John 5 on his dream touring band, unreleased Marilyn Manson songs, and searching for the holy grail of Kiss Memorabilia | Interview

"I always loved things when they were pushed to the limit". John 5 on his dream touring band, unreleased Marilyn Manson songs, and searching for the holy grail of Kiss Memorabilia

He’s a guitar virtuoso whose career is as eclectic as his playing style. From the industrial-metal chaos of Marilyn Manson to a nearly two-decade reign with the macabre maestro Rob Zombie, he’s a musician who has consistently redefined his sound.

But he's not just a hired gun. With a prolific solo career, he's proven himself a master of everything from shred and metal to country and bluegrass, all while sporting his signature ghoulish grin. Now, he's taken on one of the most iconic roles in rock history, stepping in as the lead guitarist for the one and only Mötley Crüe.

Ahead of his UK tour this year Guitar Interactive Magazine’s Rich Shaw sat down with the enigmatic and exceptionally talented John 5. This is a conversation you don't want to miss.

I've been a big fan for a long time, since the ‘Mechanical Animals’ days, so it's been a while.

 “That's wonderful. Thank you.”

So obviously we're here today to promote your UK tour, which I was actually at the last time you were here in Sheffield.

 “Oh, wonderful!”

And my first question is, why has it been so long?

 “You know, that's a wonderful question. I've been doing so many things. Like, when touring season is here and writing records and doing soundtracks and recording and touring and all that stuff… and you have to believe this — it's so hard to believe — but I'm like, I want to get over to Europe, I want to get over to the UK. And I'm like, I've talked to my agent so much about this. And I said, 'Here's the deal, I'm going to Europe, I'm going to UK this year.' And they're like, 'Well, you got a Mötley Crüe tour.' You know, that's when you get home, it will be like a week that you'll have home. And I said, 'I just want to get over there so bad.' And that's what I'm going to do. And I just made a pact with myself — and I'm not afraid to say this to you and to people listening — is I want to come there every other year now. So here in the States, play Canada, maybe South America and Mexico, and then come to UK/Europe like every other year. And so this is going to be the start of that. You're not going to get rid of me. You're going to be seeing me quite often.”

That's excellent news as a fan, and I'm sure a lot of people watching and listening will be very happy to hear that, because we've been waiting for a solo tour for a while. As a fan, I've been watching you do the North American run with Richie Kotzen, for example.

 “Oh, it's a killer lineup!”

Imagine if it came over here! And so one of my questions is, with you and Richie touring together, would you ever consider doing a collaboration? Was there any ever talk of an actual release of a single or an EP? Or has it always been, 'No, this was just a touring thing'? And if not Richie, would you do it with other artists?

 “Well, I want to come over there with — what would be awesome to me is like Marty Friedman, Richie Kotzen, myself. Or, you know, it'd be crazy — you know, it'd be great — which I think people would enjoy, is me and Buckethead coming over there.”

Oh, that would be amazing!

 “Yeah. And just so every time I come, it's going to be something different. It's going to be something different every time I come over there. So yeah, I'm happy you asked that question.”

Brilliant. I'm trying to think of questions that you won't be asked a lot. I know you're a busy guy who does a lot of press.

 “Well, no, that was wonderful too.”

And so, working with other artists — obviously it's no secret that you've played with a lot of artists. And as I say, my introduction to you was with Manson, and obviously the first thing you played on was ‘Astonishing Panorama of the End Times’. So I'm curious how that came about, because it almost felt like Manson was going, 'Here's our new guitar player, here's what he can do.' So I'm curious about the making of that song in particular and how that came to be — how involved you were, was it entirely Manson's idea, was it a very collaborative idea, or was it you coming in going, 'I've got some riffs'?

 "It's very strange, because working with so many artists over the years, you have a connection, and it's so hard to explain. It's just, you know, when you have a connection with somebody, like a friend or something, you're like, 'Oh, I really get along with this person.' And Manson is one of those people that I have that connection with. So we got in the studio — I don't remember what that song was for, if it was for ‘MTV Celebrity Deathmatch' or if it was like a single or something — but we got in there and it all just came together. You know, me and Twiggy were working, and then he said, 'Just go nuts.' And I went nuts, you know, in there with the solo and things like that. Then when we started writing, it all flowed — ‘Fight Song’, ‘Disposable Teens’, ‘Mob Scene', ‘The New Shit', ‘The Nobodies’ — all these songs just were coming, coming, coming, coming, coming. And it was really something else. You know, we were just like single after single after single after single. It was just like the record company was like, 'These are all great, you know, we love all these songs.' And so we just had a lot of success together. And it's wonderful. You know what, I'm going to tell you a secret. I'm going to tell you a little secret.”

Okay, I'm all ears.

  “So, you know, me and Manson are friends. And we got together just to, you know, work on some stuff — because he was getting, he was like, 'Oh, let's come up with a couple of riffs or something like that.' But nothing for anything, it was just like friends getting together, just messing around, you know, in the studio or something. And I will tell you — I will listen back to that — and it is the most aggressive, exciting Manson music I think I've ever heard. It's unbelievable. And it's just sitting on my phone. So yeah. But it's cool. It's like, it's just a couple of friends getting together, you know, and hanging out and doing that stuff. But that's the kind of connection you have with people. That's the thing.”

  It's always easier when the connection is there first. When you join these kinds of bands — people can play, especially if they've already had a certain degree of success — but when you come in as a new guy and you go, 'This is just easy.' And like that period of ‘Holywood' and ‘The Golden Age of Grotesque’, it did seem like hit, hit, hit, hit, hit. And it was just a certain magic you all had back then.

 “Yeah, it is. But it's funny, because 'back then' doesn't really matter. It's the two people getting together. And I think that's what the magic is. And of course there are so many artists, so many artists, that have that connection — that are like, 'Oh wow, I have this connection with this person.’"

One hundred percent. And working with other artists, like even as purely a session player, and sometimes as a songwriter — do you find that's the same thing? Like, you're working with someone like Rod Stewart, Dolly Parton, Meatloaf. I'm always curious: is that spark got to be there in order to work with them? Has there been anyone you've sat down with and it's kind of been like, 'I don't know how this is going to work,' even though it could be a huge career opportunity, and it's just not clicked?

 “No, no, no, it's not. I was — sometimes I'll get called in for sessions, like Ricky Martin. And I was like, 'I wonder what — you know, because I know Ricky Martin music and I'm familiar with it — I wonder what he's going to want, what kind of thing he's going to want.' But which came out amazing, and the record did huge, you know? So I think, me being such a fan of artists that I've worked with — like Dolly Parton or Rod Stewart — I know their catalog as well as they do. And I think it helps a lot, because when they reference something — like, you know, I love Rob Zombie and I love White Zombie, and me and Rob had a really great connection too with writing. And we would just — he would reference something from like White Zombie or ‘Hellbilly Deluxe’ or something like that. So I would know everything. And I think that helps a lot — having such respect for that artist.”

Absolutely Now, I was in a similar situation working with a pretty famous metal band, and it was one of those things when I was asked to write, it's like, 'I know the back catalog.' So it's like, this is almost a template to work with and then take it further.

And I'm always curious to ask any musician this, if you'll indulge me — because you have a very unique sound. It's what makes me and many others a fan. A very unique tone and playing style that is all your own. You can't say there's another John 5. And I'm always curious: when did that sound happen? Especially as a session player, because you're brought in to play on something. They don't want the John 5 with all the crazy tricks. They want some straight rhythm comping, or they just want a radio-rock-friendly solo to go on it that's not too out there. So when did the John 5 sound happen? Was it bubbling in the background while you're doing the session thing? Was it always there from an early age? Was it kind of unleashed when you joined a certain band, where it's like, 'Now I can be the full version of what I wanted to be'?

 “I think you're hitting exactly what you wanted to do, and you ask great questions. So I believe — because there are so many records that I play on that you would have no idea that it was me, because I'm asked to do this or that, or jazz, or something like that — but I think that crazy, fanatic playing really happened probably in the early years of high school, because I love Kiss. So I was obsessed with Kiss and Randy Rhoads and all this stuff. But when Yngwie Malmsteen came out, and Paul Gilbert, and even John McLaughlin, or anything like that, or Chet Atkins, or Roy Clark, or even Vinnie Vincent — the Vinnie Vincent Invasion — all the frantic craziness… I always loved things when they were pushed to the limit. Someone riding a bike and doing tricks, or someone playing piano, or playing violin, or a sports figure who is at their pinnacle. I really always enjoyed that. And I think that's when I heard people playing guitar like that, I was like, 'Oh my God.' And it just really triggered something for me. I don't know. But that's my — I know it's not the best answer, but it's the honest answer.”

It's just in your fingers. It's in your DNA and things like that.

I'm just always curious about any musician who's got such an identifiable sound. It's like, how did that happen? Especially when people have it from such a young age. It's like, Slash has always sounded like Slash. Some people, they take decades to find their sound, and some people just have it from day one. And I'm always curious where along the line that happens.

 “I was — and I'm not name-dropping or anything, but I'm giving a really good example. I would talk to Eddie Van Halen, and he would always say — because he loves playing guitar, obviously we all know that — but he said, 'You know, I got on his guitar' — with his gear — 'and played, and it's the same gear he was using, same guitar, but it didn't sound like him.' But he said, 'I can pick up an acoustic guitar and sound like me.' And I just thought that was so right on the money. It's just in your fingers. It's in your DNA and things like that.”

Exactly. I've been very fortunate to play through a replica of Brian May's rig. I was incredibly disappointed to find out I sounded like me.

 “Yeah. Isn't that funny? It's just funny. But you're you. And that's what's important. You're you. And that's something that no one can take away from you. And I think that's really important.”

Speaking of Kiss, I'm also a huge Kiss fan. And I agree with you — ‘Unmasked’ is one hell of an underrated album. And obviously, for those who don't know, check out John's other Instagram account: Knight's In Satan’s Service — the kind of memorabilia and kind of museum you have.

 “Yeah, it's insane.”

My question related to Kiss and specifically your collection is: do you have any new additions?

 “Oh, always.”

Also, do you have a prized possession? And is there something that you're after that is just like the Holy Grail — it’s just been unobtainable?

 “So yes, there's always something new. There's always something new. But I will tell you what I am going to — that is coming, being delivered tomorrow — what I do when there's a big delivery: I put my amp, have my guitar, I have some water, and I'm watching for the mailman to come, because sometimes they'll just knock on the door or ring the bell and get out of there really quick, because this is L.A. — there's a zillion people. So I have Peter Criss's — you know what, I'm going to show you. I'm going to show you a picture of what's coming. Hold on. Stand by. Stand by. Stand by. You're going to like this. Okay. So what I have coming — and I'll take this out of here — is I have these boots coming. So luckily, people get a hold of me because here, I'm just not collecting and going, 'Oh, look at my collection.' I'm preserving all these things and documenting all these things."

You're a historian.

 “And it's important, because if not, it's just going to sit in some attic or some closet, and it's going to be thrown away, or it's going to be in a fire or a flood or God knows what. But yeah, so I'm getting those tomorrow, which you'll see them on the Instagram — I'll post them. And then my prized possession is the Gene Simmons outfit from 1974, the one with the skull on it. His very first one. And then my Holy Grail — I can't say it. The reason why is someone will be like, 'Oh, I heard John talking on an interview that this is his Holy Grail.' So this will go up in value a zillion dollars. But I'll tell you when we stop recording.”

That'll be amazing. Now, I don't want to keep you. I know time is pressing. You're a very busy man doing a lot of press today. So for those in the UK, especially — John is on tour in May 2026. He's coming to Southampton, Exeter, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Chester, Wolverhampton, London, Milton Keynes, Southend-on-Sea, and Brighton. And other than the tour in May, what's the rest of the year looking like for you?

 “So then when I get back, I have a few days off. Then I start Mötley Crüe rehearsals. And then we're doing a big summer tour here. And then, yeah, that's it.”

Any new music?

 “I have a guitar coming out. The Phantom, the black guitar I play all the time. So I've recorded a song called ‘The Phantom’, just like I've recorded a song called ‘The Ghost’ for the Ghost guitar. And so I'm recording that. It's a crazy song. And then I've also done a cover of 'Mr. Sandman’, which I loved that song when I was growing up. It's an amazing song, and it scared me. I don't know why it scared me, but it scared me. And I was so little, you know. So I was always obsessed with that song. So — you know what, I'll put it up on my Instagram today. I'll play it for you and put it on my Instagram. So you'll hear it. But yeah, I'm always recording new songs and things like that.”

Amazing. I can't wait to hear it. All the best for the tour, all the best for the year. I'm super excited. Hopefully I'll come down to a show and we'll get to hang.

 “Please. Yes. Thank you.”

Thank you so much, John. Take care and I'll see you soon.

 “Take care.”

Catch John 5 on tour! For more information and tickets visit: https://john-5.com/main/