MEGADETH Tour Manager: DAVE MUSTAINE Rarely Stops And Hardly Ever Sleeps

MEGADETH/Gigantour Assistant Tour Manager Tracey Wiedeman (photo) has posted the following message on the Gigantour web site:

"Here we sit on a flight from Sydney, Australia to Melbourne...our last show! We have completed 25 shows in the U.S., four shows in Japan and off to our third show in Australia.

"Our webmaster kindly asked me to complete a new journal entry for G2 a few weeks into the U.S. tour but things had been so hectic, it's only now I have a moment to sit down and put words into writing. However, I think my delinquency in completing this request gives me an interesting new perspective on the subject matter.

"Last year I wrote about our life on the road...our bus, our crew, my daily duties, etc. This year as I reflect on the tour wondering what to write and not be boring, the one thing that continues to come to mind is the one and only Mr. Dave Mustaine. The reason is because as a fan, what most of you see is what is presented to you on stage, in videos, interviews, etc. What you don't see is the man behind the scenes who never stops working to continue to create and execute his vision for Gigantour.

"This year as the Assistant Tour Manager, I rode on the band bus and what was glaringly apparent and amazing to me is that Dave Mustaine rarely stops and hardly ever sleeps. In your eyes you may see a very talented musician. In my eyes what I also saw was a very smart businessman. I saw a man who was continually on his blackberry whisking through numerous e-mails, conducting important phone calls all the while maintaining the essence of the reason we are on the road...the show itself! This doesn't even take into account all the time being spent working on the new album 'United Abominations', scheduled to be released approximately March 2007.

"To top it all off, Dave is also a true leader. The first sign of a leader is taking the time to care. This is the core of Dave Mustaine. For instance, being a musician on the road, it's so easy to get wrapped up in yourself and your own needs and forget about everyone else. On the road as a musician, you have staff to take care of all your travel requirements, all of your transportation needs, your daily schedule, your laundry, your food, etc. etc. Most of the time all you have to do is show up at the designated time in a designated place and everything is taken care of for you. In most cases, it's easy to forget there are people around you with their own needs not being met. I also must add that Dave is also quite the gentleman. He is one of the first to lend a hand to help me out of a vehicle, opens doors and always makes sure I walk through the doorway first. Actually, I am a lucky gal because chivalry is not dead with most of our band and crew!

"So in summary:

"Question: What do you get when you cross a talented metal musician & writer, a smart businessman and a true leader?

"Answer: Dave Mustaine

"Until our next adventure...keep the music alive!"

(Thanks: Rattlehead HQ)