Metal for the masses, and other signs of our times


By Jan-Mikael Patterson
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK - Dave Mustaine is legend. A gifted guitarist, he continues to be a presence in heavy metal music more than two decades after he first burst into the public consciousness.
His creation of Gigantour, named after his favorite cartoon character as a kid, brings a full-sized music fest to the less-than-wealthy masses of heavy metal fans.
Mustaine, 45, is the scowling guitarist who when caught up in the moment, whips his long strawberry blonde hair back and forth like strings of fire. His fingers magically maneuver on his signature flying-V guitar.
Mustaine recently agreed to a telephone interview with the Navajo Times to discuss his admiration for Native American cultures, Gigantour and a new album.
Navajo Times: Dave, it’s great to speak with you. It’s an honor and I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me.
Dave Mustaine: It’s an honor to speak with you. This morning in fact, I was just talking to Mark (Morton, guitarist) from Lamb of God about my tremendous respect for the Native Americans and how I feel that this generation and obviously previous generations are being brought up in almost an invisible prison camp because of being on the rez and that a lot of bands don’t get the opportunity to play for the Native Americans.
Living in Arizona I became particularly sensitive to that. I’ve lived in the Phoenix area, Scottsdale, for over 10 years and I find it very fascinating to look into the eyes of a lot of our Native American friends because of the spirit they possess.
My sensei, who I’ve trained with many years, is part Native American and has the most fascinating stories. I wrote a song about him actually from the record “MD.45” called “The Creed.”
Evidently he comes from a tribe where you can tell people your tribal name. His tribal name is Thundering Iron Horse. I know that with some tribes you can’t tell your native name to anyone.
Note: Mustaine is a serious student of martial arts. He trains under sensei Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, Blackfeet/Spanish, founder of ukidokan karate. Mustaine also studies Dim Mak, use of the body’s pressure points to disable an opponent, and Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu’s writing.
NT: You miss living in Arizona?
DM: I thought it was a wonderful place to live. People call it the Valley of the Sun but I think they got it wrong. It’s more like the surface of the sun. And me, you’ve seen how white I am (laughs). I go outside with no shirt on and I smell like a pork rind. I lay down by the side of the pool and it looks like f—king flash paper, like there was some kind of flare that went off there.
I love it out there. I love it so much my heart aches for Phoenix and that area. The colors of the hillside and just the city, the way it’s set up, the structure, the people.
We moved out to California for my children and I know that at some point I would love to be able to move back or at least get a snowbird place but I would hate to be considered a snowbird.
You don’t know how much I hated those blue haired b——ds. That and the shmucks that come down for spring training. You know you’re going to see Barry Bonds even if you do, he cheats, so pullover and get off the boat, right?
That’s one of the biggest things that happens in Phoenix is the San Francisco Giants and spring training. Where is Willie Mayes when you need him? I’d go see him if Willie Mayes played for them.
NT: What piqued your interest in learning about Native American cultures?
DM: I’m a very approachable person. If you piss me off I’m just like anybody else. If you hurt me I’m going to hurt you back. I’m pretty approachable. You know what? Get to know me and make up your own mind.
I’ve had fans that are Native American that have come up to me and talk. I’m not…I find it an honor to have people on the rez and the people that aren’t, to know how spiritually minded they are.
God, what I can learn, you know? It just amazes me.
NT: Gigantour kicked off in Idaho. How did that go?
DM: It went good. It was in a secondary market and it was intended to be the way a secondary market show would be. We wanted to go someplace where we felt comfortable to get prepared to come down to the Southwest and be able to do what we need to do.
Usually it takes a couple of shows to get the bugs out and we obviously don’t have any bugs but with the concert itself with setting up and taking it down. You run into things, like gear that has been used in previous tours that’s just ready to blow up.
It blows up and you got to fix them real fast. We usually get those things (sorted) out the first couple of days. We didn’t seem to have any problems the first night.
NT: Gigantour bands have extraordinary musicianship. What impressed you about the last years lineup compared to this year’s list of bands?
DM: Mike Romeo (of Symphony X) and John Petrucci (of Dream Theater) are two amazing guitar players and Jeff Loomis (of Nevermore) is no slouch either. If people think about Gigantour I and identify it with bands like Life of Agony or Dry Kill Logic or Dillinger Escape Plan or anything like that, that’s terrific because they’re all great bands that were part of it.
Don’t forget those guitar aficionados. There are mean guitar players in those other bands. They may not have been guitar bands but they were entertaining to me and I thought they would be entertaining to the people who got to the event early.
NT: What attracted you to bringing Lamb of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy and Overkill to this year’s tour?
DM: What I was basically looking for in these bands was something that was similar with me when I first started. That hunger, that desire to get out there and just tour. Just to get our there and play your heart out and the spirit of guitar players when they are together and they just jam. Even though we haven’t a lot of time to do that yet, we will.
You know, we’re just getting started. There’s a lot of respect amongst all the different band members. A lot of respect between them and myself. It’s just a great atmosphere. The cool thing is opening the show for you guys, the fans, you have your own little world on the other side of the stage.
We have our own little world backstage where we’re getting revved up. When the stage lights go down the two worlds collide and you get to see what we do. After we’re done entertaining you we’re entertaining ourselves and compare notes like ‘Man, wasn’t the audience great,’ or ‘Oh my God, those guys are fantastic,’ you know?
Especially playing in the valley, the Phoenix area. I’ve played all the small places and big places - it doesn’t matter as long as I get to play there.
NT: The band has signed with Roadrunner Records this year, how’s the relationship with them so far?
DM: So far it’s good.
NT: When is the new record going to be done?
DM: Well, I’ve worked on the album every single day up until Gigantour started and we’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to work on it. We thought it would be done in time but it started to become something special and we just continued to get more and more focused into it. It’s going to come out at the beginning of next year.
NT: Recently, I read you came up with title “United Abominations” for your next records. Could you repeat the story of how you came about the name?
DM: The story isn’t exactly how I said it. I was watching something on the (United Nations). I saw the truck with the U.N. on the door and I was thinking that is so accurate, “You are so un-cool,” “You’re so un-important,” “You’re so in-effective but really ‘un,’” “you’re un-anything.”
You know people are blowing each other up in the Middle East and you’re having breakfast trying to negotiate a ceasefire. Shame on you. Shame on you. Right or wrong, that should’ve stopped and the perpetrators, whichever side it was, needed to have been held accountable.
The U.N. doesn’t mean anything. It means nothing.
Did you know that they are on a piece of property in the United States, pretty much like a rez. It’s set on its own island in New York and those guys don’t have do nothing. Look at the lyrics for “United Abominations” on the Megadeth Web site. It’s posted on the Web site. It explains my sentiments.
NT: Thank you Dave for spending some time with me on the telephone. I appreciate your time and look forward to the new album.
DM: Thank you, my friend. It was an honor.

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