John 5 described an emotional moment after his first performance with Mötley Crüe, when two members of his favorite band attended at his invitation, speaking on Guitar World.
The guitarist explained that Ace Frehley and Peter Criss from KISS came to support him at the show. John 5 said he invited them personally, and both members made the journey to attend.
“My first and favorite band is Kiss,” John 5 told Guitar World. “And Ace and Peter came to the first Mötley show. And so I invited them and they drove, they drove, you know, 2 hours each.”
When he came off the stage after the performance, the response from the crowd was positive. However, the moment became unexpectedly intense for John 5.
“I got off the stage and everyone was like, ‘That was awesome.’ And I burst out into tears for some reason. Like uncontrollably.”
He described the overwhelming nature of the experience. “It was just so, so much emotion. It was so weird, you know, to have my heroes there and playing with Mötley Crüe and all that stuff.”
The emotional response came from the unique combination of factors in that moment: performing with the legendary hard rock band while members of his childhood favorite watched from the crowd.
The moment John 5 experienced after leaving the stage was driven by the convergence of several significant elements in his life. He had been invited to join Mötley Crüe, one of hard rock’s most iconic bands, marking a major point in his career. At the same time, he was able to share this achievement with members of KISS, the band that shaped his musical identity from childhood.
For John 5, KISS represented more than just a favorite group—they were his first musical influence, the foundation of his passion for rock and guitar. Having Ace Frehley and Peter Criss present at his debut Mötley Crüe performance meant his heroes were witnessing him play at a level he had long aspired to reach.
The intensity of his emotional response reflected the personal significance of that single evening. It brought together his past, his heroes, and his present achievement in one place, creating an experience he found almost overwhelming to process in the moment.
