DAVID ELLEFSON Says DAVE MUSTAINE ‘Hated Playing Before SLAYER’ On 2010 Tour
Former MEGADETH bassist opens up about the tensions during the Jägermeister Music Tour with SLAYER and ANTHRAX.
Summary
- David Ellefson says Dave Mustaine always disliked MEGADETH playing before SLAYER, even dating back to the 1980s.
- The 2010 Jägermeister tour lineup featured ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, and SLAYER, but couldn’t use the Clash of the Titans name.
- Ellefson believes the middle slot was the best, calling it ’the creamy center’ because all fans stayed for MEGADETH’s set.
Dave Mustaine wasn’t happy with his spot on the lineup during MEGADETH’s tours with SLAYER, according to former bandmate David Ellefson.
In a recent episode of The David Ellefson Show podcast (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH), the former MEGADETH bassist spoke about the 2010 Jägermeister Music Tour.
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That tour featured a classic thrash trio: MEGADETH, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX.
Ellefson said MEGADETH played before SLAYER on that tour, just like they had in the past. “Dave hated playing before Slayer,” Ellefson said. “We’ve always played before Slayer, even back in the club days in 1985.”
He explained that SLAYER often closed the shows because they formed earlier than MEGADETH. This meant they usually got the final spot on the bill.
Still, Ellefson said the middle slot, where MEGADETH performed, had its benefits. “That middle slot is always the best,” he said. “All the Anthrax fans are still there, and Slayer fans have to stay, so we got everybody.”
Although the tour lineup mirrored the iconic Clash of the Titans tour from 1991, they couldn’t use that name. “They had made another movie with that title since then,” Ellefson said. “So we called it the Jägermeister tour instead.”
MEGADETH’s longtime frontman, Dave Mustaine, has spoken in the past about his frustrations with how bands were treated on major tours.
In a 2018 interview, he said he wanted all groups to get equal time and stage space during the “Big Four” shows that also featured METALLICA, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX.
Mustaine was once a member of METALLICA before forming MEGADETH. Over the years, he has mended fences with his former bandmates. But according to Ellefson, the feeling of being ranked below others on the lineup lingered.
“Dave was never thrilled about it,” Ellefson said, “but that was just the way it always went.”
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Despite his reputation, the Megadeth frontman surprised DiGiorgio with his attitude in the studio.
