Why Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine Got Kicked Out of Metallica and How He Got Revenge
How ironic is it that a lead guitarist in a famous band got kicked out of the band for being an alcoholic when a few years later the band would nickname itself Alcoholica? Well, Dave Mustaine got kicked out of the famous classic rock band Metallica for dealing with alcoholism.
His bandmates didn’t kick him out because of how much he drank. They kicked him out because of the way the drinks affected him and his behavior. Mustaine eventually straightened up his act and formed one of the most successful bands to date. Read on to learn how Mustaine got back on track.
Who is Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine was born on September 13, 1961, to Jehovah’s Witnesses parents Emily and John Mustaine, according to Louder Sound. The singer’s father was of German, French, Irish, and Finnish descent while his mother was of German Jewish descent.
Mustaine has two sisters, and their father had a tendency to be violent, as he himself battled substance abuse throughout Mustaine’s upbringing, according to AllMusic. Mustaine has always described his life as being a tumultuous one noting that events would unravel in various ways.
Mustaine’s contribution to Metallica and his departure from the group
In 1981, Mustaine responded to an ad in a local newspaper about a band looking for a lead guitarist. This was how Mustaine found his way to Metallica. Although Metallica’s first album did well, Mustaine would end up not staying with the band for long. Although he was talented, the star battled his addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Whenever he would get intoxicated, he would turn volatile and would destroy everything on his path. His bandmates tried putting up with it and eventually got tired. Although the rest of the crew drank as well, they wouldn’t get as destructive as Dave.
Mustaine’s exit from the group began in a series of events. His first exit from the band was when he brought his dog on the set, and the dog started damaging the band’s bassist car. After Hetfield yelled at the dog to get off Ron McGovney’s car, Mustaine got upset and physically and verbally attacked the two bandmates. He got fired after the incident but begged for his job back.
In a separate incident, Mustaine got so drunk and decided to pour his beer down McGovney’s neck. He also poured the drink on the bass, which resulted in collateral damage and almost injured McGovney. McGovney asked Mustaine to leave his house and left the band afterward, according to Groovy History.
In 1983, Mustaine was officially fired from the group after the rest of his bandmates got tired of his alcoholism and aggressive behavior,
The founding of Megadeth
After his exit from Metallica, Mustaine formed the Fallen Angels band which didn’t do as well as he had planned. After unsuccessfully auditioning for vocalists for his crew he eventually took up the vocalist duties himself and renamed the band Megadeth.
Mustaine recounts partly in his memoir that when his Metallica bandmates kicked him out, he asked them not to take his songs, but they did. He figured they thought he wouldn’t amount to much. Mustaine’s first lyrics for his new band came to him on the bus ride after he was kicked out of Metallica.
Mustaine ended up straightening his act and formed Megadeth which eventually got as much airplay as Metallica. Mustaine’s spirit of vengeance for Metallica fueled his career in Megadeth, and his new band ended up selling 25 million albums. Today, Dave Mustaine is estimated to be worth around $20 million.
