Dave Mustaine: Being in a Band Is the ‘Closest You Can Get Without Having Sex With Each Other’

Megadeth have gone through their fair share of lineup changes over the years, with a variety of factors contributing the comings and goings. Frontman Dave Mustaine opened up about the dynamics of keeping bands together and revealed what needs to happen to keep things harmonious in a new chat with Pensado’s Place (see the video above).
The vocalist says, “I think if you look at history, drugs, money or women have ruined every band in existence … But for me, I think the best thing to do is be honest with people that you play with.”
He goes on to add, “I think that we’ve had a lot of lineup changes over the years because people have changed their mind about what they wanted Megadeth to be. And Megadeth is in here [points to head], it’s not out there [points to sky], so when other people try to change it, I’m open-minded to it, but if it’s not Megadeth, it’s not right.”
Mustaine says that difference of opinion has led to some departures, but he also lays some blame on drugs, as there was a period early on in the band’s history where the excess combined with money led to a lot of issues.
“The hardest part was having a drug problem and having money, because the drugs weren’t a problem,” says Mustaine. “You were always dealing with this and smuggling that into that country and doing this and doing that and it got to be so exhausting doing that. And we just said, ‘You know what? You guys are gone’ and started over.”
The rocker says the one thing he would most like to pass on to younger bands is to be honest with your bandmates. He explains, “Be careful who you pick [for your band] because you tell somebody they’re in a band with you, you also have to tell them that they’re not. And at some point it’s gonna hurt.”
He adds, “Being in a band with people is the closest you can get — forgive me for saying this — but it’s the closest you can get without having sex with each other. Because that’s the only place left for you to go. Because you’re THAT close. You’re putting your minds together, you’re putting your talents together, you’re putting your skill, your sweat, your blood, your time … you’re sacrificing your kids.”
At present, Megadeth’s lineup remains a bit of a mystery as the group has yet to reveal the replacements for guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover, who exited the band last fall. However, we may have some news shortly. In a new tweet, Dave Mustaine revealed the following:

Next week will see an official press statement from Megadeth regarding the new recording.
— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) February 25, 2015

So stay tuned next week for possible revelations on the band’s current lineup as well as potential details about their next album.

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