SAN FRANCISCO, CA – DECEMBER 10: Dave Mustaine (L) and James Hetfield of Metallica perform at Day Four of the bands’ 30th Anniversary shows at The Fillmore on December 10, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage).
More than 38 years after he was kicked out of Metallica, Dave Mustaine admits he doesn’t think the band “could have survived” had he remained a member.
The current Megadeth frontman was ousted in 1983 after he crashed one of the band’s trucks, destroying a bunch of equipment. Now he says if that hadn’t happened, his drinking and erratic behavior would have destroyed the band.
“I probably was destined to leave before that because of, you know, the word ‘destiny’ and the fact that there was just so much talent and so much personality between the four of us,” he says. “I don’t know that we could have survived. There was destined to be some kind of an explosion at some point.”
Would Metallica be as popular today if Mustaine had stayed in the band?