New details have emerged about MEGADETH’s failed Rust in Peace reunion, thanks to emails recently revealed by the people managing the official Facebook page for the late drummer Nick Menza. The exchanges between Dave Mustaine, Nick Menza, and Marty Friedman date back to 2014-2015, when discussions were underway for a potential reunion of the classic Rust in Peace lineup.
The accompanying message was shared alongside the photos:
Friendly e-mail exchanges between Dave Mustaine, Nick Menza and Marty Friedman during the 2014 / 2015 failed ‘Rust In Peace’ reunion. Nick went as far as recording and demoing drums on four new Megadeth songs at the time that Dave Mustaine had sent him that where later re-named / re-arranged / re-recorded by Lamb of God drummer Chris Alder, and released on Megadeth’s fifteenth studio album (Dystopia January 22, 2016)
Mustaine’s working titles at the time
I Told U So “Last Dying Wish”
Babylonian Ships “Death from Within”
The Emperor Has No clothes ?
In his autobiography, Friedman acknowledged that monetary factors influenced his decision to contemplate a reunion of MEGADETH‘s iconic Rust In Peace era lineup eleven years ago. This opportunity arose in 2014 following the departures of guitarists Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover.
Friedman commented on the financial offer presented by MEGADETH‘s then-manager, Ron Lafitte, writing: “Let’s just say he wasn’t even in the ballpark. Hell, he wasn’t even in the parking lot for the ballpark. The amount they offered was right around the first salary I got when I joined MEGADETH in 1990. If I’d had any idea they would lowball me like this, I never would have met with them in Anaheim. Had I taken that offer, I would have been paid less in a week than I made in a normal day in Japan. I was stunned and angry and told them I couldn’t even consider it. I made a counteroffer, which was the bare minimum I could accept, and far less than I have received from any of the artists I’ve toured with in Japan.’
Referring to Lafitte‘s suggestion of a joint tour with IRON MAIDEN as the initial step following a Rust In Peace lineup reunion, Friedman continued: “I was willing to take the financial hit because a reunion tour with MEGADETH opening for IRON MAIDEN could open doors for me again in America. And what followed could be a bigger tour than anything we had previously done. Even if they met my rate, the tour would have been a huge windfall for them. They easily could have agreed to that, and the reunion would have been on, but they said I wanted too much money.”
“I was happy with my career in Japan, doing what I loved, making real money without the kind of drama that comes with MEGADETH,” he added. “They didn’t even acknowledge they had just lost their guitarist and drummer and needed me more than I needed them. When I got over my initial anger, I was puzzled and sad.”
In Dave Mustaine‘s latest book, Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece, Friedman candidly revealed why he declined the offer of a MEGADETH reunion.
“My main thing was I’d be happy to do it, but I’m not going to take less money than I’m already making to do it,” Marty said in part.
“I’d been in Japan for more than ten years cultivating a career with solid rewards. I was making money not only for myself but also for my management and staff. My manager has been with me fifteen years.
“Everything was sound and solid professionally, and when the offer came up to all of a sudden join MEGADETH again, as long as I would not be making less money, I was ready to go,” he said.
“”But I was certainly not going to take a loss to join a band that, frankly, at that point, didn’t seem like they had too much to offer musically. A couple of members of the band had recently quit, and musically I hadn’t heard anything that they’ve done in a long time.
“I didn’t know about how relevant they continued to be in the music business. It wasn’t like MEGADETH was on the tip of people’s tongues, at least not in Japan. I had reached the point where people stopped immediately connecting me to MEGADETH and were talking about the things that I had done in Japan.”
Source: metaladdicts.com
