INTERVIEW WITH DAVE MUSTAINE, MARTY FRIEDMAN AND JIMMY DEGRASSO
Megadeth members, Mustaine, Friedman, and DeGrasso, express their deep affection for Argentina, guaranteeing they will visit the country before the end of the year to present 'Risk', and Friedman even mentions wearing an Argentine national team soccer jersey at concerts. The band highlights the passion and warmth of the Argentine audience, considering it incomparable. They reflect on their participation in Woodstock 1999, which they see as 'work' and 'chaos', and discuss the success of new bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit, whom they see as catalysts for rediscovering the genre. Finally, Mustaine reiterates the anecdote of his departure from Metallica, joking that he kicked them out.
Date
September 1, 1999
Media
Revista La García (AR)
Interviewer
La García
Interviewees
Rolling Stone
You know that you are very well received in Argentina. Do you plan to go this year?
Dave Mustaine
“We don't have this year's tour planned yet, but I can guarantee you that before the end of the year we will be in Argentina presenting Risk.”
Rolling Stone
Marty Friedman
“For us, Argentina is very important, as important as being here at Woodstock, and we always love going there. We love Argentina and many Argentinians love us.”
Rolling Stone
Marty Friedman
“Uh!., the Boca jersey, thank you, it's Maradona's team's jersey - addressing Mustaine - and look, it has the beer advertisement.”
Rolling Stone
What difference do you notice between the Argentine and North American audiences?
Dave Mustaine
“I think that in South America and particularly in Argentina people are hotter and experience the concerts more. It's part of them. When we play there it makes me want to get off the stage and be part of the audience. They seem to be having the best time of their lives and they make us feel the same way we are on stage.”
Rolling Stone
What did it mean to be at Woodstock?
Jimmy DeGrasso
“We went out to see several concerts at Woodstock and for us this was partly work and partly vacation.”
Rolling Stone
Dave Mustaine
“Woodstock for any band was half work and half fun.”
Rolling Stone
How do you take the fact that you were assigned to play on the small stage at the same time that the Chilli Peppers were closing on the big one?
Dave Mustaine
“We loved being at Woodstock, although we know that we played at the same time as the festival closed on the main stage. But either way it's good to be part of a festival of this size, and if you look at the schedules, the ones who actually closed Woodstock were us.”
Rolling Stone
What do you think about the success that metal bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit or Kid Rock are having in the United States?
Dave Mustaine
“It's very good, people are rediscovering a genre that seemed only destined for some "violent" people. Now what is missing, and is slowly being fulfilled, is that they return to the lost years, to the sources. And we are part of those sources.”
Rolling Stone
What did you like about the Woodstock audience?
Dave Mustaine
“It's good because they are relaxed. They have no more worries than deciding which band to see and which not to. Besides, I love it when they surf over people's heads. I liked doing it, but I don't do it anymore, I don't crowd-surf anymore. The bad thing is that sometimes some stupid person ruins everything and I can't stop the show because of one person and say "until they take him out I won't continue", because the rest would kill him. Now that I think about it a little more, playing at Woodstock is not so good, because heterogeneous audiences mix. Well, yes, it's good here because it's special, but mega-concerts don't fascinate me.”
Rolling Stone
Lately you have been immersed in recording the new album, what do you enjoy more: recording or touring?
Dave Mustaine
“Both things are very fun and are a consequence of the other. If you don't record you don't have new material to go on tour. And if you don't tour, you don't record because no one knows you.”
Rolling Stone
Dave, for the last time, were you kicked out of Metallica?
Dave Mustaine
“No, I kicked them out.”