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- American thrash metal icons Megadeth have created a touring phenomenon with Gigantour, playing with acts like Dream Theater, Devil Driver, Anthrax and Lacuna Coil. They've played in Australia regularly and are now back for more to support their new album, "United Abominations", which debuted #8 on the US charts. I caught up with drummer Shawn Drover and bassist James LoMenzo to discuss life or death situations, learning 28 songs in a week and Guitar Hero.
You guys had a security problem at Perth, can you tell me what happened?
James: Yeah, but at no time did Dave strangle anyone. That's my story and I'm sticking with it...
Well, once upon a time there was a maniac named Dimebag Darrell. A friend of all of ours. So some knucklehead decided that it was time to be a knucklehead, and take our dear friend away from us. So since then we've all tried to bring security up to a new level, so that we can do our job without necessarily horrifying the audience. So we try to do that as much as possible. So all of a sudden, and it's happened to me before on the Ozzfest, all of a sudden you turn around and there's some guy mistakenly trying to give you a hug, but he's actually strangling you because he doesn't realize how happy he is to be on stage. Because we get the same adrenaline rush when we're on stage too.
So you can imagine if some guy actually breaks free from the crowd and gets up there he loses his mind, y'know. So what happened the other night - security was really lax. And in fact there was one portion of the show where I was in shock. Dave dropped a pick, it fell on one of the monitors, the security guys turned 180 - and they were just like little girls trying to reach for the thing instead of watching the crowd, and I think that's when that guy jumped up there.
Shawn: There were two guys that night. There was one that you saw on youtube, and there was a second guy. The first guy was at the beginning of holy wars and the second was at the ending of holy wars. So within a 7 minute time span, two guys get up on stage and y'know like James said you never know what their motives are, so security is a really big issue with us and with everybody. So you tend to react appropriately when somebody is coming up to you. It's like "careful buddy".
James: Megadeth music is precision music and we can't afford to be thrown off a beat. (smiles)
James, you joined Megadeth in 2006 is that right?
James: I'm still auditioning.
And Shawn, you joined in 2004, how did you both approach joining a band that has been around for more than 20 years?
Shawn: For me, I try to maintain the integrity of the band and play the songs the way they're supposed to be played - on record. That's as close as possible and not going to drumme- land and playing whatever I want to play just to showcase myself, I'm always thinking with the band in mind, and I think it shows. We execute what we do.
So when you were recording the latest album "United Abominations", did you have a chance to put in your own input?
Shawn: Absolutely.
James: In that case, Dave was really open to all kinds of ideas.
Shawn: For it starts off with how I envision it to be, and then we would bounce ideas off each other, "why don't you try this", just with Dave and the engineer and then to a degree with James and Glen. We're all listening and watching and bounce ideas off each other and what you hear is a result of that.
So how do you go about learning the huge back catalogue of Megadeth songs?
James: It's a mental flogging, it really is. There a lot of music going on! Personally what I do - I had to learn the stuff pretty quick, not as quick as Shawn... but he's been a fan forever, and it's not that I wasn't a fan but I really didn't know the whole catalogue , I was busy doing other things at the time. So I came into the band knowing really 2.5 songs. I had to learn the 28 songs and the repertoire as quickly as possible.
I understand you had like 5 days to learn the songs before the gig?
James: No, Shawn had 5 days, I had a whole two and a half weeks.
Shawn: Which is a lot of time.
James: So the way I approached it was I basically drive my daughter to school, and play a block of two or three songs, depending on if it's a six minute song or a four minute song, they're usually about six minutes. And just kind of become a fan of the music freshly, and get used to it and let it sink in, and I'd spend the rest of the day maybe just plugging out one, charting out the riffs in-between and going from beginning to end. Take a little section, stretch it out, go to the next section, put those two together. The process just takes time. There's no way around that. Now had I been a fan of the music I would have had the ideas and the melodies and all that sitting in my head already. Probably would have cut that time in half.
So with your latest concerts how have you struck a balance between old and new songs?
Shawn: The thing with that is, I think that we now have a catalogue of a hundred and sixty songs. Ultimately you can't keep everybody happy. There always someone bitching "well why didn't you play something from the first record"... so the reality of that is that we have a block of songs that we have to play or we'd be crucified. Y'know, we're talking eight or nine songs, "holy wars" and "peace sells" and what have you. So within a ninety minute set, or tonight seventy five minutes, that only leaves a real small block of songs. And we have to promote the new album, so you've gotta play three or four songs from the new album. So you've got this little space about "this big"... so we switch it up. Tonight we're playing "Ashes in your mouth".. tomorrow we might play something else. It's just a matter of trying to please and appease everybody but ultimately you can't. And we have to please ourselves as well. So we try to switch it up. We always do the best we can and make everybody happy but ultimately you cannot.
You two guys are the "rhythm section of the band"..
James: We're the rhythm Gods.... of this band.
How do you work on keeping it tight on stage?
James: I listen to Shawn! I keep telling him "you have to listen to me" but I listen to him. He really doesn't want to listen to me so I listen to him.
Shawn: I don't listen to James at all. So if I'm having a good night he has a good night. But if I don't he still has a good night.
How have you found the fan response of tracks from United Abominations?
James: Big sing-along's! So that tells me everything I need to know. People are really on board with the new stuff. We'd been kind of demoing "Washington's next" before we actually had the album out, by playing it live. So that got out onto youtube and before you know it people were singing along with that. Megadeth fans are great at that - they really come to the show to try to be part of it. They riff along with us, you can see it, they sing along. So the new songs, even in Japan (where we just came from), I gotta tell you it's like having a giant chorus of people singing along. It's very inspirational and very positive.
Shawn: Even "sleepwalker" - people were singing along to that in the bridge and the chorus, it's really cool. "Gears of War" goes over really well, much to my surprise, actually I wasn't 100% sure how that would translate and be received live, but I mean they're singing the words.
Talking about Japan, how's the crowd response compared to here?
James: Completely different!
Shawn: Completely different yet equally as awesome, just a different way. Their focus on everything is so great, they're really not moshing and freaking out and kicking each other, they're really focused on the band. And then the psychotic applause, and then it dies down and we play the next song! It's really neat actually, before the show you can't even tell if they're there. Sometimes we'll be on the side of the stage and you can't even tell if there's anyone in the audience - it's deathly quiet! But then they go nuts when we play. But here you've got a great fan base and it's kind of the polar opposite in a way, they just lose it here. They have a great time and they're freaking out all the time. It's a little bit more similar to the US or maybe in Europe, it's just a different vibe, but equally exciting to see.
Shawn what's it like playing with your brother?
Shawn: It's great, I've been playing with him for like twenty seven or twenty eight years, since we were kids.
You're not constantly beating each other up like most brothers do?
Shawn: No, we don't have the sibling rivalry, we're not constantly beating the shit out of each other and all that stuff. We've never been like that, we always get along well, we've always shared the common goal when we were young to try to play as well as we can and become successful. We never envisioned that we would become this successful, but we don't take it for granted, we appreciate it and it's great. I can't think of a better guitar player that I'd want to play with.
James you played with David Lee Roth for a while, you would have had to cover some of Billy Sheehan's playing?
James: Yeah, I have a side-band from the David Lee Roth band called "Hideous Sun Demons". When I joined Black Label Society and Megadeth, Ray the drummer and Toshi the guitar player wanted to go to Japan and play with the Hideous Sun Demons and they needed a bass player. Ray was playing on Billy's album, and coerced him into returning the favour and being a Sun Demon. So I'm happy to tell you that Billy had to play a couple of my songs! I thought that was only fair! It broke my fingers trying to do some of his stuff... and it looked like he could do with a vacation so he got to play some of my stuff.
Shawn you play open handed? ("open handed" is a unique drumming style where you don't cross your right hand over your left like most drummers)
Shawn: Well I got that from my brother who is actually at the door right there. (At this point Glen joins us). Glen was the big inspiration for playing open handed.
Glen: Yeah I started that whole thing.
Shawn: The reason why I did that was because my buddies were all playing drums at the same age I was, and they had the natural right handed setup, and I was too stupid to try to adopt to that. So I said "well I'm left handed so I'll do it this way". The way I look at it now, if Simon Philips does it and it works for him and Mike Bordin who plays with Ozzy, I don't see why it should be a problem with me. It has some advantages and some disadvantages.
So you play a right handed kit?
Shawn: Yeah, a right handed kit, exactly as you would play it except my ride cymbal is in the wrong spot. Much to my brother's dismay. So whenever he gets up to play he gets upset. (Glen and Shawn have been known to swap instruments while on stage with Megadeth)
Cool. So has either of you guys played any of the Megadeth songs on Guitar Hero?
James: My daughter plays that ok, and so she asked me to join her one time, and I failed miserably because it has nothing to do with playing guitar at all! It's more just like pushing buttons.
Shawn: Glen didn't you play that once?
Glen: Yeah I had a hard time with that, it's almost like it's not even rhythmic or something.
Shawn: Did you play Hangar 18 though?
Glen: Yep. I think I only got into the first 30 seconds.
James: I'm actually getting pretty good on Symphony of Destruction. That one I can almost get.
Shawn: I can't do it.
I found that they simplify it too much and half the time the notes don't match up with what you're hearing.
Shawn: Yeah you're supposed to hit it on the line and that isn't necessary, you need to more watch than listen to the music... whatever.
James: Did anyone happen to recognise me in that game by the way? From my Black Label days? The skinny bass player... have another look.
Will do! Thanks very much for the interview and have a great gig.
Shawn: No worries.