In a recent chat on The Delz Show, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson opened up about his current relationship with band leader Dave Mustaine.
After host Delz expressed that he missed seeing Ellefson and Mustaine perform together, David replied: “I miss Dave too. Look, some of some of the best stories of my life begin with ‘the time me and Dave‘ — fill in the blank. You know what I mean? Because we lived such an interesting life together with that band. We haven’t talked in a few years, but I miss the guy, of course. We had a lot of fun. And anytime we’ve ever had [a falling out] like this [in the past], as soon as we get back together, it’s like we just were hanging out yesterday.”
In a recent appearance on The Candid Mic With Fran Strine podcast, David Ellefson discussed his second tenure with Megadeth, which began in 2010 and ended with his dismissal in 2021.
Regarding his initial return to the band 15 years ago, Ellefson stated: “I said, ‘Look, I’ll come back for a month. Let me just get through this tour. We’ll see how it goes.’ And it went well.” He noted a shift in his role: “I’d been there as an owner of the company. I was no longer an owner at this point. I was just a hired sideman musician, which, quite honestly, at that point I was okay with.” He explained his reasoning, “as much as the owner also can get a lot of the perks, I know the owner of the business gets paid last. And if things f**k up or a show cancels or anything happens, guess what? Now you’re on the hook for all the bills too. And that happened a lot over the years. So I was, like, ‘Well, let me just try… Let me keep it simple, keep it easy.’”
When asked if he’s spoken with Dave Mustaine since his 2021 dismissal, Ellefson replied: “Nope. Not one word. No need to. After that? No, I don’t need to be your friend. I’ll move on.” He explained the strained relationship: “Look, the ending of that friendship was a long time in the making. It really started in 2018… There was some stuff that I was just — and I was vocal about it. I stood up for what I felt to be the right thing. And, of course, that was not well received… [It was] just about writing the new album, the next album that took five years to make. And every time I would try to write and put something on it, it would get taken off. And it seemed very personal. And at some point it’s just kind of, like, ‘Look, dude, if you don’t want me here, f**k it. I’ll move on.’”
Reflecting on his previous departure from Megadeth in the early 2000s, Ellefson said: “The first time out the door, there was legal stuff, ’cause we were legally bound into — we were owners of a business and a corporation. So that’s not uncommon, to have that. And a lot of that was just so that I could get paid direct from all the sources, so that my money wouldn’t keep flowing through Megadeth.” He contrasted this with his recent exit: “that’s why I didn’t fight my way out the door, and I didn’t talk a bunch of sm*ck. It was just kind of, like, ‘All right, well, look, if we can’t get along, just move on.’”
Ellefson emphasized his approach to past collaborations: “I’m the guy that I don’t close doors. I don’t slam it in people’s [faces and say], ‘F**k you. That’s it. And you’ll never work in this town again.’ Because you’re mad in the moment. That’s all it is. Just move on. Just keep moving on.” He continued: “I didn’t see coming back to Megadeth in 2010, and suddenly there it was. It was in the front view and it worked out great. It was glorious, it was huge and we accomplished a lot of great stuff together.”
He noted a change in the band’s dynamic: “People always talk about the ’90s, the Rust In Peace era, where we were very much a group. It was very much a group. We worked together, we fought together, we won together. We scaled the mountains and won the battle together. It’s not that anymore. It’s the Dave show, and that’s the way they want it.” Ellefson concluded: “as you can see, I’ve got a lot of other things I wanna say in my life and a lot of other things I wanna do in my life. And I always try to kind of angle it so that it speaks well back into Megadeth, rather than oppose it. Why oppose what I’ve done? That’s like sh**ting on my own work. So it’s, like, hold that up in high regard, high esteem, because it is — we really did some great stuff together — and then just kind of move on from it. So, that way you’re not tarnishing your own past and your own work. It’s, like, why fight with yourself?”
