Nikki Sixx said Motley Crue were “proud” of drummer Tommy Lee, who’s trying to perform as much as possible despite having broken four ribs.

He left the stage after five songs in Atlanta on June 16, the first night of the Stadium Tour with Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett. Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath drummer Tommy Clufetos replaced him.

“The fact that Tommy was told by the doctor to not play with four broken ribs and he beasted half our show is a miracle,” Sixx commented via social media. “We are a band and are proud of his strength. He is doing the whole tour and day by day adding more songs. What a fucking animal. Anybody out there ever break your ribs?”

When the time came to bow out during the first show, Lee told the audience: [What] I've got to tell you is about 14 days ago, I fuckin' broke not one, not two, not three, but four fuckin' ribs… I wish I had a fuckin' badass story like me and Connor McGregor fuckin' scrapping out in some fuckin' bar or something, but I don’t.”

He continued: “The doctors told me, ‘No playing, bro. No playing.’ And I was like, ‘Are you fucking high, bro? We’ve got a fucking tour to do!’ So anyway, I ain’t sitting out for shit.” Referring to Clufetos he added: “My boy’s gonna help me out here and I’ll see you guys later. On with the goddamn show.”

Def Leppard closed the first night of the tour, amid a downpour that frontman Joe Elliott said made it the “wettest gig” they’d done since 1986. He added: “It rained all night long. But the crowd stuck with us. Nobody left. Nobody moaned. And one down, 35 to go.”

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