Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine set for gun fight

Fighting talk: Dave Mustaine

Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine is ready to fight for his right to bear arms.

The thrash icon says battling is nothing new to him and he’s not prepared to settle for a draw – although he’s come to terms with limitations of his physical movement following emergency surgery on tour last year.

Mustaine tells AL.com: “When people in Washington say they’re going to take away my guns, they better bring theirs if they’re going to take mine.

“People like me, we’re used to fighting for what we have. My mum was a maid. I grew up with a key around my neck so I could get into the house after school while she was at work. I know about hardship. When I started out I was homeless. I lived on the streets and panhandled.”

The outspoken frontman is even used to fighting with his own lineup, which has changed significantly several times since Megadeth formed in 1983, after he was kicked out of Metallica. He says: “You have to pick the right guys – but things happen. We have our lineup and everything’s working, and one guy says, ‘I want more money,’ or, ‘I want to write more songs.’”

Mustaine is even used to battling with his own body. Last year at the age of 49 he found himself struggling with a back problem that left him in agony – and has limited his ability to keep headbanging on stage.

“Something had broken in the back of my neck,” he recalls. “I had a bone fragment in my spinal column the size of an eraser. The pain had me on my knees, sobbing. My hand went numb. My ring and pinky finger were not communicating with my brain. But the surgery was a complete success.

“The act of headbanging, when it started, was to play guitar, stand in a wide posture and move your head up and down. Now I move my torso a little bit more and get the desired effect. I make the necessary adjustments I need to keep myself healthy. It’s been a blessing in disguise.”

And when he considers the state of the world today he believes he’s in the right place at the right time, playing the right music, and sending the right message. “When times get tough, when people are stressing a little more, heavy metal becomes more popular,” he insists. “It has the right speed, tempo, vibration and colour. When people listen to songs like that, they connect.”