In a new interview with WSOU 89.5 FM radio station, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine was asked what drives him and his bandmates to compose and record new music throughout the band’s 40-year career, to which he replied:
“I don’t know. I think when we play music, it gives us a certain feeling. And when we see the fans get excited about what we’re doing, it’s great. It’s great to make people happy in the crazy world we live in now. People are just trying to move their minds. They’re so vulnerable. They’re ready to cry about anything, to quit their jobs, to sue.
What happened… I don’t understand. You blink your eyes when you wake up, and you feel like you’re in a bad dream. As for me, I try to always be as open as possible with people, so they know, “You don’t have to ask Dave what he means. He’ll tell you.” I’m a straightforward person.
I’ve seen a lot of things in my life in the music industry and everything else. And it all boils down to this: touring is the last frontier for musicians because records don’t sell. We’ve done well – we’ve been very lucky – but what about other bands whose records don’t sell? It’s hard to explain. So you have to go on tour. What if you don’t have the same kind of fans as MEGADETH? And obviously not every city welcomes us well, because we’re playing in Camden [in New Jersey] tonight, and the last time we played here, there were fifteen thousand people here. We’re playing here with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, and I think less than five thousand tickets were sold this morning. I don’t know what that means. I don’t know if people want to see four bands. Or if they don’t want to see MEGADETH again because they saw MEGADETH a few months ago or last year. I just know that for me, I keep making music because it makes me feel good. I’ve always had a couple of things on my wish list, you can mention, for example, the Grammy I got. It’s funny, but now that I have a Grammy, it just sits on the shelf with the other awards. And it’s like human nature: what you don’t have, you want the most.”
