We've documented many insane things Dave Mustaine has said when it comes to politics and religion, be it his lack of belief in evolution, his desire to secede, his questioning of Obama's birthplace, or the whole thing with vagina plugs for Africian woman.
Needless to say, Dave got a lot of bad press over the years, which most likely had a negative impact on his album sales, so perhaps it's finally getting through to him that maybe talking politics isn't the best move for his career.
A recent interview with Faster Louder saw the interviewer pressing Dave on the typical hot-button subjects, except this time… Dave didn't bite!
Faster Louder: Do you have any thoughts on the U.S. government shutdown, and how Obama's handled it?
Mustaine: You know, I do but I think that so many people misinterpret what I say when it comes to politics that I'd just rather stick to music. I mean, if you and I were sitting down and having a brew or a steak or something, I could say, yeah, we could talk about it, and I could explain what I mean, but it's just so weird when people misinterpret what you say.
Faster Louder: OK. In terms of your religion, obviously you're a born-again Christian. Was there a single defining moment for you that brought that about?
Mustaine: There wasn't a moment that turned me into one, because I think that would be kind of trivializing the whole thing that happened. It's no secret that I had died, and came back from the dead, that's something that's pretty crazy when you think about it. I often question why that happened, and the only thing I can think of is that I have a higher purpose instead of just making music and getting myself in trouble from the statements I make.
Faster Louder: You've said you don't want to push your faith onto others, but at the same time you refused to play on the same bill with "satanic" bands like the black metal band Rotting Christ. Is that hypocritical?
Mustaine: What happened was when I first had made a decision back in 2002, I said "Just for now." You see, people forget those three words: Just. For. Now. I said, "Just for now, I'm not going to play with any bands that have junkies in them, or any bands that have any black metal." And, you see, people forget the junkie part, but I said that because I was trying to get my life back in order. I was struggling with my past and everything. And it turned into selective journalism — people picking stuff they want to pick to make a point out of it. I'm trying to shoot straight with you, friend. I don't know you at all, but when you try to pick stuff that's salacious, that's kind of sad. And what happens a lot of times, people will try to get me to say stuff, instead of saying, "Hey, here's a guy with a lot of history that can tell me a lot about the genre." They try to fuck around and be funny.
Good for Dave! Clearly his handlers or whomever finally got through to him, maybe he'll turn a new leaf. But something tells me Dave will slip up any day now.
