„Хората са се сменили, но песента е същата…“ – интервю с DAVE MUSTAINE (MEGADETH)

In the late spring evening of 15th June we are about to taste the music and experience the energy of MEGADETH. But in the afternoon we had much more important and pleasant task – to meet DAVE MUSTAINE himself, the man who has been leading the band successfully for over 40 years through difficulties and risings.
(there are questions by „HEAD CRUSHER – Megadeth Bulgarian Fan Club“ in the interview)

METAL HANGAR 18: Hi Dave! We are glad that finally we can meet and talk with the patron of our site. We would like to say that with huge respect to MEGADETH it was named after the song. But have you ever been to Hangar 18 in Area 51? What would you like to see there, if you could go?

DAVE MUSTAINE: No, I haven’t been in the real Hangar 18. It’s top secret, it’s classified. I know people that have been there, they are military guys and my friends, but I haven’t been there. I don’t have a reason to be there. The guy who believed in martians is Nick Menza. I wrote Hangar 18, I wrote what Hangar 18 was called before. It used to be called N2RHQ. I watched an airplane go by one day and it had numbers on its tail N2RHQ and said „That’s clever like it’s heading into our headquarters“. That’s when I started to write the lyrics for Hangar 18 and the lyrics didn’t change much from N2RHQ to Hangar 18. There was, I think, only one line that got changed. But it’s a cool song.

METAL HANGAR 18: Let’s share something funny with you. Here, in Bulgaria, on 1st April we tell jokes and incredible stories and we try to make others believe the stories. Some years ago, on 1st April we published an article that your attorneys are going to file a copyright lawsuit against our site. And a lot of people believed it.

DAVE MUSTAINE: So what happened? You told them it wasn’t true, alright?

METAL HANGAR 18: Of course we did! Do you believe there has been any change of the leading world figures on the political arena since the time of Symphony of Destruction?

DAVE MUSTAINE: The people have changed but the song is the same….

METAL HANGAR 18: If you had the power to shape the brain of the current leading politicians to stop the war conflicts and aggression, which MEGADETH album would you make them listen to on repeat mode?

DAVE MUSTAINE: MEGADETH „Greatest Hits“ record, that or a live record, whatever they can get most songs. I have over 200 songs so it’s really hard to pick. I think probably the closest thing to a guide book on „How to be a decent human being – for politicians“ I would say probably listen to „Countdown to Extinction“ and „Rust In Peace“, probably listen to „Endgame„, „The System has Failed„, surely listen to „Dystopia“ and „The Sick, The Dying… and the Dead“. But probably the easiest thing will be to listen to „The Greatest Hits“ package.

METAL HANGAR 18: During the years you participated in a lot of projects – you produced the first album of SANCTUARY, produced Dan Spitz’s RED LAMB. You have a project with Lee Ving – MD.45. Do you still have time for such activities and do you plan something new in that direction?

DAVE MUSTAINE: I would do it if it was the right thing. A lot of people do these projects because it’s fun, but the majority of people do it for money. And I wouldn’t do it for the money. I would do it because it was the right thing to do. And I wouldn’t do it cause it’s fun. I would do it because it would be an artistic statement for me of stuff that I cannot say in music expression with MEGADETH. You know MD.45 was more of the punky kind of staff that I have inside of myself, but listening back to it now I think probably it should have been something else. I know that the fans really disliked Lee things. I like Lee, I thought he was a really neat guy and a great singer.

METAL HANGAR 18: You have worked with tons of musicians. Did you remain a close friend with somebody, in terms of common family meetings and BBQs or you just don’t mix professional life with personal?

DAVE MUSTAINE: With musicians in other bands? No. My personal life is very personal and when I have a friend., it’s because he’s a friend, not a fan, pretending to be a friend. I don’t have a lot of friends and I like that. A lot of my friends are people I got into a business relationship with and became friends with, but it’s not always like that. And a lot of times when I meet normal people that I don’t know, they are doing it because they want to meet a celebrity. Sometimes they don’t even know who I am! It’s like:
„Oohh, take a picture with me!“
„And what is my name?“
„I don’t know, just takе a picture!“
„OK my name is Danny!“

METAL HANGAR 18: Let’s focus on the new album. You made a lot of videos for it, kind of mini Hollywood productions. Is it important nowadays to make videos for the songs to popularize them? Isn’t it too exhausting or just the opposite – it’s inspiring?

DAVE MUSTAINE: I wasn’t in the videos, so I didn’t really have to experience any of the hard work there. My job was basically talking about the ideas a little bit and come over stuff. I was looking at the work as it ran along and making the executive director’s decisions and comments. I think it was a mini Hollywood production and I think it was great. I’m actually disappointed we didn’t finish the book because the songs are all chapters in the book of „The Sick, The Dying… and The Dead„. But (whispering and showing 6 fingers)…, don’t tell anybody… and we may do it…

METAL HANGAR 18: How has the collaboration for „Night Stalkers – Chapter II“ with ICE-T worked? Why did you choose to work with ICE-T?

DAVE MUSTAINE: Cause he is better than VANILLA ICE. (we all laugh)

METAL HANGAR 18: Do you listen to new music and new bands in fact? What sounds on your tour bus during this tour?

DAVE MUSTAINE: Nothing! Nothing’s playing on the tour bus, everybody’s on their phone. I get on the bus and that’s what I do: I walk up the steps, I drop my backpack and my stuff and I walk back on the bus and I get something to drink, and I walk back up the bus, and I flop onto the bed, and fall asleep till the morning. And in morning time I get up – coffee first, and go to ask the driver „Next gas station you stop please, cause I am hungry“ and then that’s it. These guys may listen to music, I know that our drummer Dirk Verbeuren is a huge music aficionado and vinyl collector and I know he likes to listen to music a lot. Sometimes I really need to have some silence, and quiet in my head, just so that I can think. But I love listening to music. I remember when I first got my very first pair of digital headphones, and I was listening to vinyl. I remember the very first song, it was the PINK FLOYD „Wish You Were Here“ record. First time ever – brand new record, brand new cartridge, digital headphones. I had never heard digital headphones before that, and my world was blown. The same thing when I heard my first CD… I had THE CULT „Electric“ (1987), „Wild Flower“ song, hearing that on CD… I thought I had never heard music up until then.

METAL HANGAR 18: In case APOCALYPTICA want to make a cover or covers of MEGADETH, would you agree?

DAVE MUSTAINE: I am not really attracted to cover songs. I know they are a METALLICA cover band that plays string instruments…

(a loud clatter of metal poles is being heard in the background… Dave stops talking and is listening)

DAVE MUSTAINE: Drum solo…

METAL HANGAR 18: You may use it in next album… (we all laugh)

METAL HANGAR 18: Your family keeps on growing. Congratulations for your granddaughter! You should be a proud grandfather, I guess? Does this mean that you are going to lessen the touring with the band and spend more time with your family?

DAVE MUSTAINE: Does it mean that? No. I will probably keep touring, maybe not as much as the smaller bands as we used to. Because now MEGADETH is more popular now than we have ever been. So we are playing bigger places and when you play bigger places you don’t need to play as much. When you play in front of 10 000 people one time, you don’t have to play in front of 2 000 people 10 times, because you never make that step to the next level if you don’t take risks. I love how we’ve been growing here, we started small, we did the BIG 4 thing and then we kept building on our own. And now we have our own relationship with people here and that’s wonderful!

METAL HANGAR 18: What are your final words to the team and readers of MetalHnagar18.com and the fans of MEGADETH?

DAVE MUSTAINE: Thanks for making the site! It’s cool! I have to check it out now. And I wish you the best of luck with all of your hopes and wishes with Hangar 18. I hope you’ll have a good time tonight, and to all of your listeners, thank you guys. I’m glad that you listen and read and watch and hear. I hope all of you are here tonight and you guys got to see how cool these guys are coming back here and getting some interview footage for you. I love you guys and I’ll see you tonight! Cheers! Bye bye!