Megadeth‘s Dave Mustaine opened up to Australia’s Heavy in a new interview about how he deals with having trouble hitting the same high notes as he did back in the day. He also insisted that he hates when people play the victim, so he gets on with it instead of dwelling on his emotions.
Although Mustaine has forty years under his belt, even if it’s on a rare occasion, it’s normal for musicians to feel insecure about their voice or playing skills. Mustaine had to undergo neck surgery and had a metal plate put in his spine, so it’s no wonder why the singer sometimes struggles with getting up to a certain pitch.
Metallica’s James Hetfield also had an emotional breakdown last May when the guitarist couldn’t hold back tears on stage in Estádio do Mineirão in Belo Horizonte. He revealed that sometimes his thoughts get in the way of his presence on stage, and he questions his ability as a guitarist, even his age.
Dave Mustaine’s words about not wanting to play the victim read:
“Well, I don’t know what I cannot do that I used to do 40 years ago. I think that probably the only thing I have any difficulty doing is getting up in a certain pitch now that I’ve had my neck operated on and had a metal plate put into my spine because of the damage that happened to my neck.
He added:
“It’s a wonder, based on everything that’s happened, the guy upstairs is letting me continue to do what I love. I don’t want to be a victim — I can’t stand people who play the victim — so I’m not going to give you a litany of all my injuries. But suffice to say, I feel great right now, and I don’t think there’s anything I cannot do.”
Whether it be Mustaine or Hetfield, as musicians put on years of experience, insecurities about the changes in their performances are inevitable. However, Dave dislikes playing the victim and hates it when people do. Even though there might be complications holding him back, he still believes he can do anything once he is on stage.
