Dave Mustaine is one with the pigeons.

I know no one that reads my blog cares about Megadeth like I do, but I go through phases, you know, so this is getting posted.  This came off of their early-2000s live DVD that I used to convince everyone at my high school that Megadeth was the best metal band they’d never thought they could care about.  It’s a different line-up than they currently have, but I think this one was pretty good.

The song is “She-Wolf” and the performance is notable because, from 2:38 to 7:32, there is an entire instrumental section that they just added to the song—none of it was on the record.  So they had this whole amazingly awesome guitar trade-off and harmonizing thing (that I think well avoids being “wanky”, considering the genre) that they just added in for the live show, because they are badasses.

Then just to be completely decadent and rad, Jimmy Degrasso throws in one of the better drum solos I’ve ever heard, sounding towards the end like a pack of Harleys about to run you down.

And then the song finally finishes with the cool harmonized solo at the end, just like on the record.  As far as rock showmanship/musicianship goes, this can’t be beat.

I wanted one of these (natural finish, not black) so bad when I was in high school.  I had the catalog with this page in it and I used to look at it and dream about it and draw sketches of it (thinking maybe I could build my own) instead of paying attention in class.  I mean, I really really wanted one.

Now I’m a grown-ass man, and I find that not much has changed.  Unfortunately these are totally discontinued and very collectible, so I guess I’ll just have to keep living my life without one.  (How do I do it?  How?)

\m/ DAVE \m/

This man almost died from drug addictions and overdoses so many times, and after surviving all that he injured a nerve in his left arm and the doctors told him he wouldn’t be able to play guitar anymore…but he told death and the doctors and nerve damage to kiss his ginger ass and now he’s still touring around the world playing to sold-out crowds and wearing sunglasses and doing impromptu acoustic performances at parks in Buenos Aires, cause fuck all the haters, you can’t stop Dave Mustaine.

Megadeth - “Mary Jane”

I know no one here loves Megadeth the way I do and always have since the first song I heard, but seriously guys: I am so stoked about how much I love this song.  I don’t even know why, in particular…it’s just a great work of pure hot-forged metal, mixed with something more abstract and ethereal that isn’t usually found in the genre.

It’s not Megadeth’s best song, but I think it’s my personal favorite.

(If you’re not hearing it loud enough that it hurts, you’re not really hearing it.)

Megadeth - “Hook In Mouth”

*also relative to censorship in the Reagan years, specifically the forming of the Parents Media Relations Committee (PMRC) headed by Tipper Gore that was bringing musicians in front of the legislative/judicial panels and forcing them to defend their art.

“A little man with a big eraser is changing history…”

Megadeth - “Anarchy in the U.S.A.”

Yes, it is a Sex Pistols cover.  Yes, the lyrics are slightly altered to apply to the US.  Yes, the band took at least half of the money the record company gave them for recording So Far, So Good…So What! and bought drugs instead.  Yes it is awesome.

Hey everyone look at me 6 years ago.

On my neglected external hard-drive I found a file full of old photos and images I downloaded off of the internet before there were bookmarking websites like tumblr.  I’m going to post some of those.

PS: I built that guitar with those two hands.