Dave Mustaine had some interesting things to say about the potential of Megadeth touring with Metallica.
He delved into the subject in a new interview with Guitar World (h/t Blabbermouth.) Initially, he was asked about how the two bands are viewed as competitors. Mustaine said, “In my mind, there is no competition between Megadeth and Metallica. We’re different bands, and I believe Megadeth has been more consistent. But the sad thing is that the drama between us has been more popular than the music ever was.”
He added, “And remember, Metallica got a big head start, and they did so on the back of what I helped create. They became one of the biggest bands in the world, and here’s one of the biggest bands wasting their breath trying to discredit me by saying, ‘Dave’s not a good guitar player.’ Excuse me, what the f-ck did you say? [Laughs]”
Mustaine continued, “I think I wrote many of the songs that made you famous, so you probably should recheck that bullsh-t statement. But this is the sh-t those guys say, and you’ve got the sheep who follow them around believing it.”
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But wait…there’s more!
The Megadeth singer/guitarist added, “The issue is that people don’t know their history and take sides. I never wanted to take sides; I wanted things to be reconciled and to be friends, but for whatever reason, they didn’t. And Metallica is represented by the same agent as Megadeth, and I’ve asked our agent, ‘You’re Metallica’s agent, too; why won’t those guys play with us? What are they afraid of?’ And they’ve confirmed they’re going out [this summer] with Five Finger Death Punch and the Pantera thing, so it’s clearly about the money.”
Mustaine further drove home his point saying, “The fact is simple: the world wants to see Megadeth and Metallica play together. And in case anyone is wondering: there’s f-cking money in that. The fans want to see Metallica and Megadeth share the stage. Does Megadeth need Metallica? No. But Metallica talks about their fans, but they don’t give them what they’ve been asking for. What are they afraid of? I don’t know. It’s not me; it’s them.”
In other Megadeth news: The band is reuniting with guitarist Marty Friedman at an upcoming show at Tokyo’s Budokan. The Budokan show is taking place on February 27 and is the first time Megadeth is playing in the renowned arena. The show will be livestreamed worldwide via Dreamstage with advanced digital tickets retailing for $15.
This show marks the first time in 23 years Friedman will perform with Megadeth. The guitarist’s tenure with the band lasted ten years from 1990-2000.