The Big Four of thrash, being Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica and Anthrax, haven't played a show together since 2010 and time is running out. Slayer is on their final world tour, which spells the end of the Big Four as four active bands once that's completed. So Megadeth's Dave Mustaine is proposing the most logical of solutions to this problem – bring the Big Four to the Bay Area to wrap up their existence.
Though to be fair, the Big Four should also do a second show in the New York area for the sake of Anthrax's heritage.
"I think everybody in the metal community wants to see that, with Slayer going away. Although, fortunately, with the attention that they're getting, they're not [going away yet] — there's so much attention for them that they continue to play, which is great for us. But I think that before they retire, there should be another 'Big Four' show. And since the scene primarily started in the [San Francisco] Bay Area, I think it should be done in the Bay Area or here [in Los Angeles]. To me, it's just not right. I think there should be at least one more."
This isn't the first time Mustaine has said the Big Four should do one last show together. He voiced this same opinion in 2016 when he was clarifying that Metallica's Lars Ulrich is not the reason the shows haven't happened yet.
"I never said that Lars is standing in the way of there being a 'Big Four' show," Mustaine said (hear audio below). "What I have said, and I stand by this, is that Slayer going away… they're choosing to go out on their terms [by embarking on one final tour], which is terrific. And I wish them the best.
"Kerry [King, Slayer guitarist] and I have had a friendship over the years. Albeit on the outside it looks like we're not friends because of some stuff that he or I have said to each other over the years, we're friends. And the same thing with Tom [Araya] and Dave [Lombardo] and Jeff [Hanneman], when he was with us, and with Gary [Holt] now; we're friends.
"I hope that Megadeth and Slayer get to go one more round somewhere. I think it would be great, especially if it was a 'Big Four' show," he added. "But that's entirely up to them. And if it doesn't happen, we've had our share of Slayer and Megadeth shows, and I'll always appreciate those times together."
