The reunion between former bandmates can be filled with pretty salty emotions. Former Megadeth guitarist recently discussed his new band with David Ellefson called Kings of Thrash with Ultimate Guitar.
Jeff was a part of Megadeth in the late 1980s, and during the interview when he was asked about Dave Mustaine and whether he had given any feedback regarding his new band. Jeff said, ”
“Nah, we couldn’t care less… And it’s a win-win for him. Because all the publishing, for example, on the ‘Best Of The West’, he’s getting all that money. We’re making him money and he doesn’t have to do anything.”
He also added, “So, we’re performing the songs because they’re part of our history and the fans want to hear them and we will benefit from that, and so will he, so it’s a win-win. How much cooler can anything be than that? So, if he has something to say about it… I wouldn’t imagine it would be very objective… not that anything he’s ever said has been objective.”
The friendship between Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, and Jeff Young is enduring and distinctive. Since 1983, when Mustaine was starting his own band, Megadeth, Ellefson, and Mustaine have been performing together. Jeff Young joined the band in 1989 and played on the albums Rust in Peace, Countdown to Extinction, and Youthanasia. However, their friendship was also overshadowed by tumultuousness, as Mustaine fired Ellefson from the band.
During the interview, Young was also asked about how they decided together to play some of the Megadeth classics and he said.
“We weren’t in contact. I mean, we bumped into each other at the NAMM show and we played together at the NAMM show for the Ronnie Montrose Remembered – the very first edition of that. Actually, that video of Ellefson and me doing ‘Bad Motor Scooter’, actually with Jimmy DeGrasso from Megadeth on drums, Gilby Clarke, Doug Aldrich, Brad Gillis from Night Ranger…. I forget who all was up there.”
“But we played together at NAMM and we barely got to speak that night. But I was contacted by Nick Menza’s representatives and they invited me to take part in the filming of a documentary on Nick’s life that’s going to be coming out very soon on Ellefson films. That was kind of what led to us reconnecting.”
Before this, the bassist had also talked about the band. He also had a reason why Young was recruited in the band. He revealed that the whole purpose was to make the band sound different from Dave. This was while he talked with Metal Sucks.
“We needed a second guitar player that would be very different from how Dave [Mustaine] played, We didn’t even really care if it was ‘heavy metal sounding.’ It just needed to be something that was different from what Dave was doing to create diversity.”
