I realized it sitting in jail. I was, like, ‘I gotta change something, ’cause obviously I’m here. I gotta switch it up because I gotta get happy and get out of here,'” he revealed.
The stint he referred to was his 1998 incarceration, during which he served four months following a spousal abuse conviction involving his then-wife, Pamela Anderson. Lee confirmed that his personal unhappiness was heavily linked to feeling creatively stifled.
“100%, man,” Lee said. “It’s such a big part of me. If you’re not happy creatively and you don’t feel like you’re able to constantly evolve and create and do that stuff, that’s dangerous.”
The conversation eventually shifted to his lifelong passion for music. Lee recounted early memories of pulling pots and pans from the kitchen, eventually leading to a pivotal moment when his parents finally understood his drive.
“I think so, dude, because… I mean, I wouldn’t remember, but my parents tell me, as soon as I was tall enough to reach into the silverware drawer and pull out all the pots and pans, I was just constantly playing, constantly playing. That I don’t really remember, but a little later on in life, I remember just jumping up and down on my bed playing air guitar and knowing that ‘I’m doing this’. There was no other thing. I was, like, ‘I wanna do this.’ And I remember having some funny arguments with my parents, quitting school my senior year. They’re, like, ‘Dude, just graduate. Oh my God, you only have a couple of more months. What if this music thing doesn’t work out?’ I’m, like, ‘Oh, it’s gonna work out. It’s gonna work out. It’s gonna f**king work out. I got this.’ And then the time came where both of my parents come to the Forum [in Los Angeles] and watched us on tour with Ozzy Osbourne — sold out, 18,000 people. And my mom and dad are sitting out there. And they’re looking around. The house light, the blinders go on and it lights up the whole audience. From playing my drums, I can see my parents, and both of my parents are looking around, and they’re, like, ‘F**k, he said he got it. He got it.’ ‘Cause I was, like, ‘No, I got this.’ And that look, that moment was, like, ‘Oh…’ What gets any better than that? You’re kind of going against your parents’ wishes, but you’re confident enough to know, like, ‘No, this is in me. I have to do this.’ And to be able to have them come and see that, and watching that from the stage, I’m, like… I almost started crying. I was, like, ‘This is what it’s all about. This is what it’s all about, man,'” he concluded.
Formed in 1981, Mötley Crüe has maintained its status as one of rock’s most enduring acts. During Lee‘s absence, the band recorded their 2000 studio album, New Tattoo, which stands as the only record in their catalog made entirely without him, featuring late former Ozzy Osbourne drummer Randy Castillo behind the kit.
