David Ellefson: Insights From Megadeth’s ‘Divide And Conquer’ Era And Money Conflicts

Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, alongside ex-Fear Factory singer Burton C. Bell, recently shared candid insights on the challenging topic of musician infighting during an appearance on the Support Life And MusicSLAM Summit, hosted by Jack Mangan. Drawing from his extensive and sometimes tumultuous career, Ellefson offered valuable perspectives on how internal and external pressures can fracture bands and provided advice for musicians facing such difficulties.

Reflecting on a critical period in Megadeth‘s history, Ellefson pointed to the late 1990s, around their controversial album Risk, as a time when damaging dynamics began to take hold, often fueled by new management. He recounted a particularly telling incident: “I literally had a manager sit in my living room one day and say, ‘You know, Dave [Mustaine] is Bruce Springsteen; you guys [the rest of Megadeth] are just the E Street Band.’ And my wife was ready to throw a f**king frying pan at his head. It’s, like, ‘Get the f**k out of my house.’ … That really was the beginning of the divide and conquer of Megadeth; it really was. That was a dividing moment that we never — we didn’t survive it, and we never came back from it.” Ellefson stressed (as transcribed by Blabbermouth) how “an outside ear to come in and start chirping” can create “unsurvivable equations.”

When it comes to identifying and dealing with potentially “abusive” or problematic behavior within a band, Ellefson urged musicians to trust their instincts early on. “If you’re honest with yourself, you know what you’re walking into. If your bullsh*t detectors are up… So if it looks like a duck, it walks like a duck, it talks like a duck, I promise you it’s a duck,” he advised. “These personality types, whether you’re reserved, passive aggressive, super aggressive, abusive, whatever it may be, if you see the very tip of that iceberg, just assume that there’s an iceberg down below the surface.”

So, how can bands manage these inherent challenges? Ellefson pointed to proactive measures, such as bringing in counselors, as his past band did to improve communication during sober periods. He also noted practices like those reportedly used by other successful groups, including pre-show briefings and post-show debriefs to address personal and professional issues, similar to what was depicted in Metallica‘s famous documentary. “These are healthy groups,” Ellefson remarked, “Because what we realize — things don’t stay the same. People are allowed to change, they’re allowed to grow… the more we can support each other and be supportive to each other, I have found the better chances of success.” He acknowledged that even his “past group had a very publicly kind of tumultuous reputation,” but “we also took the time — especially during the ’90s — where we really took the time to try to heal each other and give each other the space.”

A significant source of conflict, Ellefson noted, often revolves around business matters, particularly money and songwriting credits. “We are who we are,” he explained. “Add fame, add money… those things put into someone who — and it’s happened to me too. In my early years, dr*gs and alcoh*l and success…” He highlighted the importance of clarity regarding creative contributions versus financial splits, referencing Geddy Lee‘s book and how Rush decided early on to “just split everything equal.”

“Money is a hot-button topic in a creative world,” Ellefson stated. He strongly advised bands to have uncomfortable but crucial conversations about financial splits upfront. “As soon as you make a dollar, you’re in the music business… So have that discussion before the money shows up, because I’m telling you, in that discussion, you will be able to tell very clearly who is gonna behave in a certain way, whether it’s ten dollars that showed up or ten million that showed up. They will behave the same.”