David Ellefson says he’ll “always take the call” for a Megadeth reunion: “But with that said, I’m not sitting around waiting”
“Dave’s always gonna be my brother, man,” the bassist explains.
Image: Mike Lewis Photography / Getty Images
Ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has said that while he’d say yes to a reunion with his former bandmates should the call arrive someday, he’s certainly not sitting around waiting.
In a recent episode of the Loaded Radio Podcast, Ellefson discusses the legacy of Megadeth – the band with which he served over three decades, on and off – at length. He explains that while he’s no longer in the band’s official lineup, his contributions to their most iconic records cement him as part of the Megadeth “family”.
“I always say this: when you make a record, you’re making it for you. But when you put that record out, that record is for your audience,” he says.
“And at that point, it now becomes bigger than you; it becomes bigger than the four or five or three of you, whatever are in the band – it’s bigger than you now. And those songs are gonna outlive us. And everything about that legacy and the stories we just talked about here are now in infamy; they’re gonna last forever.”
He continues: “So, for me, you’re part of a family. And look, should there ever be a family reunion? Hey, of course, I’ll always take the call. But with that said, I’m not sitting around waiting for a Megadeth reunion. Let’s just put it that way. I’m very forward focused right now and I’m very laser focused on what’s ahead.”
Elsewhere in the chat, Ellefson also weighed in on his rocky relationship with his former bandmate and leader Dave Mustaine, saying, “Well, look, I’m not the one who closed the door. You know what I mean.”
“Dave’s always gonna be my brother, man,” the bassist explains. “And it’s funny, when I think about Dave – I’m just walking around the house, I’m thinking about some moment in our friendship and our history together – they’re usually fond memories. And look, brothers fight, brothers hug and make up, and that’s the journey. As a musical gig, it’s, like, oh, well, set that off. That’s off the palette now. Clearly I’ve moved on with other things that you can see I really enjoy. So… whatever.”
“I’ve talked to other friends of mine about this who have had bands, and they’re in other bands where members have come and gone and whatever, and especially when you’re a principal, key member and a founding member and all these different things, you have a different kinship to your fans.”
Listen to the full interview below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMIneY-RslY
In an interview last month, Ellefson appeared to change his tune around an, until-then, ongoing feud with his former bandmate Dave Mustaine.
“I’m sad when I see Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley [of KISS] arguing, or whatever is going on. It’s, like, these are my heroes. And we’re all grown men now, so it’s a different kind of thing. But they’re still my heroes. And I even think about that with our fans,” he said.
“It’s, like, they don’t wanna see us fighting. We’re their fucking heroes, man. We changed their lives. We wrote songs that got them through good and bad times. So that’s why I don’t wanna go talk smack,” he said.