MEGADETH Bassist Says Pre-Show 'Big Four' Dinner Was 'Class Way' To Ease Into Tour

June 18, 2010

METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX — the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — played together for the first time in history this past Wednesday night (June 16) in front of 81,000 fans at the Sonisphere festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland.

A video interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson conducted by NME TV after the band performed in Warsaw can be viewed below.

"Usually what happens on these big events and these big tours is you get together, you show up the first day, everybody is coming from different places, you're fragmented, you get on stage and you play, and then on you go to the next city," Ellefson said. "And you randomly run into each other, you do random introductions, and even though we all know each other, usually that thing that we did last night [big dinner and get-together that took place on June 15, 2010 in Warsaw, featuring members of all four bands] ends up at the end of the tour, and you go, 'Ah, man, sorry we didn't get to spend more time together.' And then you're kind of reliving memories. And what was cool about last night, which was really a class way to do it, was we all got together — no instruments, nothing — and we basically we all sat around and talked about our families and our kids and what schools they go to — 'cause we've all talked about our music for years. So it was really just a great way to break bread and sit down. It was very relaxed, very comfortable — it wasn't like a big thing where someone was in charge and leading it. It was just a great and casual way to kind of ease into today, so today when we show up, we've all seen each other, we've hung out, and we're all friendly faces ready to come in here and kick some ass."

MEGADETH's setlist was as follows:

01. Holy Wars
02. Hangar 18
03. Take No Prisoners
04. Five Magics
05. Poison Was the Cure
06. Lucretia
07. Tornado of Souls
08. Dawn Patrol
09. Rust in Peace... Polaris
10. Head Crusher
11. Sweating Bullets
12. Symphony Of Destruction
13. Peace Sells

Several more "Big Four" shows will take place across Europe, with a June 22 concert in Bulgaria to be beamed to U.S. movie theatres. There are still no plans for a U.S. run.

NME TV interview (June 16, 2010 in Warsaw):

MEGADETH performance (June 16, 2010 in Warsaw):

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