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Re: Dave Mustaine: "Buckethead is better than me and Slash combined"
That's terrible,' Dave Mustaine says to me, his eyes fixed on my sleeveless, inked forearm. 'I'm looking at your tat. I get it. A musician broke your heart.' Not quite'¦ Well, wait'¦ yes. One did. I shift in my seat; the Megadeth frontman has just outed me. I resist the urge to move my arm from sight; the tattoo - a beamed eighth note anchored by two halves of a heart - is as subtle as a scarlet letter. This wasn't how I expected our conversation to start - about vulnerability, or about me - but then again, Mustaine has never been one to mince words. He knows what I know - that if you live in Hollywood long enough, especially if you work in the music industry, your heart will endure its fair share of beatings.
Young and talented, armed with attitude and a drinking problem, at 21-years-old Mustaine endured one of the most famous break-ups in metal history when he was kicked out of Metallica in 1983. The band packed his bags and put him on a Greyhound bus to Los Angeles, just before recording it's full length debut, Kill '˜Em All.
But rather than put down his guitar, Mustaine formed Megadeth that same year and has since sold over 20 million albums, been nominated for seven Grammys, and established himself as a thrash metal pioneer.
I met with Mustaine alone in a small practice room at the Guitar Center Hollywood, just after he'd finished giving a music lesson to a young contest winner, and a few hours before his Guitar Center Sessions speaking engagement. Outside the building, a line of fist-pumping, horn-throwing longhairs waited; Fans snaked for blocks down Hollywood Boulevard, chanting Mustaine's name, shouting Megadeth lyrics -- riled up and ready for an evening of conversation with their hero.
Erin Broadley: What got you involved with the Guitar Center Sessions? Their tag line is 'Education-Conversation-Inspiration.' Do you think there's a dialog lacking between musicians and their audiences these days?
Dave Mustaine: I think that this is something that's been necessary for a long time. In the NFL they have a rookie camp where they tell the rookies, 'Hey listen, as soon as you get that helmet and your shoulder pads, those bitches are going to be coming for your money,' you know? They don't do that in the music industry. And what happens, you take some guy that realistically couldn't get laid in a women's prison, and you give him a guitar, and it's successful, and all of a sudden'¦
EB:
Just throw him into the lion pit.
DM:
[Laughs] Yeah. It's like veal. And then SHE comes along. Now, she's not Mrs. Right'¦ she's Mrs. Right Now. And you end up making stupid decisions and you get yourself in over your head. When I first came to Los Angeles, I didn't plan on staying; it was just to come up here, get a band together, and get back out on the road. And I found that just about everybody that's in the music scene here is from somewhere [else]. We're all just a bunch of sojourners, aren't we? Just troubadours.
EB:
Gypsies.
DM:
Yeah, listening to music and finding someone that digs life, you know. There's so many fucking uptight people in this business'¦
EB:
It's weird that really uptight individuals exist in a medium where its all about expression and creativity.
DM:
M-hmm. Yeah, it's a dichotomy.
EB:
One thing you've said before is that when you were growing up you had people like Angus Young or Jimmy Page to look up to, but that now you don't see a lot of virtuosos in metal bands.
DM:
Yeah'¦
EB:
Why do you think that is?
DM:
I think the reason that there are no, or not as many, guitar virtuosos right now is we went through a 10 year period when Linkin Park had come out and bands like Limp Bizkit that had a lot of success that were based on urban lifestyle and, uh, that whole hip hop, yo yo yo'¦ Dude, you don't have any soul, you've got no funk, and you're fucking white as far as I can tell, [laughs] you don't have any rhythm. I'm not a racist or anything like that, and I certainly know there's great rappers in all different walks of life, but when you take away the guitar solos'¦ people think that's the secret'¦ have some lines and lyrics that are cool and 'I'm wearing the right hat,' or 'I'm wearing the right windbreaker,' or 'I've got the right bling on,' or whatever.
I was just watching -- I cant believe I'm actually saying this -- but 'Access Hollywood,' I was watching that or 'Entertainment Tonight,' with whatever his name is, and I agree with what the guy says a lot of the time. He's a snotty, smarmy kind of guy but he's right most of the time. He was talking about some of the stuff that was going on 10, 15 years ago with artists and it's true. Think back when MC Hammer was around. Everybody wanted to be MC Hammer. And now everybody hates him. It's sad. For me, I wish someone would have come along and said, 'Listen, people are going to take your money, they're going to befriend you'¦' It's like, how many times have you been the last guy in the bar? Or like when your partying with your friends and when your last doob is gone, so are they.
EB:
M-hmm. When the party stops, your 'friends' go away.
DM:
That was something that I found really hard to face because in this business you rely on people and you think that you've got friends. But they're not your friends; they're just people over there doing your old lady and your drugs [laughs].
EB:
Right, and it's also bad when the instrument or the guitar becomes secondary to the personality or the hat. Then it's like wait, wait, wait'¦ where did the musicianship go?
DM:
You become a caricature of yourself. Well, see, when I think about a guy with a hat, I think of Slash. And I think Slash is an excellent guitar player. He's one of my favorites. That's a guy that's pulled it off.
EB:
Yeah, Slash is amazing.
DM: He's brilliant; I love him. But then you see some guy like Buckethead'¦ Buckethead is probably twice as good a guitar player as me and Slash combined, and can stand having fried chicken rubbed up against his face all night for a couple of hours.
EB:
[Laughs]
DM:
And do nunchucks, right? I don't get it. It's not something that I find myself wanting to play on the beach to or have as some soundtrack to my life. I want it to be like a kick ass guitar solo like when 'Stairway to Heaven' comes in. When I went to watch the Zep concert and the first solo came in and the first song, I swear to God, I can't believe I didn't pee on the guy in front of me.
EB:
[Laughs] You might have, you just didn't notice.
DM:
I probably did. But it was fantastic for me because that's the band who were known for being very bluesy and not following the lines, yet they helped me learn that you've got to give the people what they want.
EB:
What are some of the most unexpected or interesting ways that you've seen your audience evolve over the years?
DM:
In the Middle Eastern markets it's bizarre. We've got a lot of Middle Easterners that are fans of the band and you wouldn't think because of my posture on the wars that have been going on over oil for the last however many centuries.
EB:
Audience-wise, with a band like Megadeth, you can have a kid that's only been playing guitar six months be a fan, and you can have people that remember going to the first gigs you ever played.
DM:
Right, right.
EB:
So let's talk about that scope'¦
DM:
Well, I remember the first thing I said to this [contest winner] kid when he sat down. I said, 'How long you been playing?' He goes, 'Six months.' I said, 'You know this isn't for real, right?' I said, 'It doesn't work like this. You don't start playing guitar and six months later your dad introduces you to a guitar legend. It doesn't get better than this, okay [laughs]. Trust me, there's not a next contest you're going to meet Angus [Young] or Eddie Van Halen, you know, this is it. Plan on it. You've reached the top of the mountain, okay.'
EB:
Well [laughs] good thing you just put that out on the table.
DM:
I love that kind of stuff. I love being able to give freely of myself to our fans because, face it; in this business I've got a terrible reputation. People that don't get what they want from me, it's really easy for them to walk away and say, 'Oh he's a dick.' Well, I've been called a dick; it doesn't bother me. What I do know is at the end of the day I've kept my integrity. How's the audience changed? Well, it gets younger, it gets older, but one thing that really has excited me is that Megadeth has transcended colors. We've played in a lot of places where you see people of color and whether they're Jamaican or Caribbean or Puerto Rican or of Brazilian decent'¦
EB:
It breaks the mold of metal being angry white dude music.
DM:
Yeah, exactly. [It's not] a Judas Priest concert. For us, we have a lot of people of different colors'¦ and a lot of girls. There went a period when we had a different lineup and the band was going through its sexy period. There was a lot of girls there but a lot of that too was who we were playing with and around 1992 and '˜94 when metal was the flavor of the month. A lot of the girls who showed up weren't even there for the music; they were there just because this is the sex partner de jour, you know what I mean? [Laughs]
EB:
Is there anything that really excites you about metal these days?
DM:
Well, I'm diggin' on what's been happening with Gigantour. Gigantour's been helping a lot of the younger bands. We had a tremendous run last Gigantour with In Flames and Children of Bodom. We just had some really super exciting news yesterday about one of the bands we're going to lock up for the next Gigantour and as soon as we can tell you we will. But it's very exciting. When the call came in and I was like, 'Really? Really?! They're not wanting to headline over us? Really?' These guys are music of the people of the moment. And for them to want to play with us is great.
source: Suicide Girls
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Dave Mustaine: "Buckethead is better than me and Slash combined"
Great Interview.
In technical ability I think Bucket is pretty much better than almost anyone on the planet, but Mustaine shouldn't sell himself short, as he is an amazing all rounder, master riff craftster and songwriter. I agree with what he went on to say:
"I don't get it. It's not something that I find myself wanting to play on the beach to or have as some soundtrack to my life."
Although I know many fans here would see Bucket as a soundtrack to life guy, (I think James was planning on using him at his funeral in a post the other day), i'm similar, i'm in awe of his talents and abilities, but I feel to some extent he is wasted as a solo artist. I'm the same with most instrumental guitarists, I love the abilities but without normal song structures and vocals, its not songcraft to me. Great music yes, but when you can add great words you can push things to another level.
I guess i'm old school that way. Which is why I think there will be some great tracks on CD with any luck.
Anyway i'm not knocking Bucket at all...hell I wish I could play like that. I'm just saying Mustaine has written some beautiful songs as has Slash so he shouldn't talk himself down 
Re: Dave Mustaine: "Buckethead is better than me and Slash combined"
Yeah, Slash is amazing.
DM: He's brilliant; I love him. But then you see some guy like Buckethead'¦ Buckethead is probably twice as good a guitar player as me and Slash combined, and can stand having fried chicken rubbed up against his face all night for a couple of hours.
EB:
[Laughs]
DM:
And do nunchucks, right? I don't get it. It's not something that I find myself wanting to play on the beach to or have as some soundtrack to my life. I want it to be like a kick ass guitar solo like when 'Stairway to Heaven' comes in.
Mustaine feels exactly the same way about Buckethead as I do.
When I think about the GNR show I saw in '02, I think: Bucket, great guitar player... but those fuckin' nunchucks.
And also, exactly what MonkeyChow said. Well said .
Re: Dave Mustaine: "Buckethead is better than me and Slash combined"
Great Interview.
not something that I find myself wanting to play on the beach to or have as some soundtrack to my life."
Although I know many fans here would see Bucket as a soundtrack to life guy, (I think James was planning on using him at his funeral in a post the other day), i'm similar, i'm in awe of his talents and abilities, but I feel to some extent he is wasted as a solo artist. I'm the same with most instrumental guitarists, I love the abilities but without normal song structures and vocals, its not songcraft to me.
It's actually the epitome of songcraft. He doesn't need words to say what he wants to say. Lyrics actually take away from his music, if you listen to his shit with guest vocalists. He's better solo than Mustaine or Slash (as Dave said) could ever hope to be.
Re: Dave Mustaine: "Buckethead is better than me and Slash combined"
monkeychow wrote:Great Interview.
not something that I find myself wanting to play on the beach to or have as some soundtrack to my life."
Although I know many fans here would see Bucket as a soundtrack to life guy, (I think James was planning on using him at his funeral in a post the other day), i'm similar, i'm in awe of his talents and abilities, but I feel to some extent he is wasted as a solo artist. I'm the same with most instrumental guitarists, I love the abilities but without normal song structures and vocals, its not songcraft to me.
It's actually the epitome of songcraft. He doesn't need words to say what he wants to say. Lyrics actually take away from his music, if you listen to his shit with guest vocalists. He's better solo than Mustaine or Slash (as Dave said) could ever hope to be.
To each his own.
I prefer Snakepit and the one Dave solo album that wound up being The System Has Failed to any Buckethead.
Well, besides the leaks anyway.
Re: Dave Mustaine: "Buckethead is better than me and Slash combined"
and can stand having fried chicken rubbed up against his face all night for a couple of hours.
ahahahaha
good interview though...i think dave is just saying hes not avirtuosos like BH...like Yngwie and BH and BBF guys like him are insane on guitar 
Re: Dave Mustaine: "Buckethead is better than me and Slash combined"
To each his own.
I prefer Snakepit and the one Dave solo album that wound up being The System Has Failed to any Buckethead.
Well, besides the leaks anyway.
You're back to hating Buckethead again? I thought I cured you of that in 2006.:laugh:
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Dave Mustaine: "Buckethead is better than me and Slash combined"
It's actually the epitome of songcraft. He doesn't need words to say what he wants to say. Lyrics actually take away from his music, if you listen to his shit with guest vocalists. He's better solo than Mustaine or Slash (as Dave said) could ever hope to be.
I see what you mean...but I see that more as amazing musician ship. Like I think the outro to Nottingham lace is one of the most beautiful guitar solo's i've ever heard in my life. I'm in awe of the technically ability, and also the beauty of the melody. But as a full *song* it doesn't work to me - like the first half has totally different riffs that are also cool - but in that bucket arcade game kinda way - and they don't speak to me the same way. I can't help but think if you took that solo outro and put it around something that was already beautiful buy itself - like one of Axl's songs - you'd push things above and beyond. It would destroy!
Like TWAT got better with bucket added...and the twat solo if just an instrumental would be cool but loose something to me with out its context of the "I would do anything for you". I feel that lyrics (when done by someone good like axl) anchor a song kind of. They can combine with the music to channel extra emotions.
But it might just be personal prefrence. that;s my prefered form of music is all. I like some insturmental guitar work too.
But i guess what I was trying to say is its dumb to compare them in a way. We all agree that on a technical level of finger movments bucket is better. There is always someone better. There's other people with similar skills to bucket. Paul Gilbert for instance. It comes down then to technique vs the song writing and the styles that the fan likes. Anyway...all i am saying is that Slash and Mustaine are awesome players and riff writers....and comparing them to bucket is like comparing the best swimmer in the world to the best hockyplayer and asking who is the best sportsman - its a different field.
Bottom line is that Slash and Mustaine can't play bucket's songs at tempo - but that doesn't impy they are inferor in terms of what they give to music - bucket writes his own good music but would never have written so much great stuff that we love from GNR and Megadeth etc. I just don't get the need to make things into a contest when they are so different.
- Smoking Guns
- Rep: 330
Re: Dave Mustaine: "Buckethead is better than me and Slash combined"
Bucket is awesome and got there on repetition. I think if Slash and Dave sat down and did exercises a couple hours a day on bucket's technique, they could do it too. Slash can alternate pick pretty fast when he wants. He is just lazy on technique I think or does't desire to go there.
