Dave Mustaine recently spoke with Carmen Coronado of Monterrey Rock about the reception to Megadeth‘s latest album The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!, and during the conversation he revealed what he thinks is the secret recipe for the band’s success: don’t be a jerk.
Mustaine expressed satisfaction with the critical and commercial success of the album, as it topped charts worldwide, marking a career-high for the band.
“It’s been very well received. It was successful for us. We have had some really high-charting records before, but this was the highest-charting record of all when it comes down to around the world. In the past, we’d have a record that was good in one place, but it wasn’t good everywhere, and this record has been really good in a lot of places. There’s been a couple of places where they just don’t like metal. But for the most part, I’ve been very, very, very, very happy with the outcome of this record,” Mustaine revealed.
But the key to this achievement, according to him, isn’t selling out or compromising their sound. It’s simply staying true to yourself and treating others with respect.
“I think it’s not compromising and sticking to your convictions, being true to yourself, and just not being a mean asshole. There are a lot of musicians who get successful and they start to believe their own hype, that they’re really cool. And you know what? We’re all the same. That’s the end of the story. Period.”
Mustaine went on to criticize the aloofness and entitlement he’s witnessed in other musicians, calling out those who demand special treatment, throwing in an expletive while in the process.
“When I hear stories out on the road, like when I was younger, I heard about some bands where this woman singer would make everyone call her ‘miss something. And you couldn’t look at her. I know Madonna did that, but this was somebody else before that. And I thought, ‘Wow, I don’t like her anymore.’ And it wasn’t that I liked her in the first place, but I just thought, ‘What kind of an asshole does that?’ ‘Don’t look at me!’ ‘All right! Don’t look at this! Fuck you!'”
“When you start thinking you’re better than other people… You might be better at something than other people, but you know what? Man, we’re all the same. We’ve gotta stop treating people like other people don’t matter.” Mustaine added.
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