Chuck Billy interview: “Dave Mustaine said we can’t use all of our new stuff”
Chuck Billy talks about Dave Mustaine‘s reaction. TESTAMENT’s frontman also says “Dave threw his weight around and said we can’t use all of our new stuff.”
At the time of TESTAMENT‘s tour with JUDAS PRIEST and MEGADETH. In this tour, Chuck Billy and his band members were on the road in support of their fourth studio album, “Souls Of Black.” Also, this album was written and recorded in early 1990. Chuck and friends also having a hard time on this tour because Dave Mustaine was causing problems sometimes.
Spoke with this interview to MACHINE HEAD’s Robb Flynn – “No Fuckin’ Regrets With Robb Flynn” podcast program, Chuck Billy says:
“For the JUDAS PRIEST tour, we decided we were gonna spend some time on production. We bought a big, fancy Voelker Rack drum set. We bought two new scrims, full-on backline – the whole deal. Nice-looking show. And we get to the first show, and Dave Mustaine sees us have it up, and he says we can’t use it. So we had a little problem during the first week of the tour.
Chuck Billy also added:
“I was pissed, because we just spent all this money, and those were the days when they were hand-painted backdrops – these backdrops were 15, 20 grand; they weren’t cheap then. So we were, like, ‘We’re coming out to represent. PRIEST tour in arenas, man. We’re coming out.’ But Dave threw his weight around and said we can’t use all of our new stuff. So for the first week, we were, like, tails between our legs, playing. And all the guys in our band said, ‘Chuck, you seem to be friends with Rob Halford.
Go in there and tell him. He keeps telling you guys, ‘If you guys need anything, just ask.’ Go in there.’ And I’d had it. And I said, ‘You know what? I’m gonna.’ So, I went in there. It was, like, three or four days into the tour. I go to the JUDAS PRIEST dressing room. I said, ‘Hey, Rob. You got a minute? I need to talk to you.’ I go, ‘I don’t know who to talk to, but I’m gonna come to you. And if it’s your guys’ decision, hey, I’m down with it, but I thought I would just bring it up.
We bought all this stuff for this tour to put on a nice show, and the MEGADETH guy says we can’t play, ’cause they said you guys wouldn’t let us use it.’ And he was, like, ‘What? Who said that?’ Right there, he went and got his tour manager and said, ‘Get in here.’ Rob said, ‘Do you know anything about this? Them not letting TESTAMENT not use their gear?’ The tour manager says, ‘No.’ And Rob goes, ‘You make sure tonight they get the damn gear up there.’ So we had a full-blown show. And who comes side stage to watch the show? There goes Mr. Mustaine. Mr. Mustaine is standing there, just pissed off – he just had that look. And we were looking over just, like, ‘Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, Dave.’ We were putting it on, throwing it down. And that’s how that tour started.”
Also, TESTAMENT‘s – “Titans Of Creation” album was released in April via Nuclear Blast Records. Listen to TESTAMENT – ‘Children Of The Next Level’ song below.
