Who would Dave Mustaine like to see represent Megadeth if they were to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? That’s just one of the insights shared when Mustaine took part in a chat on Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show.
In the midst of a question about the current lineup, Mustaine reflected on Megadeth’s history through the years and posed the idea of the band getting “inducted into some museum” and who he’d like to be there with him.
“Would I invite all of the Megadeth players in the past? Or would I do something like what happened to me with the Hall of Fame and Metallica and I thought, “Man, I would invite them all,” revealed Mustaine. “They were all part of it. And I would invite them all and thank them and hug them and tell them I love them.”
Speaking of love, Mustaine spoke of his love of touring, sharing high praise for the band’s crew and the current lineup of bands out on the “Destroy All Enemies” tour. He also shared some of his preferred “off day” activities that he’s had other bands and crew get involved with over the years.
The singer-guitarist also dissected why he thinks he’s been able to maintain a certain level of success over the years and offered an appreciation for the uptick in his career that continues to inspire him moving forward.
Check out more of the chat below:
It’s Full Metal Jackie and I’m so excited to welcome Megadeth‘s Dave Mustaine back to the show. So the band is out on the road on the “Destroy All Enemies tour, welcoming your friends in Mudvaye and All That Remains. Dave, in a separate interview, you recently expressed your desire that this lineup would gel well on the road and hopefully get in some extra fun on off days. How far back do the relationships go and second, what are some of your favorite off day activities when you get to hang with the other bands?
Well, it depends on where you’re at, because if you’re in the States, the activities are a little different because of the sports that we all play here. You’re not going to find a lot of places in Brazil that want to have softball games.
That was one of the things we liked doing when we had big festivals that we would go out on. The last softball game we did, we had a minor league field open up for us with legitimate umpires who volunteered their time.
We asked for food donations so that we could give it to the homeless centers in town. Everybody just had a good old time. It was red against black, and I think it was bands against crews, and it was just an amazing time. We did that in New York on a proper field.
But in Europe, for example, we do go karting.
Dave, you’ve been touring a long time and have seen how bands tour and even the audiences change over time. What is the thing you most love about touring after all these years? And is there something about the touring experience you would change?
The thing I like about touring is you get to meet so many people and you get to bring joy to so many areas. When they come into town, the concert usually generates hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in revenue for the city and the building there because you think of parking, gas and all of the taxes and stuff that goes on.
Then when they get inside of the venue, there’s ticket price, there’s all the other vending things that go along with it, and basically they generate a lot of revenue for people in the community. Guys that are doing security, people that are helping backstage with hospitality and everything.
It’s just an all around good vibe. And when the crew comes in and the crew’s in a great mood, it’s infectious. I have an amazing crew.
Megadeth, “Delivering the Goods”
There have been a number of lineup changes over the years, each bringing new opportunities to redefine what Megadeth is. Teemu’s addition is the latest. How has the strengths of what he brings to the group shaped either the live show or what potentially you might do writing for what comes next? Is it more him trying to fit what you’re looking for? Does he provide you different opportunities to change things up a bit?
It’s so easy for me to say he’s better than the last guy. That looks pretty predictable and we don’t want to put down any of our alumni because they’ve all been really talented. Some of us get along, some of us don’t. And I think that’s kind of the way that the ball bounces.
People change and they move on. And I’m really happy to mull the idea over in my head. What would happen if we got inducted into some museum or something? Would I invite all of the Megadeth players in the past? Or would I do something like, what happened to me with the Hall of Fame and Metallica and I thought, “Man, I would invite them all.”
They were all part of it. And I would invite them all and thank them and hug them and tell them I love them.
Megadeth, “Trust”
Dave, what you’ve done over the years has put Megadeth in exalted status with many metal fans. But it seems like your career is as popular as it ever has been. In 2024, we’ve all seen bands tail off for one reason or another as they’ve gotten older. Has there been a secret or not so secret reason why you feel you’ve been able to maintain that level of interest and success? And how do you keep it going?
I think it was the Sid and Nancy movie, if I remember right. There was a scene in there where this one guy that was playing Johnny goes, “Boring.” I say that all the time. “Boring.” I guess my thing is trying not to be redundant.
Our music has always been, fortunately, timely and as well as timeless. I think that comes from paying attention to the people you’re around. Having grown up the way that I did, being pretty close to poverty and the environment that I was in – my mom was a maid. I was homeless for a very long time after she moved out. I was living on my own at 15.
By today’s standards, a 15-year-old kid living back in 1976, that’s like a 10-year-old today. So I learned a lot of stuff. I think part of being popular is just sharing the truth with people, man. Show them that you’re fallible.
The rock star stuff that Kurt Cobain used to have so much disdain for, I get it. But I think what he meant was the rock star pigs. I know a lot of rock stars that I really, really admire and I’ve got a lot of other people that I know that are musicians, that are considered rock stars or maybe even superstars some of them. And they’re not very nice to people.
You ask anybody on this tour, there’s 33 men that work on this tour, and one woman. You ask any of them and they will tell you, this is one of the experiences they’ve been on because we’re so friendly to everybody. One of the guys had told me that they just got off a tour and they were told not to talk to the frontman. And I thought, man, that is such a bunch of ….
READ MORE: Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine Hints at Plans for Next Album
I agree. Dave, as we look ahead, potentially to the next album, what’s inspiring you these days?
My life is in a really incredible uptick. As you say, the popularity is obviously stronger now than ever. That can be said for just about any facet of my band and my professional career. Everything is just going great. And I scratch my head. Sometimes I think I’m going to wake up and be in a van going into Wichita or someplace that’s off the beaten path and driving in a Stationwagon or something even worse.
Many thanks to Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine for the interview. Get tickets to the “Destroy All Enemies” tour through the band’s website. Stay up to date on all things Megadeth through the group’s Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify platforms. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show here.
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