Guitarist John 5 is taking his band, John 5 and the Creatures, on tour for the first time since he joined Motley Crue. The tour starts early next year.
On a recent episode of “The Kenny Aronoff Sessions,” a podcast helmed by veteran drummer Kenny Aronoff, John 5 talked about his musical influences and cited his five guitar heroes. He also had high praise for rock legends AC/DC.
“I had many, many epiphanies,” John 5 said. “I think it was Hendrix because I saw the Woodstock thing on cable TV when it first came on. Hendrix, and then it would go to Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads and Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert. But luckily, I still — I’m always searching, always. Oh my God, I love it. ‘Cause I can learn so many new things. I learn everything, everything. I’m always studying. I love it.”
John 5 said the simplicity of AC/DC is what makes the band so special.
“The simplicity of even — and you can say anything like Buddy Holly or AC/DC,” he said. “AC/DC, you hear at the beginning of ‘Highway To Hell’, and you’re, like, ‘Oh my God.’ It changed the world. I mean, three chords… You’re, like, ‘Oh my God.’ It just changed the whole world. How is that possible? How? It’s something you cannot describe. And back in the mid-’70s when they were doing it, still today when they just played, and we’re in 2023, and they played in front of 10 billion people — people loving it. And that says something. It doesn’t have to always be technical. It’s like doing research of just things that were, like, rip your heart out.”
The entire interview can be viewed below.
