Loud, Rude and Aggressive
The band formed in January 1981, with Nikki Six leaving a band called London to join the Crüe. They needed a final member, and found Mick Mars after he advertised “Loud, rude and aggressive guitarist available.” Vince Neal was friends with Tommy Lee from high school, so he was a no-brainer.
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The band spent their early years performing on the garage circuit and played their first gig at Starwood nightclub on April 24th. They decided on the name Mötley Crüe after Mars heard someone refer to them as a “motley looking crew.” The umlauts were inspired by the German beer Löwenbräu.