Megadeth’s Long Goodbye Could Last “Three to Five Years”
We’ve all had some time to process the news that Megadeth’s upcoming self-titled album will be their last. A legacy spanning four decades will finally come to an end, giving frontman Dave Mustaine a chance to ride off into the sunset and finally enjoy the retiree lifestyle. But it turns out that day is still a long way away.
During a recent interview with U.K. magazio Kerrang!, Mustaine revealed that he envisions a future where Megadeth’s final show won’t take place for another few years at least. So while the “farewell tour” will kick off next year, there will be plenty of opportunities to catch them playing live one last time.
“We’re easily talking about touring for another three to five years. And if we’re going to be doing it for that long then, shit, I’ll be looking at the birthday I don’t even want to think about.”
That reference to his birthday is important. Mustaine is getting old. I mean we’re all getting old, but Mustaine’s going to be 70 in 2031. And given the fact that the dude survived his struggles with addiction that landed him in rehab numerous times, battled cancer, suffered an arm injury that threatened his career, it’s a marvel the dude’s still kicking.
Keeping all that in mind, Mustaine sounds like he’s being pragmatic about his future outlook as a musician. In his conversation with Kerrang!, he explained why he decided to make this next Megadeth album their last and why he’s putting the whole ting to bed all these years later.
“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. 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.
“We can’t wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it’s now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it’s now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it’s our last studio album. We’ve made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour.
“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. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it’s played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.”
As it stands, we know the first leg of Megadeth’s ‘This Was Our Life’ tour will take place in Latin America. Those dates, as well as a number of other shows they’ve already had planned, are listed below. As we get more tour dates, it sounds like you’ll be able to have at least more than one shot at seeing Megadeth one last time.
Megadeth only
4/23 Lima, PE Costa 21
4/26 Bogota, CO Movistar Arena
4/30 Buenos Aires, AR TBD
5/2 Sao Paulo, BR Espaco Unimed
5/5 Santiago, CL Movistar Arena
5/8 Monterrey, MX Arena Monterrey
5/10 Mexico City, MX Arena Ciudad de Mexico
5/13 Guadalajara, MX Arena Guadalajara
6/10 Hradec Kralove, CZ Rock For People Park 360
6/26 Helsinki, FI Suvilahti Tuska
Megadeth & Iron Maiden
8/29 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
8/30 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
9/3 Montreal, QC Parc Jean Drapeau (+ Anthrax)
9/5 Harrison, NJ Sports Illustrated Stadium (+ Anthrax)
9/9 Boston, MA TD Garden
9/11 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
9/12 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
9/15 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium
9/19 Shakopee, MN Mystic Lake Amphitheater
9/22 Tinley Park, IL Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
9/25 Los Angeles, CA BMO Stadium (+ Anthrax)
9/26 Los Angeles, CA BMO Stadium (+ Anthrax)
9/29 San Antonio, TX Alamodome (+ Anthrax)
