Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has once again made it clear that he would be willing to take part in the band’s eventual farewell tour — alongside other former members — if given the opportunity.
In a new interview with UnDinamo – La Última Radio De Rock, Ellefson was asked whether he’d be open to reuniting with Megadeth for a final run of shows. His answer was unambiguous.
“I have always said that I am available for that,” Ellefson said. “And I would do it because I think any reason that I’m not there now is unfounded. It’s untruthful and it’s unfair because clearly there’s nothing wrong.”
Ellefson added that he hopes lingering tension surrounding his exit from the band could eventually be resolved. “I would hope and even pray to [God] that any misunderstanding, any bitterness would be removed,” he said, “that that would somehow be dissipated.”
Reflecting on Megadeth‘s long career, Ellefson emphasized the role fans play in sustaining a band beyond its early years. He described the relationship as one built on obligation and gratitude rather than entitlement.
“You make your first record, you have no fans. You just make your first album,” he explained. “Then you start to get fans who say, ‘Hey, give us more.’ So you make album two… and at that point, you have an obligation to listen to your fans.”
While he acknowledged that artists shouldn’t simply recycle past successes — “You don’t have to do everything they say, like ‘Make Rust In Peace Part II'” — Ellefson drew a distinction between recording albums and performing live.
“Making albums is music business; playing concerts is show business,” he said. “They’re two separate things that kind of come together. And the fans are the entire reason that you live to have album two and beyond.”
Using his current Basstory South American tour as an example, Ellefson added with a laugh, “If there’s nobody to come and hear the story, I’m just sitting on a stool by myself.”
Ellefson also pointed to Marty Friedman‘s guest appearances with Megadeth in 2023 as proof that reunions are possible. “Marty coming back to play a couple of shows showed his willingness, which I think was great,” he said.
“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I would wish that Dave [Mustaine]… Look, if it were just me and Dave sitting here, I’m sure everything would be fine. But there’s a lot of people with influences, and that can be sticky.”
Ultimately, Ellefson hopes fan demand could outweigh any behind-the-scenes resistance. “My hope is that the voice of the fans gets louder than any other voice that would tear it apart,” he said.
However, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine recently signaled that such a large-scale reunion may not be in the cards. Speaking to Guitar World, Mustaine addressed the possibility of inviting former members to join the band on its farewell tour.
“We’ve already done that with Marty,” Mustaine said. “And I mean, let’s look at the other people we’ve played with… there’s a lot of people. That would be a huge undertaking. I don’t think I want to do that.”
Mustaine added that his focus remains on the band’s current lineup and legacy. “I’d rather keep doing what we’re doing and let the fans experience Megadeth music and be happy about it,” he said. “It’s not ‘puppet show Megadeth.'”
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