Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine has set a particularly high bar when it comes to setting the scene for his ideal final show with the thrash metal legends. The band's talismanic frontman, who has confirmed that their imminent seventeenth studio album and accompanying world tour will be their final chapter, tells Metal Hammer he wants his last concert to be in space. No, really!
"I hope we'll be playing up in space," he reveals in an exclusive new interview. "I think that will be a really fitting climax. And I'm not talking about on the side of a vomit comet. A gig on the Moon, a full moon landing, that would be cool."
Referring to the likes of pop superstar Kay Perry, Star Trek legend William Shatner and Virgin billionaire Richard Branson having all made trips into space in recent years, MegaDave adds: "I saw they sent up a bunch of celebrities into space and I thought 'Well, if them, why not me?', you know? I'm just watching how that all progresses. I know Elon Musk and Richard Branson were working on interstellar travel. I think people are going to be travelling to space a lot sooner than you think."
Asked by Hammer if he's joking about the idea of actually playing a gig in outer space, Dave doubles down on his conviction that it could happen one day.
"People already travel over 40,000 feet altitude, and when you get to that kind of atmosphere you're basically already in space," he argues (although technically most space studies agree that outer space begins at closer to 327,000 feet). "So I do think it's going to happen. The question is, are people going to be able to inhabit the moon?"
Building on this particular thread of thought, Dave continues: "Personally I'd never want to live on a planet away from the world we live in. People were talking about a trip to Mars, but all I can imagine is somebody suddenly going 'Oh! I forgot my toothbrush!' That would be the longest flight ever!'"
Things would have to escalate quite quickly for Dave to get to space even with his generous estimate that Megadeth's final world tour could go for another three-five years, but stranger things have happened. If Metallica can play Antarctica, why can't Megadeth play where no band has played before?!
Megadeth's final, self-titled full-length album will land this January, and will include a cover of Metallica classic Ride The Lightning. You can order an exclusive copper and emerald vinyl variant of the album via the official Metal Hammer store.
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