Dave Mustaine will host a livestream of Megadeth’s 2017 appearance at Germany’s Wacken Open Air Festival Thursday on its website at 5 p.m. EST, with Mustaine telling stories and answering questions in a live chat as the gig plays.
The group’s set list at that show – witnessed by some 75,000 headbangers – placed a heavy emphasis on their recently released Dystopia album but also offered a career-spanning selection of hits and deep cuts. In addition to signature songs like “Peace Sells,” “Symphony of Destruction,” and “Hangar 18,” the band revisited the Rust in Peace highlight “Tornado of Souls,” the Peace Sells album’s “Wake Up Dead,” and one song that dates back to Mustaine’s days in Metallica, “Mechanix,” which he revved up for Megadeth’s 1985 debut, Killing Is My Business … and Business Is Good.
In addition to the livestream, the group is launching a new line of merch and including a pandemic-ready face mask with a design that resembles their mascot, Vic Rattlehead, with all purchases. A portion of proceeds will go to the Megadeth’s road crew and production team, since the band has had to cease touring; previously the group had donated money to coronavirus-related charities.
“As we continue to self-quarantine, my thoughts go to all the production teams and road crews out there who count on artists being on the road to make a living,” Mustaine said in a statement. “They are the driving force that help make things happen. It’s the road crew that help keep everything running smoothly and make the show sound and look the way we envision. Megadeth’s crew are the best in the business. We are the Megadeth family, and I want to do what I can to help ease some of the financial stress they are currently experiencing.”
Megadeth hope to get back on the road in a couple of months. The band is co-headlining what they’ve dubbed “The Metal Tour of the Year” with Lamb of God, with support by Trivium and In Flames. The trek is currently scheduled to kick off on June 12th in Bristow, Virginia and it has dates scheduled through November.
