We all have heard the comparison between a music band members dynamics and a marriage, where relationships can be as intricate as guitar riffs.The stories behind the music created by some of our favorite bands are often as compelling as the music itself, and who would know better about that than Dave Mustaine.
Megadeth's line-up have changed more times than we can remember, and Mustaine recently acknowledged the inevitable bitterness that often accompanies someone's departure from a band, in an interview with Riff X's "Metal XS": "I think you've gotta look at the whole story. People that get fired are very rarely happy that they got fired."
However, he astutely pointed out that sometimes they're relieved deep down, as it offers an escape from a situation they no longer want to be a part of: "Sometimes they're happy they got fired because they didn't want to have to quit but they don't wanna work there anymore and they needed a reason to quit."
Mustaine delved into the long-standing relationships he's maintained with some former bandmates, emphasizing that these friendships have endured the test of time, while other use the band's name to try to stay relevant: "We've had a lot of people that have been playing with us over the years and we've maintained our friendships, and there are a couple that are very bitter, and usually the story has been played out in the press from when it happens in reality and then how long a person will keep bringing up those old stories,"
"Usually, they bring up stuff about me or about Megadeth whenever they've got a new project or they've got some concerts coming up or a new record, they'll try and pick a fight with me. And I just figure, a dog with no teeth barks the loudest. So, I don't really let people that complain about us or talk shit about our performance abilities or the songs that we write matter."
Mustaine also expressed his heartfelt sentiments about certain departed members, including his fondness for the late Gar Samuelson and Nick Menza: "The guys that we've been able to maintain friendships with, and there's a lot of them, we've been able to discuss why things happened the way that they did. I miss Gar Samuelson, I miss Nick Menza. Chris Poland and I, we settled things and there's no problems there. The second lineup with Jeff Young and Chuck Behler, Chuck and I are really close, and I've always said I thought that Jeff Young was a good performer."
"The ultimate lineup that everybody likes is the Rust In Peace lineup with Nick and Marty Friedman. And you see how Marty and I are; we just played together. So, you have to look at the guys that are talking badly about me and say, 'Okay, there's more to this story.' 'Cause if you go up to Jimmy DeGrasso or to Al Pitrelli or any of those guys, I'm sure they'd say the same thing, that we had a good run together. I got a get-well message from Shawn Drover when I had made the announcement that I had cancer. I only know of maybe one or two people from our past that have any problems with our band. And usually they won't say anything about the other guys; they'll say it about me. And believe it or not, there are more people in the press that have a problem with me than any bands out there." Mustaine added.
"There's a lot of people that don't like Megadeth or don't like me, and they don't even know me. And that's kind of funny to me, but it's also sad 'cause I would hate to miss out on really great music."
