Megadeth guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari recently expressed his support for phone-free concerts. He shared his thoughts on the practice in an interview with Sonar FM.
The guitarist discussed his positive experience with phone bans at live shows. He explained why he believes they enhance the concert experience for both performers and audiences.
“I think that idea is really cool. I’ve been to a couple shows that had that, where you would take your phone and you would put it in a kind of a locked bag,” Mäntysaari said. “And we actually did that as well when we did our album pre-listening session in Nashville, which was like a small kind of a private VIP party for a couple hundred people. So we did that there as well, because we didn’t wanna show those songs, of course, to everybody beforehand.”
The guitarist emphasized how phone-free environments allow audiences to focus more directly on the music.
“I think that’s a cool idea, during the live shows, and those couple of bigger shows that I’ve been to where that was done, I think people really get to concentrate on the music when it’s not through the phone screen, but it’s actually direct contact,” he continued. “And I think it’s nice for the audience as well. I mean, of course it’s a kind of trade-off — then people don’t get to share the videos and photos from the show.”
Mäntysaari’s comments align with a growing trend in the metal community. Bands like Ghost have implemented similar phone-free policies at their concerts.
Mäntysaari’s perspective on phone-free concerts comes at a significant time in his career with the legendary thrash metal band. Megadeth’s official website reported that the Finnish virtuoso guitarist joined Megadeth in November 2023 as the replacement for Kiko Loureiro. He brought Nordic metal influence to the band’s sound.
The timing of his advocacy for phone bans is particularly noteworthy as Megadeth prepares for their farewell tour. Chaoszine confirmed that the band is undertaking this final tour following the release of what has been confirmed as Megadeth’s final album in January 2026.
This farewell album marks a historic milestone for both Mäntysaari and the band. Blabbermouth noted that the January 2026 release represents Megadeth’s first album featuring Mäntysaari’s contributions. The album was released through a partnership between Dave Mustaine’s Tradecraft imprint and Frontiers Label Group’s BLKIIBLK imprint.
At 38 years old, Mäntysaari brings a unique perspective to Megadeth as both the band’s youngest and newest member. His experience with phone-free environments spans from intimate album listening sessions to major concert venues. This reflects his understanding of how technology can both enhance and detract from the live music experience. As Megadeth embarks on their final chapter, Mäntysaari’s advocacy for more immersive, distraction-free concerts suggests the band’s commitment to delivering the most authentic possible experience for their fans during these farewell performances.
