MEGADETH's DAVID ELLEFSON: 'Being Around Artists Is Not Always Easy'

On October 16, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson performed with ACM students and talked about his career in a masterclass at ACM Guildford in Guildford, England.

In a post-masterclass interview with the ACM YouTube channel, Ellefson was asked what advice he had for young musicians wanting to get involved in the business. "Music should always be fun," he said. "There's some moments that aren't always fun, because that's how any job is, any gig is. We put up with 22 hours of the day so we can have those couple of hours onstage. And that's really what our life is about."

Asked what he wished someone had told him before he embarked on a career in music, Ellefson said: "How difficult people are gonna be. Being around artists is not always easy, and I think, as a bass player, I get to do a little bit of both — I get to be an artist myself in certain situations, and then, other times, I'm there to just play bass for the song someone else wrote. So I think probably, as a bass player, and it speaks probably well to my personality, which is why I think the bass chose me — I didn't choose the bass; somehow the bass found me in the universe and said, 'You're gonna do this, young man' — is oftentimes my role in a band and in a musical setting is to sort of be the cohesive one to bring things together and make thing fit. From the very beginning, roles were cast, and because I was there in the beginning with Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader], I understood those roles. And I think that's probably why I've been there all these years — 35 years of MEGADETH."

The ACM Guildford gig was part of Ellefson's "Basstory" tour, which combines solo bass performance with David's celebrated brand of storytelling, as he recounts intimate details of his struggles and triumphs in the name of rock 'n' roll. "Basstory" also includes special VIP meet-and-greets, exclusive merchandise, and more.

Prior to the start of the tour, Ellefson said: "I have always done clinics, and a few years ago did an amazing spoken-word tour in Australia to support my book 'My Life With Deth', and have always welcomed the opportunity to be able to meet and connect with fans on a more intimate level. These important parts of my professional life converged to create 'Basstory'. Not only will fans get to hear some of their favorite bass riffs, but the stories behind them. It's not often I get to get into small, intimate rock clubs, the way this all started, and I'm excited for fans to get to experience this show."