Dave Mustaine Reveals Why Former Megadeth Members Aren’t Participating in Farewell Tour

Dave Mustaine isn’t planning any major reunions during Megadeth’s farewell tour. In an interview with Guitar World, the band’s founding member revealed why the band’s upcoming trek won’t feature any past members.

“We’ve already done that with Marty,” Mustaine told the outlet of Marty Friedman’s 2023 onstage drop ins. Suffice it to say, Kiko Loureiro, Chris Poland, or any other of the dozen plus of the band’s former members won’t be making a similar appearance.

“Let’s look at the other people we’ve played with… there’s a lot of people. That would be a huge undertaking,” Mustaine said. “I don’t think I want to do that. I’d rather keep doing what we’re doing and let the fans [experience] Megadeth music and be happy about it. It’s not ‘puppet show Megadeth.’”

In a previous interview with SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation, Mustaine further explained his decision.

“I just can’t,” he said. “… It would be unfair to the other band members if I didn’t play with them as well.”

Megadeth Is Set to Say Goodbye

With that being said, Megadeth fans have a lot to look forward to. The band, which currently includes James LoMenzo, Dick Verbeuren, and Teemu Mäntysaari, will release their final album on Jan. 23, before setting off on tour the following month.

After that, Megadeth will officially end its more than 40 year-long run, Mustaine revealed in August.

“There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional. Most of them don’t get to go out on their own terms on top, and that’s where I’m at in my life right now,” he said at the time. “I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.”

Even so, Megadeth, a band who pioneered thrash metal, will do just that.

“We’ve made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour,” Mustaine said.  “Don’t be mad, don’t be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years.”  

“We have done something together that’s truly wonderful and will probably never happen again,” he continued. “We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it’s played, and we changed the world.”

Mustaine concluded, “The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.”

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