Ex-MEGADETH Guitarist KIKO LOUREIRO: Being A Band Is 'Not About Everybody Being The Best' Musician

In a recent interview with music producer Nasir AlBashir of the XP AIR podcast, Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who is best known for his work with MEGADETH and ANGRA, was asked if he thinks it's "easier or more difficult to be in a band" in the age of social media. He responded in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I wonder. The things that I've been thinking lately is about the future of the bands. Because the society got to be, because of social media, so individualistic that I wonder how people are gonna get together and support each other for many years, like we did many years ago, with the fights. And I'm talking about a relationship with another person, family relations. Everybody's individualistic, showing what they're doing, and I'm including myself, showing what they're doing to the world. So even the festivals, the bands, everything has to understand this shift is about the person. It's not about the rock star; it's about the person. The person wants to be the rock star of the event, so if you're here, you have to do stuff for the person to feel the element of the place. So I think also that the connection of people is harder. So I don't know if the new bands, how they're gonna be…

"If you think about LED ZEPPELIN, so when the drummer died, they said no more band," Kiko continued. "Now, any little thing in a band, [it's], like, 'Oh, change the guy.' That connection [doesn't exist anymore]. QUEEN was the same. When Freddie Mercury passed, [they said], 'We don't play anymore.' They took — what? — 20 years to come back. So I think that's the question."

After AlBashir noted that there is more "pressure" on musicians to perform in a band and all be great on their instruments, Kiko said: "I tend to disagree… Because the band is not about everybody being the best. It's not like a dream team. It's not like the national team soccer. It's not about that. The band can have a weaker link. It actually gives a wabi-sabi kind of an imperfection to the band that makes the band a band. Because if you look all the great bands, not everybody's like this amazing musician. I think you need that because — I mean, I don't wanna mention bands, because I don't know them personally, but you can feel sometimes based on documentaries or videos, okay, this guy is the leader, this guy is the composer. Sometimes the leader or the composer is not the frontman. The frontman is great live, has a great voice, charisma. But then there's somebody composing. Maybe there's somebody producing. Maybe there's a guy that's the weaker guy, but he's the business guy. You don't know. Maybe there's a weaker musician, but he's the cool guy that puts all the glue together of the personalities. Because when you have two alpha males, let's say, facing for who's the best, whatever, you need to have that cool guy that [goes], 'Hey, guys, calm down.' You need that guy. And sometimes that guy is not the best musician. But it's so important for the dynamics of the band, of the group. So you never know. You never know. We know some bands that it clearly is like that, [where they] have two main characters and then one they think, 'Ah, what is this guy doing there?' But actually he might be the guy [who keeps it all running]. And it's the same for for sports. Because sometimes people are, like, 'Why is this player there?' You never know if, before the game, he is the guy who puts everybody up. But the coach knows. And then [maybe there is] a great player that the coach doesn't take to the game because the guy kind of destroyed the [rhythm of the game]."

In November 2023, Kiko announced his decision to "extend" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, explaining that he didn't want to "hinder any of the band's plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour."

Kiko revealed in September 2023 that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

One day after Kiko's announcement that he was "extending" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, band leader Dave Mustaine released a statement in which he said that he loves Loureiro and respects and fully supports Kiko's decision. He described Kiko as "a top-notch professional, a maestro" and thanked the guitarist "for his dedication and hard work these past nine years, helping us to achieve a Grammy on 'Dystopia' and the additional awards we have received on this latest record 'The Sick... The Dying...And The Dead'." Mustaine added: "I could not have done this without Kiko Loureiro."

MEGADETH played its first concert with Kiko's replacement, Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The 38-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

Kiko's latest solo album, "Theory Of Mind", was released in November 2024.