In a new interview with Tulsa Music Stream, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson opened up about the pressure the band members felt while in Megadeth and their unspoken ‘Metallica rule.’ Referring to Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine’s bitter relationship with Metallica for decades, Ellefson said:
“Listen, I said that just kind of as a joke. In the other band I was in, you would not show up at soundcheck with a Metallica shirt on. I mean, trust me. And anyone who’s been even close to that would understand — certainly every band member would go, ‘Oh, yeah. No, there’s no fucking way you’d be wearing a Metallica shirt.”
Speaking about the newfound freedom in his post-Megadeth career phase, Ellefson expressed a sense of newfound liberty. He said the following:
“Totally. A hundred percent. And again, I don’t wanna go back into all that, but for sure. I feel really a newfound liberty.”
Ellefson was fired from Megadeth in May 2021, days after sexually explicit messages and explicit video footage featuring the bassist were posted on the social media platform X.
David Ellefson Frequently Attended Metallica Shows
As David Ellefson has been away from the band for two years, he has recently had some interactions that have caught the attention of the Metallica fans. Earlier this year, he posted on social media that he had attended one of Metallica’s M72 concerts.In a recent interview with the Mike Nelson Show, Ellefson said that he had attended Metallica concerts in the past. He said:
“I’ve always gone to see Metallica. I remember going with Dave [Mustaine] to see them when they played with — the ‘Kill ‘Em All For One’ with Raven. And they came through and they played at the Country Club in L.A. where we lived at the time, and seeing them play. I’m going, ‘Fuck. Okay. So this is it.’”
Sharing another Metallica concert moment of his, Dave Ellefson added:
“So, look, Metallica broke down the barriers, they led the way. I remember when we were recording Countdown To Extinction, I went down to go see Metallica, I think it was, like, five nights at the Forum in L.A. And I went down to go see ’em. And I remember coming back [to the studio] the next day and [producer] Max Norman was, like, ‘So how was it, mate?’ And I said, ‘You know what? I’m not gonna lie. It was fucking awesome.’”
Ellefson Was Shy To Tell Mustaine About The Metallica Shows He Went To
After leaving the band, Ellefson often spoke of the intense effect Dave Mustaine had on the members of Megadeth. In another segment of his interview with Mike Nelson, he talked about how he was afraid to tell Dave Mustaine that he went to Metallica concerts. He said:
“And I remember I was kind of shy about letting Dave know that I went down to go see Metallica. And I remember Max(the producer at that time) was like, ‘You should tell him the truth, mate. You should tell them they’re fucking amazing. Like, let’s fucking go. Let’s be as great as Metallica,’ you know? And I was, like, ‘Well, you don’t have to be in a band every day. You’re just making a record with us.’”
You can watch the whole interview below.
