In a recent conversation with PMTVUK’s Dagan Wilkin, Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo urged aspiring metal bass guitarists to seek out an instrument that resonates with them personally.
LoMenzo emphasized the importance of personal connection with one’s instrument, stating:
“You gotta find and pick up what you really love. This is just gear. I’m just talking about gear right now, right? Decide what you like. Do you like the boutique basses, or do you like the old-school basses? What makes you feel cool? My advice is, if you start to play, look at the bass on the won; find the sexy one. Sexy to you, not to me. I don’t care.”
Embracing Your Inner Rock God
He continued, further sharing his advice to the players:
“But with the one that makes you feel like a rock god, you are gonna play like a rock god, right? If the one that makes you feel like the jazzers, that’s gonna make you feel like holding up really high and playing like the jazzer. That’s your thing. But if you don’t find the bass sexy if you don’t want it to be that motivates you, it’s just gonna sit at the corner.”
The Journey Back To Megadeth
LoMenzo was the bassist for Megadeth during the mid-2000s and rejoined the band for the 2021 leg of The Metal Tour Of The Year as a touring member. In May 2022, it was officially announced that James would once again become a permanent member of the Megadeth family. Reflecting on his career and return to Megadeth, LoMenzo shared insights from his musical journey in a previous chat with Ashdown Engineering, explaining:
“‘Just when I thought I got out, they pull me back in again.’ No… But anyway… When they needed a bass player — it became apparent — I thought to myself, ‘They’ll probably call me up.’ But I also thought to myself, ‘It’s been a while since I played that kind of music, so maybe it’ll be great. It’ll be all right. Maybe not.’ Sure enough, the phone rings and Dave [Mustaine] is, like, ‘We’ve gotta do this Metal Tour Of The Year. James, I know you’re the guy who can do it. I would love to have you here. If you would just commit to just doing this tour, that would be great.'”
After a successful 2023 tour in Europe, Canada, and the United States, Megadeth revealed new 2024 tour dates for the Crush The World Tour. They will return to Latin America for ten concerts, starting in Lima, Peru, on Saturday, April 6. The tour will also include visits to Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.
You can check out LoMenzo’s full interview below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLyK6IlaI-c
