A review of the Gigantour 2 DVD has been posted in the 'Heavy Metal Addiction' section at wordpress.com: "Audio and visual are professionally well done, the band’s are all in top form, and the performances are brutal, headbanging, and amazing. Some of the bands on the tour I was only a casual fan of (Arch Enemy, Opeth, Lamb Of God) but now I will pay a lot more attention to them. Into Eternity and Overkill were already bands I enjoyed but seeing a bit of live stuff has me looking forward to their next tours. Megadeth never disappoints... ..I’ve seen them live many times and they always put in a solid show. If you want to see some different bands, some heavy bands, some bands that are huge in the Metal scene then go pick up Gigantour 2 DVD." [MORE]
Todd Newton for BigMusicGeek.com has posted this review of the 'Gigantour 2' DVD: "...I know what you’re probably thinking. So what does all of this really prove? Quite a lot, actually. With the tour’s latest Platinum-encrusted incarnation now easily surpassing the once-mighty Ozzfest as the perennial Summer Heavy Metal tour de force, the majority--if not all--of the decidedly ferocious wares contained herein effectively serve as an idealistic multimedia showcase for what can only be described as some of the genre’s most undeniably entertaining (and in the case of Megadeth and Overkill enduring) acts." [MORE]
Full Metal Jackie of Metal Edge TV recently conducted an interview with Dave Mustaine. Dave talks about Gigantour, the bands of Gigantour, The Live Line, playing Dean guitars, and more! Watch the chat in two parts [HERE]
Amy Ebersole for The Daily Aztec has posted a review of Gigantour in San Diego this past Tuesday (May 20): "An ensemble of tattooed, black T-shirted fans flooded into Cox Arena for the fourth annual Gigantour headed by the pioneers of thrash metal, Megadeth. ...Lights, camera, action - the DVD filming was a placebo for energy as ecstatic fans threw up hand horns while the camera probed the audience and a vivacious anthill of swarming, sweaty bodies in the mosh pit." [HERE]
A consistent innovator in music and technology, Dave Mustaine will be the first musician to utilize a fan-centric video widget to keep in touch with fans while on the road. Fans are able to video message directly with the band online, and with their cell phones - creating a highly personalized experience. Each week of five will offer a different theme of interactions including one week where bands can upload videos of their own renditions of their favorite Megadeth songs for comments and critiques! To get started, register [HERE]
Larry Rodgers for The Airzona Republic reports: "Dave Mustaine, front man of the '80s-spawned metal band Megadeth, spent a decade in Scottsdale before moving his family to his native San Diego. Despite making a move that many Arizonans would envy as temperatures rise, Mustaine says he occasionally longs for the desert." Read the entire article [HERE]
One lucky winner will receive flights and accommodations to attend the Dave Mustaine - Guitar Center Sessions in Los Angeles, plus a signed Dave Mustaine signature series DEAN guitar and a chance to win a private guitar lesson with Dave Mustaine. All you have to do is enter right [HERE]
Metal Injection conducted an interview with Chris Broderick at the Megadeth's Worcester stop of the Gigantour. Chris talked in depth about the time he got the call to join Megadeth, some of his favorite Megadeth songs, his early influences and guitar playing as well as some of the bands he listens to when on the road. Watch the video [HERE]
An audio interview with Dave Mustaine conducted by Eddie Trunk for the Trunk Report from April, previous to Gigantour kicking off in North America is available online. Dave talks about the diversity of Gigantour, Chris Broderick joining the band, the name "Gigantour", Led Zeppelin, and more! Check out the streaming audio [HERE]
Megadeth is working with the non-partisan organization HeadCount to register voters and encourage political participation among people of all ages. To volunteer for HeadCount and help staff voter registration booths at concerts (on the Megadeth tour or for other bands), or to register to vote, visit www.headcount.org. HeadCount has set a goal of registering 100,000 voters in 2008, ensuring that people from all walks of life are represented at the polls. Megadeth is proud to be among many artists supporting this important cause. [MORE]
Rob Williams for Canada.com recently conducted an interview with Dave Mustaine: "Dave Mustaine is one of music's most opinionated political critics/animals. Over the course of 25 years as leader of thrash metal outfit Megadeth, the outspoken Californian has taken aim at everything from religious fundamentalism to globalization to America's national and foreign policies." [MORE]
Listen all weekend long for your chance to win a pair of tickets to see Gigantour featuring Megadeth on Tuesday, May 20th at Cox Arena. One lucky grand prize winner will get to have "breakfast" with some of the bands and 9 of their closest friends at 4pm the day of the show. PLUS, they'll win a guitar autographed by Dave Mustaine! It's the Gigantour weekend from Rock 105.3, USA Discounters and Cricket Wireless! [MORE]
When Gothenburg, Sweden melodic death metal pioneers In Flames came to New York as part of Gigantour 2008, Guitar World's MetalKult had a chance to sit down with guitarists Björn Gelotte and Jesper Strömblad for an exclusive riff lesson. Over the next two weeks MetalKult will be airing six lessons in which the pair demonstrate how to play a selection of new and classic tracks from In Flames' nine-album catalog. View part one [HERE]
Mike Ross for the Edmonton Sun has posted a review about Gigantour in Edmonton last night (May 12): "...Instead, it was wholesome, empowering, healthy heavy metal music served up to 4,500 black T-shirt-clad metalheads, though it was still loud and contained many, many utterances of the word "motherf---er." Supported by four furious metal bands - Children of Bodom, In Flames, High on Fire and Job for a Cowboy - Gigantour was just as intense a show as any concert by any of the heathen atheist rockers, if there are any left. Topping a long night of metal, Megadeth came out all guns a-blazing and didn't let up." [MORE]
David Schmeichel for the Winnipeg Sun has posted a review about Gigantour in Winnipeg this past Saturday night (May 10): "Let's have a round of goat-horn salutes for Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine, whose show at the Convention Centre Saturday night was a master-course in rock 'n' roll economy. Playing Winnipeg for the second time in just over a year, Mustaine and Megadeth proved you don't need flashy stage setups, pyrotechnics or even a venue with halfway decent acoustics to send thousands of metal fans home happy -- just a catalogue of proven winners, a couple new cuts for the kids, and one of the genre's most accomplished guitarists working the strings from centre stage." [MORE]
Francois Marchand for the Edmonton Journal recently conducted an interview with Dave Mustaine. "Gigantour, which started in the summer of 2005, has quickly become Mustaine's way to bring new bands into the spotlight. "The only way I could see that I could do something with any credibility was to use the experience and the help and the strength that I've acquired and accumulated along the way and pass that on to some of the younger bands," he says." [MORE]
Chat live with Chris Broderick today, Saturday, May 10 at 7:00 PM Central Time/00:00 GMT (May 11th) at the Gigantour chat room! The chat is open to all fans and you must be a registered member of the Gigantour Forums to participate. Don't miss this one! The Gigantour Chat Room is located [HERE]
Dave Mustaine opens up to Iann Robinson of Nonelouder.com in an exclusive 10 minute video interview. "Nonelouder is proud to present an in depth interview with one of the most influential people in the heavy music world. Check out Dave's opinion on digital music, modern bands, politics, how to write songs and much-much more." Watch the interview [HERE]
Chat live with drummer Jon Rice of Job For A Cowboy today, May 9 at 5:00 PM Central Time/22:00 GMT at the Gigantour chat room! The chat is open to all fans and you must be a registered member of the Gigantour Forums to participate. The Gigantour Chat Room is located [HERE]
Dave Mustaine answered questions from the hosts and fans live in studio during an appearance on the April 29, 2008 edition of MusiquePlus' "Plus Sur Commande" in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Watch the 10-minute clip [HERE]
Dave Mustaine will call in to KCAL's "The Moshpit" this Saturday night, May 10 at 10PM PDT to chat with host Mike Z. about Gigantour's upcoming May 21 So Cal appearance, hockey, new guitarist Chris Broderick, and other metallic topics. Listeners in Riverside/San Bernadino, California can tune into 96.7 FM on their dials. Others can stream live at kcalfm.com
Eden Munro of Vue Weekly recently conducted an interview with Dave Mustaine. "It’s not hard to believe that Mustaine is more than willing to speak his mind when he has something to say-during our conversation, he riffs more in 15 minutes than many people do in 45, covering plenty of topics along the way. Still, as pointed as his statement might sound, he hasn’t kept Megadeth alive for the last 25 years by firing off random attacks on people." [MORE]
CBuckshot of Woozyfly.com's show called Buckshot's Bonanza conducted an interview last week with bassist James LoMenzo. James discussed Megadeth's schedule and told stories about the first couple of weeks of the Gigantour, the difference between playing in Megadeth and Black Label Society, working with Dave Mustaine and Zakk Wylde, writing new jams on the tour bus and the new LoMenzo Hyper Drive disortion pedal coming out in June. Watch the nine-minute interview [HERE]
Chat live with bassist Henkka Blacksmith of Children Of Bodom Today, May 7 at 5:00 PM Central Time/22:00 GMT at the Gigantour chat room! The chat is open to all fans and you must be a registered member of the Gigantour Forums to participate. The Gigantour Chat Room is located [HERE]
John Soeder for Ceveland.com recently conducted an interview with Dave Mustaine: "Dave Mustaine, who started Megadeth after leaving Metallica 25 years ago, had a scare in 2002 when an injured nerve in his arm left him unable to play guitar. Now fully recovered, Mustaine and his revamped thrash-metal group are headlining Gigantour's third North American trek, including a stop Sunday at the Time Warner Cable Amphitheater in Cleveland. The Megadeth frontman checked in from the road last week for a phone interview." [MORE]
Swedish metallers In Flames have posted behind-the-scenes footage from this year's Gigantour. Watch the one-minute clip [HERE]
Chat live with drummer Jon Rice of Job For A Cowboy Friday, May 9 at 5:00 PM Central Time/22:00 GMT at the Gigantour chat room! The chat is open to all fans and you must be a registered member of the Gigantour Forums to participate. The Gigantour Chat Room is located [HERE]
Ben Ratliff for The New York Times recently posted a review of Gigantour at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. "Dave Mustaine, the guitarist, singer and leader of the metal band Megadeth, has written a lot of songs with two guitars in mind, and he’s been through 10 or so other guitarists during the band’s 25 years. The newest, Chris Broderick, formerly of Jag Panzer and Nevermore, is on tour with the band for the third installment of Gigantour, the no-nonsense, five-band metal caravan with Megadeth as the headline act [MORE]
Chat live with bassist Henkka Blacksmith of Children Of Bodom Wednesday, May 7 at 5:00 PM Central Time/22:00 GMT at the Gigantour chat room! The chat is open to all fans and you must be a registered member of the Gigantour Forums to participate. The Gigantour Chat Room is located [HERE]
Melanie (Sass) Falina for UnratedMagazine.com recently conducted in interview with James LoMenzo. "It's been a long and winding road for rock bassist James Lomenzo. Having gained his first substantial recognition in the 1980's with the band White Lion, he's since worked with an array of colorful and extreme musicians -- people like Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Slash, and David Lee Roth. In 2006 Lomenzo's rock and roll journey led him to thrash-masters Megadeth; and now almost two years later he still couldn't be happier." Read the interview [HERE]
Shawn Drover has told The Flint Journal that giving younger bands the opportunity to open for his act is one of Gigantour's goals. "It's cool, too, because my ear is really low to the ground in terms of metal bands, young bands, new bands, older bands, whatever," Shawn said in an interview with The Flint Journal. [MORE]
In response to sports writer Mike Wise's column in the Washington Post about the fans of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team that read "women and children could be security for Megadeth," well-known hockey enthusiast Dave Mustaine and the rest of the band sent a couple of videotaped messages of support. Watch the clips [HERE]
Chat live with guitarist Ravi Bhadriraju of Job For A Cowboy today, Thursday May 1 at 4:00 PM Eastern Time/20:00 GMT at the Gigantour chat room! The chat is open to all fans and you must be a registered member of the Gigantour Forums to participate. The Gigantour Chat Room is located [HERE]
Shawn Drover was one of the featured guests on CHOM 97.7 FM's "The Metal File" with Mike Metal this past Friday night, April 25. Shawn talks about the current success of Gigantour across North America and more! You can now listen to the interview in streaming audio [HERE]
In response to a Washington Post column about the Philadelphia Flyers fans that read "women and children could be security for Megadeth," Dave Mustaine sent a videotaped message of support wearing a jersey of the Flyers captain, Jason Smith. Megadeth and the Philadelphia Flyers have joined up to give fans of both the team and the band a special playoff treat - a free downloadable iron-on so you can make your own Megadeth Security shirts. The Flyers continue their playoff run on Wednesday night against the Montreal Canadians.
To craft your very own Megadeth Security T-shirt at home, CLICK HERE for the print out. Flyers fans and Megadeth fans alike - wear it proud!
Dave Mustaine is appearing on the live to air television show at MusiquePlus in Montreal called "Plus Sur Commande" tomorrow, Tuesday, April 29th, which is broadcast from 5:00-6:00pm (EST) daily. Fans are welcome to attend and need to arrive at the MusiquePlus studios at 4:50pm (EST) to be allowed in. Dave will be live in studio at 5:30-6:00pm (EST) answering questions from the hosts and the studio audience. All requests from fans to be in attendance can send an email to: publicpsc@musiqueplus.com. The MusiquePlus studios are located at: 355 Sainte Catherine St. Ouest Montreal,QC.
Shawn Drover checks in today from Quebec City: "Crossing the border yesterday into Quebec, I could not help but to have a big smile on my face - Coming back home to Canada is always a thrill for me, but this time even more so, probably for several reasons, but I just dig the overall vibe here in my homeland - something that I miss more with each passing year. (And the Pizza in Montreal RULES!!!!!!!) ...Tonight is the start of 4 Canadian shows here in Quebec City - for those of you who may not know this, the Province of Quebec is insane for metal, which makes me all the more excited to play for them" [MORE]
The 10th annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival began Friday (April 25), as Gigantour partnered with the homegrown festival. According to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the multi-band package created by Dave Mustaine was supposed to be in Worcester on another date, but all agreed it made sense to bring the metal together. Gigantour kicks off the Canadian leg of the North America trek tomorrow night in Quebec City. Tour detalis are [HERE]
Chat live with Shawn Drover today, Saturday, April 26 at 6:30 PM Eastern Time/22:30 GMT at the Gigantour chat room! The chat is open to all fans and you must be a registered member of the Gigantour Forums to participate. The Gigantour Chat Room is located [HERE]
Jeff Kerby of KNAC.COM recently conducted an interview with Dave Mustaine. "While discussions about Mustaine’s personality and demeanor rage on, what really isn’t up for debate is Dave’s production over the last several years. During this time, Megadeth has released albums, DVD’s and even created and headlined Gigantour numerous times. The fact is that whether you love him or hate him, it would be difficult for anyone not to acknowledge the scarcity of individuals in rock who possess Mustaine’s presence and tenacity--he seemingly creates a reaction wherever he goes in whatever he does. Face it, despite the rough edges; the rock world would be a lot less eventful without him in it..." Read the interview [HERE]
Chat live with James LoMenzo tomorrow, Thursday, April 24 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time/22:00 GMT at the Gigantour chat room! The chat is open to all fans and you must be a registered member of the Gigantour Forums to participate. Also take note that there will be a chat with Shawn Drover this coming Saturday, April 26 at 6:30 EasternTime/22:30 GMT! Don't miss these chats from the guys out on Gigantour! The Gigantour Chat Room is located [HERE]
The 'GIGANTOUR 2' DVD and CD officially hits the stores today! "GIGANTOUR 2 features over an hour of blistering performances by iconic and influential heavy metal pioneers MEGADETH--who have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide in a career now spanning 25 years--along with Lamb of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy, Overkill, The Smashup, and Into Eternity. Recorded in DTS 5.1 surround sound, the DVD version also features a behind the scenes look at the 2006 tour, while both the DVD and CD offer a hidden bonus track--MEGADETH's ever-relevant "Peace Sells."" Pick yours up today or buy it online [HERE]
Anders Friden of In Flames has posted an update from Atlanta, GA: "Just wanted to check in and let you know Gigantour has been a lot of fun so far. Great shows, and it has been nice to meet several of you coming out to the show. Want to give special thanks again to Megadeth for the hospitality, especially last night in Louisville, KY." MORE
"Sick and tired of tired of never winning swag from your favorite artists and groups? Look no further! Image Entertainment and www.BigMusicGeek.com, Your Online Music Authority, want to give you the chance to win a freakin’ sweet Gigantour 2 CD. That’s right! Five lucky headbangers (i.e. hopefully you) will win over an hour of blistering performances by iconic and influential Heavy Metal pioneers Megadeth along with a full-throttle barrage of sweat-soaked tracks from Anthrax, Arch Enemy, Into Eternity, Lamb Of God, Opeth, Overkill, and The Smashup." Enter to win [HERE]
The ENTIRE band will be chatting with Jesterhead Colonists exclusively on Monday, April 21st at 3:00pm EST. They will be checking in with the Colony to talk about Gigantour, and anything else you may want to ask them. Don't miss this opportunity to catch up with ALL of IN FLAMES! You must be an active Jesterhead Colonist to participate in the chat. Join the Colony now! [HERE]
Michael Alan Goldberg has published this article for HoustonPress.com: "Out on the road with the Gigantour, Oakland metal behemoth High on Fire - singer-guitarist Matt Pike, drummer Des Kensel and bassist Jeff Matz - continue to melt faces with songs from their latest disc, Death Is This Communion. On the phone two days before the tour launch, the affable Kensel noted when asked if he typically reads reviews of his band's albums, "I'll be the first to admit I have a short attention span - that's probably why I play drums," but was more than game to review some Communion reviews" [MORE]
Jerry Rojas for BlogCritics.org has published a review of Gigantour at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas: "Overall: I completely agree with my friend in that if you call yourself a fan of heavy metal, you should mark this show as a must-see. This is a great lineup that is stripped of the unnecessary side shows and brings plenty of metal goodness." [MORE]
Dave Mustaine called in during the Cindy Scull and Robert Miguel morning show on Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas' 93.3 The Bone to promote his Gigantour stop at the Nokia Theater. Dave dispelled rumors that he was diagnosed with over 50 varieties of parasites and worms by his doctor (the story was originally reported in December of 2007 by the Associated Press), and he weighed in on his recent divorce, the trials of parenting, and stock trading. Hear the entire interview on Cindy and Robert's MySpace page [HERE]
Megadeth is working with the non-partisan organization HeadCount to register voters and encourage political participation among people of all ages. To volunteer for HeadCount and help staff voter registration booths at concerts (on the Megadeth tour or for other bands), or to register to vote, visit www.headcount.org. HeadCount has set a goal of registering 100,000 voters in 2008, ensuring that people from all walks of life are represented at the polls. Megadeth is proud to be among many artists supporting this important cause. Read more [HERE]
Simon McCormack of Albuquerque's Alibi.com recently conducted an interview with James LoMenzo. "By the time Megadeth bassist James Lomenzo joined the band’s lineup in 2006, he’d built a 30-year career of rock with artists like David Lee Roth and bands like White Lion and Black Label Society. "I’ve played with pretty much everybody, so there’s not much that’s gonna scare me," Lomenzo asserts" Lomenzo talked with the Alibi about Megadeth’s place in history, what bands have caught his ear lately and how he makes sure his rock ’n’ roll flame stays lit. [HERE]
The third installment of the North American Gigantour officially launched last night (Saturday, April 12) in Denver, Colorado with headliner Megadeth, Swedish metal band In Flames, Finland's Children Of Bodom, Arizona's modern extreme act Job For A Cowboy and Oakland, CA heavy power trio High On Fire. The 29-date trek will criss-cross North America and is scheduled to wrap May 22 in Phoenix, Arizona. Tour details and tickets are [HERE]
James LoMenzo has posted an update on the Megadeth Forums: "As for Megadeth? We've just finished doing a few days, setting up the production here at the Fillmore in Colorado and everything is humming (in a good way). The staff here at the Filmore has been really great to out crew and ourselves (many thanks) and the band is of course is completely stoked. We're really excited to be coming back with Gigantour again and for you American and Canadian fans, to finally check out our good friend Chris Broderick as our newest addition to the Megadeth lineup. You've already heard and read about it so come on out and check him out on this tour... great guitar player!" [MORE]
Dave Mustaine recently spoke to Mitchell Peters for Billboard.biz about launching Gigantour, the benefit of a package tour, dealing with hecklers and Megadeth's future album plans. About picking bands for Gigantour, Dave explains: "I don't necessarily always locate them, but when it comes down to the final approval, that's mine ... Our ultimate goal was to have bands that have guitar players in them that were guitarists that do solos. So we got this together and we wanted it to be a guitar player's festival -- positive and encouraging for kids to go to so they're safe. Their mom's aren't going to say, "You know what? This isn't cool for you to go to. You have to wait until you're older." Any age can come to these concerts." [MORE]
Daniel Svensson from In Flames was interviewed for this week's "Tinitus" radio show, airing tonight (Wednesday, April 9) between 20.00 CET (8:00 p.m.) and 22.00 CET (10:00 p.m.) on Norway's P3. "Tinitus" is Norway's most popular metal show with an average of over 60,000 listeners per week (1.5 percent of the country's population!). To tune into P3 via the Internet, follow the instructions that are posted on the "Tinitus" MySpace page [HERE]
Win the ultimate Gigantour 2008 experience "Dinner with Dave Mustaine". The Canadian branch of Roadrunner Records is offering fans an opportunity to win a dinner with Dave as a grand prize which will include tickets to the show, autographed swag and more! Runner up prizes are also up for grabs. Enter the contest [MORE]
Chad Bowar of About Heavy Metal recently conducted an interview with In Flames guitarist Björn Gelotte. About Gigantour: "Yes, we're really looking forward to it. Two of the bands we've never toured with, Job For A Cowboy and High On Fire. Children Of Bodom we've toured with several times and know those guys really well. Megadeth has had some highly influential albums for me guitar-wise. Some of their songs are as good as it's ever going to get. It's going to be a great tour." [MORE]
Check out Dave Mustaine's wide-reaching and hard-hitting interview on JamBase.com. Dennis Cook for JamBase writes: "Patriot, epic shredder, cultural commentator and balls-to-the-wall rocker, Dave Mustaine, the man behind the quarter century and counting metal institution Megadeth, is all these things and a good deal more. While some folks talk about freedom, Mustaine hammers away at it in a way that'd make the founding fathers grin. Like his music or not, there's something undeniably and wonderfully American about Mustaine. He speaks his mind, often coming at things from a place of deep compassion, but also never giving a flying damn if what he says puts your panties in a twist." [HERE]
"Sick and tired of tired of never winning swag from your favorite artists and groups? Look no further! Image Entertainment and www.BigMusicGeek.com, Your Online Music Authority, want to give you the chance to win a freakin’ sweet Gigantour 2 CD. That’s right! Five lucky headbangers (i.e. hopefully you) will win over an hour of blistering performances by iconic and influential Heavy Metal pioneers Megadeth along with a full-throttle barrage of sweat-soaked tracks from Anthrax, Arch Enemy, Into Eternity, Lamb Of God, Opeth, Overkill, and The Smashup." Enter to win [HERE]
Add another Canadian city to the list of dates sold out on the Gigantour 2008 North American tour! Calgary, Alberta is now officially sold out. Tickets are selling steadily on the entire tour and if you haven't already, it is suggested that you pick up your tickets now before the next show sells out! You do not want to miss out on seeing Megadeth, In Flames, Children Of Bodom, Job For A Cowboy, and High On Fire live together at Gigantour 2008! Tickets and details are [HERE]
In Flames will release their ninth studio album before hitting the road with Gigantour. Their new album, A Sense Of Purpose, is slated for an April 1 release through KOCH Records. All 12 tracks can currently be heard on their MySpace. [HERE]
Be sure to catch Dave Mustaine on "Dave Navarro’s SpreadTV" on April 10th for a brand new Season 3. Don’t miss these two guitarist legends on stage together for the very first time! The show will have Dave on for a full hour; 1/2 interview and 1/2 Dave giving Navarro a guitar lesson. An interesting tidbit is that Dave's guitars had not yet made it back from tour in Europe, so at the last minute, Chad Bardon from Mania TV was able to get Gary Harrison, a Dean Distrubtor from Long Beach, to drive up a guitar for Dave to use to give Navarro a lesson! Several photos from the taping have been posted in the Megadeth Gallery. Check the photos out [HERE]
The Official Megadeth Ebay store has reopened! Improvements have been made to the store and Megadeth items are now up on the auction block! This is the official eBay outlet for Megadeth and Dave Mustaine, Shawn Drover, James LoMenzo, and soon to debut, Chris Broderick memorbelia merchandise. Here you will find rare autographed merchandise, collectibles, recordings, artwork, gear, and items used by Megadeth. The store is located [HERE]
The first Gigantour show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY is now sold out! Tickets are still available for the 2nd show. Hurry and get yours today! "The third installment of GIGANTOUR--the acclaimed traveling heavy music festival launched in 2005 by MUSTAINE--will kick off April 12 in Denver, CO with headliner MEGADETH, Scandinavian death metal band IN FLAMES, Finland's CHILDREN OF BODOM, Arizona's modern extreme JOB FOR A COWBOY and Oakland, CA heavy power trio HIGH ON FIRE all confirmed. The 29-date trek will criss-cross North America and wraps May 22 in Phoenix , AZ." Details and tickets are [HERE]
Dave Mustaine will be guest hosting a special edition of CHAOS with Full Metal Jackie this Sunday, March 30th from 10pm-Midnight PST on Indie 103.1 FM Los Angeles/Orange County. The show will focus on Gigantour playing music from past & current Gigantour artists! CHAOS with Full Metal Jackie also streams online at www.indie1031.com [MORE]
Jesterhead is proud to be offering the opportunity for Colonists to meet IN FLAMES at ALL upcoming shows in the US & Canada on Gigantour 2008! You must be an active Jesterhead Colonist to participate. For more details join the Colony NOW! [HERE]
Daniel Svensson and Peter Iwers will be chatting with Jesterhead Colonists exclusively on Thursday, March 27th at 22:00 CET (Central European Time). They will be checking in with the Colony to talk about Gigantour, and anything else you may want to ask them. Don't miss it! You must be an active Jesterhead Colonist to participate. Join the Colony NOW! [HERE]
Dave Mustaine has posted an update on the Gigantour Forums. The following exerpts are from his post: "...and you can see why I am even more excited about this year, than any Gigantour to date. ...Drum roll: yes it is true . . . the Official Megadeth Ebay store has reopened and our new Storekeeper is a lady named Kellie Payne. ...we are going to be leaving on April 8th for Denver to start the tour and going to end it in Venezuela" [MORE]
Dave Mustaine will guest on guitarist Dave Navarro's (The Panic Channel, ex-Jane's Addiction) online TV show on ManiaTV.com called "Spread TV" sometime in April. The exact broadcast date will be announced soon. To watch the program live or on demand, go [HERE]
Dave Mustaine has posted this update on the Megadeth Forums: "Droogies! What a wild tour this one ended up being for the last few weeks. Thank God we are through it, but plan on reading about some really intense moments when I get a chance to post what happened at the end of the tour. We have some killer footage too of our greetings when we arrived in India at the concert. Hell you have prolly seen it already, but I am just getting out of the cocoon from the 12.5 hours jetlag." [MORE]
The Gigantour show at the Convention Centre in Winnipeg is now sold out! This is the third sold out show on the North American tour and more will follow soon. So a heads up to everyone who may be holding off on buying their tickets, by looking at the current ticket sales stats, we can tell you that certain other Canadian dates in particular may very well be next on the list to sell out! Grab your tickets now before it's too late. You do not want to miss out on seeing Megadeth, In Flames, Children Of Bodom, Job For A Cowboy, and High On Fire live together at Gigantour 2008! [MORE]
In Flames will take part in an online chat this Wednesday, March 19 at 1:00 p.m. (Swedish time) at the web site of the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. [HERE]
Audio samples of all 12 tracks that are set to appear on "A Sense Of Purpose", the new album from Swedish metallers IN FLAMES, are available for streaming [HERE]
The first two sold out shows on Gigantour North America 2008 have now been posted to the Killing Road. Quebec City, Quebec and Edmonton, Alberta are the first two cities to sell out on the tour! Canadian fans have stepped up to the plate again as they did recently with selling out the VIP packages for Edmonton and Calgary. (Shawn ought to be proud, eh?!). Also fyi, Montreal was first to sell out on the Blackmail The Universe tour of North America with Regina following second. [MORE]
Phil Davies for eGigs.co.uk recently posted this review online about Gigantour in Birmingham, UK. "Then the place erupts. Megadeth stride onto the stage to the entire venue in overdrive. Never men to hang around, they launch straight into it. Understandably, a lot of tonight's set is made up of songs from their 2007 release, United Abominations. With good solid tracks Such as 'Washington is next' and 'Burnt Ice', the new material seems like classic Megadeth, but with a more personal touch." [MORE]
New music from Children Of Bodom and In Flames will be premiered this Sunday (March 9) on Indie 103.1 FM's specialty heavy metal program "Chaos with Full Metal Jackie". To listen to the show live via the Internet, go to this location. The program also airs on KNAC.COM Monday nights between 7 and 9 p.m. PST (and again on Sunday mornings between 7 and 9 a.m.).
Meet Megadeth on Gigantour in North America this spring! Deluxe VIP packages are now available to the general public. Packages include concert ticket, meet & greet with Megadeth, autograph session, signed Gigantour 2008 collectable 8X10, photo with the band, VIP laminate, and more! Spaces are limited to 40 packages per show! Purchase your package [HERE]
Megadeth VIP Package - Gigantour North America
* One General Admission Standing Ticket
* Exclusive Meet and Greet with Megadeth
* Autograph session (includes signed Gigantour 2008 collectable 8X10)
* Personal Photograph with the band
* Official Megadeth Meet and Greet VIP Laminate
* Set of Special Megadeth Guitar Picks
* Exclusive Megadeth Bandana
*Please note:
This unique meet and greet experience is your opportunity to interact directly with Megadeth.
Meet and greet instructions will be emailed to each confirmed guest (1) weeks prior to show date.
You may bring one extra item only to be signed. No shoes, cigarettes, alcohol or drug related products or paraphernalia, bootleg items of any kind, will be allowed.
No fan cameras will be permitted. Our professional photographer will be there to take your pic with the band.
All tickets will be sent via regular mail. Official laminate, guitar picks, bandana and 8X10 collectible will be distributed at the meet and greet session.
Space is limited to 40 packages per show.
"Heavy Metal Championship 2007" - Megadeth and Dave Mustaine take five top spots in Japan's Burrn! magazine's Readers' Poll for the year of 2007 in the following categories:
* Best Live Performance In Japan (Megadeth)
* Shining Star (Dave Mustaine)
* Best Album Cover ("United Abominations")
* Best DVD ("That One Night: Live In Buenos Aires")
* Best Tune ("Washington Is Next!")
Megadeth and Mustaine also took second spots in the "Best Group", "Guitarist" and "Songwriter" categories. See the magazine page scans [HERE]
Win the ultimate Gigantour 2008 experience "Dinner with Dave Mustaine". The Canadian branch of Roadrunner Records is offering fans an opportunity to win a dinner with Dave as a grand prize which will include tickets to the show, autographed swag and more! Runner up prizes are also up for grabs. Enter the contest [MORE]
Melanie Falina for UnratedMagazine.com reviews the new 'Gigantour 2' DVD: "When Megadeth's frontman Dave Mustaine put together the first Gigantour we all rocked along in awe. Nothing against our Prince of Heavy Metal Darkness - Mr. Osbourne and his Ozz Fest - but Dave Mustaine hand picking the bands to bring on board his own brand spanking new touring metal show - how cool is that?Now, as we're bracing for "Round 3" to come to our towns, it's also time to relive last year's festivities on CD. Gearing up for an April 22 nd release, Gigantour 2 is a 14 song sampling of another group of bands whose chops are just as much bark as they are bite." [MORE]
Chris Beaumont for Blogcritics.org reviews the new 'Gigantour 2' DVD. "..Now, the legendary Megadeth takes their place on the stage and closes out this DVD compilation with three songs of pure Megadeth goodness... If you like metal, are curious about the tour, or attended one of the shows, this disk is for you. It is well shot and well recorded and proved the lineup to be considerably stronger than I initially expected." [MORE]
The 6-page cover story on Gigantour in the April issue of Revolver is on sale now! Dave Mustaine talks about Gigantour being a more positive experience: "Gigantour is about celebration. It's one of those festivals where it's about treating the musicians right so they can do their job. When you enjoy what you're doing, it becomes effortless - you forget where you're at. It becomes magical." See the cover and scans of the pages [HERE]
By overwhelming demand, a second show at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City has been added to Gigantour 2008 North America for April 23! Presented by Hot Topic - Gigantour, featuring Megadeth, In Flames, Children Of Bodom, Job For A Cowboy, and High On Fire is set to kick off its six-week trek across the USA and Canada on April 12. Check the tour page for details [HERE]
James Allman of Baconmusic conducted an interview with Job For A Cowboy vocalist Jonny Davy last night (Saturday, February 23), just hours before the band's Gigantour show in Manchester, UK. Watch the eight-minute chat [HERE]
MFC members check out a new video clip posted at the club of James LoMenzo from backstage Sunday, Feb 17 in Norwich, UK . This clip shows James on Skype with his wife after the show in Norwich. James usually Skypes his family every night after the show. Video clip is exclusive to MegaFanClub members! Not a member? Join today!
MFC members check out a new video clip posted at the club of James LoMenzo from backstage Sunday, Feb 17 in Norwich, UK . This clip shows James on Skype with his wife after the show in Norwich. James usually Skypes his family every night after the show. Video clip is exclusive to MegaFanClub members! Not a member? Join today!
MFC members check out a new video clip posted at the club of James LoMenzo from backstage Sunday, Feb 17 in Norwich, UK . This clip shows James on Skype with his wife after the show in Norwich. James usually Skypes his family every night after the show. Video clip is exclusive to MegaFanClub members! Not a member? Join today!
MFC members check out a new video clip posted at the club of James LoMenzo from backstage Sunday, Feb 17 in Norwich, UK . This clip shows James on Skype with his wife after the show in Norwich. James usually Skypes his family every night after the show. Video clip is exclusive to MegaFanClub members! Not a member? Join today!
Chat live with Dave Mustaine from Newcastle, UK on Wednesday, Feb 20 at 5:30 PM (Newcastle local time) at the Gigantour chat room! That is 9:30 AM Pacific Time / 12:30 PM Eastern Time / 17:30 GMT. The chat is open to all fans and you must be a registered member of the Gigantour Forums to participate. The Gigantour Chat Room is located [HERE]
A fan who was at the Nottingham show earlier tonight gives his take on the headliners: "The gig was absolutley amazing, the band seemed to enjoy every second of it. Defininate highlights were Take no prisoners, Ashes and Tornado (Chris nailed the solo note for note) I stood with a massive grin on my face during most of the gig (between headbanging) I would gladly recommend to ANYONE to go and see this tour!!!!" Read more reviews [HERE]
Gigantour UK makes its debut today in Norwich, England featuring headliners Megadeth with special guest Job For A Cowboy and UK's own Evile. This run of Megadeth's current European tour takes the band through mostly sold out shows in the UK. Gigantour tickets are still available but only for the Glasgow show. Check the tour page for details [HERE]
Meet Megadeth on Gigantour in North America this spring! Deluxe VIP packages are now available to the general public. Packages include concert ticket, meet & greet with Megadeth, autograph session, signed Gigantour 2008 collectable 8X10, photo with the band, VIP laminate, and more! Spaces are limited to 40 packages per show! Purchase your package [HERE]
Megadeth VIP Package - Gigantour North America
* One General Admission Standing Ticket
* Exclusive Meet and Greet with Megadeth
* Autograph session (includes signed Gigantour 2008 collectable 8X10)
* Personal Photograph with the band
* Official Megadeth Meet and Greet VIP Laminate
* Set of Special Megadeth Guitar Picks
* Exclusive Megadeth Bandana
*Please note:
This unique meet and greet experience is your opportunity to interact directly with Megadeth.
Meet and greet instructions will be emailed to each confirmed guest (1) weeks prior to show date.
You may bring one extra item only to be signed. No shoes, cigarettes, alcohol or drug related products or paraphernalia, bootleg items of any kind, will be allowed.
No fan cameras will be permitted. Our professional photographer will be there to take your pic with the band.
All tickets will be sent via regular mail. Official laminate, guitar picks, bandana and 8X10 collectible will be distributed at the meet and greet session.
Space is limited to 40 packages per show.
G2 Gals: Tracey Wiedeman, Rachel Heitzer, Jenny Neace, Evie Carrano
Evie Carrano, from Chicago, was a Local Masseuse, a Tour Masseuse, a Cotton Tech (merch person), a Band Assistant, and much, much more. She had just recently finished her first gig as a Tour Manager. Evie toured with Lamb Of God on Gigantour 2006. Gigantour and Megadeth Jr. Manager, Tracey Wiedeman had these words to say: "Evie was one of those kind and caring souls that are sometimes hard to find in the music industry. She was smart, funny & genuine and every time Evie walked into a room she always brought a soothing peace with her no matter how hectic things may have been." Evie succumbed to leukemia Tuesday night, surrounded by her loving family. Our condolences to Evie's family, she will be missed.
Headbanger's Blog has posted a 30-minute audio interview with Dave Mustaine about how Chris Broderick entered the band, how he chose the bands for this year’s Gigantour, the recent resurrection of thrash metal, the disappointing absence of strong Presidential candidates and why you should fork out the cash for a pot of his delicious custom coffee. Check it out [HERE]
Bassist Henkka Blacksmith of Children Of Bodom has posted the following message at the Gigantour Forums: "I m so excited about the tour! Looking forward...2more months only.." [MORE]
'GIGANTOUR 2' CD AND DVD
FEATURING MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD, AND MORE
SET FOR APRIL 22 RELEASE ON IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
AS MEGADETH GEARS UP FOR 2008 EDITION
OF METAL FESTIVAL TOUR
The second coming of MEGADETH 's acclaimed traveling metal festival GIGANTOUR arrives on both DVD and CD April 22 via Image Entertainment--just ten days after GIGANTOUR's latest incarnation begins its North American invasion April 12 in Denver. Conceived in 2005 by MEGADETH frontman DAVE MUSTAINE , GIGANTOUR-- proclaimed "the mother of all shred fests" by Revolver magazine-resurrects metal's focus on stellar musicianship.
The GIGANTOUR 2 DVD and CD follow Image Entertainment's fall 2006 release of the debut GIGANTOUR CD and DVD which featured unforgettable performances by MEGADETH , Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Anthrax (CD only), Nevermore, Life of Agony, Symphony X, Dry Kill Logic and Bobaflex.
GIGANTOUR 2 features over an hour of blistering performances by iconic and influential heavy metal pioneers MEGADETH--who have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide in a career now spanning 25 years--along with Lamb of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy, Overkill, The Smashup, and Into Eternity. Recorded in DTS 5.1 surround sound, the DVD version also features a behind the scenes look at the 2006 tour, while both the DVD and CD offer a hidden bonus track--MEGADETH's ever-relevant "Peace Sells."
"Mr. Mustaine was one of speed-metal's originators, and his double-time riffs are propulsive," wrote Ben Ratliff of The New York Times in a review of the 2006 GIGANTOUR. "Bending over his guitar, long blond tresses hanging down, he gives his solos the direct feeling of wrestling with the music as he plays it, with some chaos and aggression."
"Megadeth might be counting its history in decades now, but one would never have gathered that from their career-spanning set," concurred Paul Andersen of the L.A. Daily News . "Mustaine and crew played with a passion and intensity that fed directly from the adoring crowd, and throughout their 90-minute set, no one sat, as this was a day--and night--that demanded movement."
The release of the GIGANTOUR 2 DVD and CD coincides with this year's Earth Day--perfect, really, since MUSTAINE has said, with a laugh, about GIGANTOUR's mission of emphasizing true musicianship and virtuosity: " I think that in a small way, we are cleaning up the environment of crappy bands."
Meanwhile, in February MEGADETH heads to Europe--where recently announced new guitarist CHRIS BRODERICK (Nevermore, Jag Panzer) will make his debut with the band alongside MUSTAINE, drummer SHAWN DROVER , and bassist JAMES LOMENZO --before returning for this year's GIGANTOUR.
The 29-date North American trek kicks off April 12 at The Fillmore in Denver and criss-crosses the U.S. and Canada until its May 22 finale at the Mesa Amphitheatre in Phoenix . Joining MEGADETH on this year's tour are Scandinavian death metal band In Flames, Finland's Children of Bodom, Arizona's modern extreme Job for a Cowboy, and Oakland, CA heavy power trio High on Fire.
For more information, go to www.gigantour.com , www.megadeth.com , and www.image-entertainment.com .
The DVD and CD track listings are below.
DVD:
1. THE SMASHUP Effigy 2. SANCTITY Beneath the Machine 3. INTO ETERNITY Severe Emotional Distress 4. OVERKILL Necroshine 5. OVERKILL Rotten to the Core 6. ARCH ENEMY We Will Rise 7. ARCH ENEMY Nemesis 8. OPETH The Leper Affinity 9. LAMB OF GOD Vigil 10. LAMB OF GOD Now You've Got Something to Die For 11. MEGADETH Take No Prisoners 12. MEGADETH The Scorpion 13. MEGADETH Washington is Next!
CD:
1. THE SMASH UP: Rachel's Day 2. SANCTITY: Zeppo 3. INTO ETERNITY: Timeless Winter 4. OVERKILL: Thanks for Nothing 5. OVERKILL: Long Time Dying 6. ARCH ENEMY: Nemesis 7. ARCH ENEMY: We Will Rise 8. OPETH: Window Pane 9. LAMB OF GOD: Vigil 10. LAMB OF GOD: Red Neck 11. LAMB OF GOD: Something To Die For 12. MEGADETH: Take No Prisoners 13. MEGADETH: The Scorpion 14. MEGADETH: Washington Is Next!
About Image Entertainment:
Image Entertainment, Inc. is a leading independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming in North America , with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release and approximately 450 programs internationally via sublicense agreements. For many of its titles, the Company has exclusive audio and broadcast rights and, through its subsidiary Egami Media, Inc., has digital download rights to approximately 2,000 video programs and over 300 audio programs containing more than 4,500 tracks. The Company is headquartered in Chatsworth , California . For more information about Image Entertainment, Inc., please go to www.image-entertainment.com.
###
The 'GIGANTOUR 2' DVD and CD are both now available for pre-order at Amazon.com! Join Megadeth as they return to unleash the second coming of GIGANTOUR on their 2006 world tour! Featuring a lineup of metal's pioneers, prepare yourself for a night of sonic mayhem.
Gigantour 2 features today's top metal bands: Megadeth, Lamb of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy, Over Kill, Into Eternity, The Smashup, and Sanctity! The disc - which was recorded in 2006 during the second installment of the traveling festival features the following track list:
01. THE SMASHUP - Rachel's Day
02. SANCTITY - Zeppo
03. INTO ETERNITY - Timeless Winter
04. OVERKILL - Thanks For Nothing
05. OVERKILL - Long Time Dying
06. ARCH ENEMY - Nemisis
07. ARCH ENEMY - We Will Rise / Bridge
08. OPETH - Window Pane
09. LAMB OF GOD - Vigil
10. LAMB OF GOD - Red Neck
11. LAMB OF GOD - Something To Die For
12. MEGADETH - Take No Prisoners
13. MEGADETH - The Scorpion
14. MEGADETH - Washington Is Next
In a 2006 interview, Dave Mustaine stated that Gigantour is a celebration of headbanging rock at its best.
"It's all about musicianship and people who are positive," said Dave, who started the festival tour in 2005. "We want people out there who aren't afraid to do a guitar solo, and with the guys from Lamb Of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy and the other bands, we have a great new generation of guitar players out there."
'GIGANTOUR 2' is set to hit stores on April 22nd via Image-Entertainment. Pre-order the DVD and CD at Amazon.com today!
Glendale, AZ extreme metal powerhouse Job For A Cowboy will take part in the North American and United Kingdom editions of Gigantour alongside thrash metal legends Megadeth.
Job For A Cowboy will provide direct support to Megadeth on the UK Gigantour run, set to launch February 17 in Norwich, UK. The week-long trek will conclude with a February 24 performance at London's Brixton Academy. Job For A Cowboy will then join Megadeth, Swedish metal titans In Flames, Finnish thrashers Children Of Bodom and Oakland, CA power trio High On Fire as part of the North American Gigantour, set to launch April 12 in Denver, CO.
Commented Job For A Cowboy guitarist Ravi Bhadriraju: "It is an honor to be selected as part of such a great tour. Bands like High On Fire, Children Of Bodom, In Flames and Megadeth are all respected in their own genres and every band has something great to offer. Every band is going to put on a show. Every band will eat you alive. Get your popcorn ready!"
Job For A Cowboy will kick off a U.S. tour in support of "Genesis" beginning January 24 in Fresno, CA. Support on the three-week run will be provided by The Red Chord and Skeletonwitch.
Job For A Cowboy's video for their song "Altered from Catechization" can be viewed below
Tickets for select cities on the Gigantour North American tour go on sale today to the general public. Remaining cities go on sale Saturday and Sunday. Pre-sales are still available at the MegaFanClub. Deluxe meet & greet packages are also available at the ticket links. Check the tour page for all details [HERE]
Ticket presales for Gigantour 2008 North America go on sale today at 10:00 AM local times exclusivley to MegaFanClub members. Details have been e-mailed out to all MFC members and can also been found once logged in at the fan club website. Presale continues through the week. Tickets go on sale to the general public this weekend. Meet & greet packages will be available to fan club members this week. Stay tuned for details. Not a member? Join today [HERE]
Dave Mustaine has big news for metal fans: Gigantour is back, and Megadeth has a new guitarist! Gigantour 2008 North America kicks off April 12 in Denver, CO with headliner Megadeth, In Flames, Children Of Bodom, Job For A Cowboy, and High On Fire. The 29-date trek will criss-cross North America and wraps May 22 in Phoenix, AZ. In other Megadeth news, the group has officially welcomed new guitarist Chris Broderick (Nevermore, Jag Panzer) to the band after parting ways with Glen Drover. Read the official press release HERE
MegaFanClub members are going to have first dibs on some very limited deluxe meet & greet packages for the North American Gigantour coming early this week!! Presales for tickets alone are all so going on sale exclusively to MFC members on Tuesday! Stay tuned for details! Not a member? Join today! [HERE]
The UK run of Megadeth's tour this spring has been rebranded under the Gigantour banner. Gigantour UK will make its debut in Norwich on Feb 17th and finish up in London on Feb 24th. Scheduled for the main support is special guest Job For A Cowboy, and thanks to the support of TheLiveLine.com, fans' votes helped to put UK's own Evile into the opening spot on the tour. Tour details and tickets are [HERE]
The lineup for this year's Gigantour is now officially announced. The tour is scheduled to kick off mid-April and run through end of May with the lineup as follows: Megadeth, In Flames, Children Of Bodom, Job For A Cowboy, and High On Fire. Tour dates to be revealed soon. Dave Mustaine: "The breaking news is we are going to have five bands this year, instead of eight. The decision to drop it down from eight bands to five was based on timing, set lengths, stage sizes, unions, and most importantly allowing 'us' - the musicians - to deliver to 'you' - the fans - the best shows we can."
Dave Mustaine wishes everyone a Happy New Year. "As we near the end of 2007 and my lovely Droogs down under celebrate 2008 already, we back here at the Mustaine House are reflecting on the last year. They are all laughing and joking and I have snuck off to make the last post of this year." Read the rest of Dave's new year's message [HERE]
Dave Mustaine has posted this update at the MegaFanClub, Megadeth, and Gigantour Forums: "We are one step closer to releasing Phase 2 of "TheLiveLine.com" site and this week we are going to introducing you to some of our new features and our new established artists. I have been talking to some of my close friends and we are going to have a few more people for you to talk to at "TheLiveLine.com" Read Dave's entire post [HERE]
Dave Mustaine has posted an update at the Gigantour Forums: "The breaking news is we are going to have five bands this year, instead of 8. The decision to drop it down from 8 bands to 5 was based on timing, set lengths, stage sizes, unions, and most importantly allowing "us" - the musicians to deliver to "you" - the fans the best shows we can. Besides it is easier to remember 5 bands and crews worth of names than 8." Read Dave's entire post [HERE]
"Droogies!
Far and wide, thank you all for you fabulous support at the concerts and other various get-togethers. We wrapped up 2007 in one of the warmest and kindest countries to host heavy metal concerts.
You may wonder why the title, but that is one of my "pick-me-up" sissy-pop songs and it just came on as i was packing my suitcase.
Anyway . . .
I look forward to a long relationship with the Aussies, if not with just Gigantour, but definitely Megadeth too.
I enjoyed seeing some of the last runs airport friends, except hair-toucher.
I am going to reflect on a very up and down year over the holidays and get myself prepare to come back even stronger next year.
There will be updates and a new number to call me on soon, so stay tuned.
Until we speak again, thanks to Bring Me The Horizon, Lacuna Coil, Devil Driver, and Static - X.
It is time to try to sleep for 3 hours and then shower and head for home. Wish us all safe travels." MORE
Chat live with vocalist Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil Sunday Nov 18 4:30PM BRISBANE TIME (06:30 GMT Sun Nov 18) in the Gigantour chat room! Chat room is located [HERE]
Australia's littlest metal fan, 8 year old Jaidyn, had won a contest last month to meet Megadeth on GIGANTOUR. The contest was put on by FasterLouder.com.au and Megadeth to discover Australia’s biggest metal fans.
Jaidyn and his parents, Paul and Cassandra (pictured above with Megadeth in Melbourne on Nov 13) shared some of their experience and thanks to Megadeth after the show: "We cant express how thrilled Jaidyn was to have his shirt signed, photo taken with the band and then be asked to go on stage. To add to this further he was then given drumsticks from Shawn and acknowledgement by the band as they waited to come on stage. It was certainly a night he will never forget and is only now realizing the enormity of what he received."
Previously posted: "Who was metal enough for Gigantour? Australia's littlest metal fan, that's who! For those not in the know, Megadeth enlisted the help of FasterLouder.com.au to discover Australia’s biggest metal fans. Entrants from all over Australia submitted their photo to FasterLouder and Dave Mustaine chose the winner - 8 year old "Rattlehead" who must be the biggest little metal fan in the land"
Chat live with vocalist/guitarist Wayne Static and bassist Tony Campos of Static-X Friday, Nov 16 4:30PM SYDNEY TIME (05:30 GMT Nov 16) in the Gigantour chat room! Chat room is located [HERE]
Chat live with Dave Mustaine from Sydney, Australia at the Gigantour Chat Room Thursday, November 15 at 1PM Sydney time (02:00 GMT Nov 15). Dave will join us from mid tour GIGANTOUR OZ. The tour has a stop for two shows in Sydney before wrapping up the trek across OZ in Brisbane on Sunday night. To participate in the chat you must be registered at the Gigantour Forums. All fans are welcome. Forums/Chat are located [HERE]
Dave Mustaine is inviting 12 fan club members with movie cameras to come to the Sydney Gigantour shows [Nov 15 and 16] each day and film the whole day including the duet of "A Tout Le Monde", with Christina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil. To show his appreciation he is offering the member and a mate a free ticket and a backstage pass to that show. MFC members, e-mail megafanclub@megadeth.com if you are interested. Fans chosen will be picked on a first come - first serve basis. Not a member? Join now and take part in this incredible opportunity! [MORE]
Last night in Melbourne, Australia (Nov 13 Melbourne time), members of the band RATT; Warren DeMartini and John Corabi joined Megadeth on stage to sing "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying". Also joining in were Tony Campos from Static-X, Dez Fafara of DevilDriver, and more from the bands of Gigantour. Gigantour OZ is in full swing right now with the final show ending in Brisbane on Sunday, November 18. [MORE]
Chat live with guitarist Chris Migliore and drummer Criz Mozzati of Lacuna Coil Tues, Nov 13 5PM MELBOURNE TIME (06:00 GMT Nov 13) in the Gigantour chat room! Chat room is located [HERE]
"I wanted to tell you about my experience in Perth, Australia and the concert. I loved the fans, I liked the show, and I hated the security... [MORE]
An audio clip of Megadeth performing "A Tout Le Monde" in Perth, Australia on Nov 10 with guest, Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil is now available for download in the Gigantour.com media section. Cristina joined Megadeth on stage at the Perth show to sing the duet with Dave Mustaine. Check it out! [HERE]
One day, one community, one cause. Myspace bands are coming together to help the people of Darfur, and to send a strong message to the world that this crisis must end now. Show your support and go to a ROCK FOR DARFUR show on November 10. Megadeth is a part of it and will be playing to a sold out show today in Perth marking the first show of the Gigantour OZ 2007 tour! Read more about Rock For Darfur [MORE]
GIGANTOUR OZ 2007 kicks off to a sold out show tomorrow in Perth, Australia! GIGANTOUR Australia is a festival trek across the land-down-under with Megadeth headlining accompanied by Static-X, DevilDriver, Lacuna Coil, and Bring Me The Horizon. Tickets and details are [HERE]
Lacuna Coil has confirmed the following in-store signing sessions while in Australia:
Nov. 13 - JB Hi-Fi (206 Bourke St.) Melbourne at 2:00 p.m.
Nov. 15 - JB Hi-Fi (The Galleries Victoria, 500 George St,) Sydney at 2:00 p.m.
Shawn Drover has posted this update on the Megadeth Forums: "Man, we had such a great time onstage last night in Osaka, so much so that we played an extra 20 minutes for ya I want to personally thank all involved with Mr.Udo for making our stay in Japan one to remember for a long time, as well as thanking the fans for enjoying this trip as much as we did!!!!!!!! I am getting ready to board the plane here in Hong Kong to Perth, so just a super quick post to our friends in Australia - SEE YOU SOON!!!!!" MORE
James LoMenzo has posted this update on the Megadetrh Forums: "The boys and I were on the train last night from Nagoya to Osaka reminiscing about last years Aussie Gigantour and what a great time we had... the shows, the great bands, the crowds... so, in the midst of this killer run here in Japan, we're becoming more and more excited to bring the show to all you lovely people in Australia... "Gigantour '07"... We're on the way... hope to see all our Aussie friends!" MORE
Megadeth's lead guitarist Glen Drover has posted an update at the Megadeth Forums: "Just a quick hello to you and to let you know how excited I am to get back to the land of OZ and Gigantour!!! We have such a killer line-up this year and I have not seen any of these bands in a live situation yet, so of course I am looking forward to that as well as seeing all of you attending these shows. Get ready, because we are going to musically destroy :)" MORE
This just in... GIGANTOUR on November 10 in Perth, Australia is now SOLD OUT! Tickets are still available for Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Check tour dates, get tickets, and more details HERE
Dez Fafara of DevilDriver, and Andrea Ferro of Lacuna Coil have each posted Halloween wishes to all GIGANTOUR fans on the GIGANTOUR Forums.
Dez: "Happy Halloween everyone ! I wait all year for this ! Heres whats up in DevilDriver world. WAITING to return DOWN UNDER ! Im looking forward to seeing everyone ! Gonna be good hanging with Dave ,and Lacuna coil....NO doubt they will help me brush up on my Italian ! Listening to the new DOWN record,Going back to the pumpkin carving......have a great day ,see ya all real soon !"
Andrea: "Hello everyone, happy Halloween!!! Have a wicked night, party hard and take good care of yourself. See ya soon in Oz (can't believe we're finally comin' for real...), trick or treat?
Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had a wife and couldn't keep her.
He put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he kept her, very well"
PerthNow reports: "32 BANDS. 4 continents. 1 Massive global charity event and Megadeth are a part of it, playing in Perth on November 10. This one-day philanthropic concert-event was created by MySpace to generate awareness and raise funds for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan. It sees the world’s biggest music names uniting to make a positive impact on the Darfur crisis." Megadeth www.myspace.com/megadeth - City: Perth - Venue: Metro City, 146 Roe St, Northbridge, WA 6003 - Event: Gigantour.
This massive global event will see concerts take place across four continents and showcase bands passionate about promoting peace in the troubled African region.
Fans can show their support for the cause by attending one of the local concerts taking place.
Read more of this article HERE
Vocalist, Cristina Scabbia and guitarist, Cristiano Migliore of Lacuna Coil have each posted in the Journals section of the site. Cristina: "And of course, there's also a chance that I just might be performing "A Tout Le Monde (Set me free)" with Dave..." MORE
HeavyMetalSource.com conducted an interview with Bring Me THe Horizon on October 14 in Worcester, Massachusetts at the Palladium. Watch the 10-minute clip HERE
Bring Me the Horizon are five young British lads with a penchant for the heavy. Their astonishingly good debut mini album, ‘This is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For’, is essentially an 18 minute, mid nineties breakdown; four tracks of intense raging chugging and squealing, stop/starting and severe ‘core riffing. Nary a second hand euro thrash riff to be found, nary a melodic sung chorus, all things about this genre that irritate are devoid (well save for ball splittingly tight pants and backwards hair-cuts). Then they played shows……and kids moshed……and they kept playing shows……and kids kept moshing……
See them on Gigantour 2007 in Australia this November!
Well the gods, AKA Dave Mustaine have spoken and the winner of our Metal Enough for Gigantour has been revealed and it's none other than a eight year old fan named ‘Rattlehead'.
For those not in the know, Megadeth enlisted the help of FasterLouder.com.au to discover Australia's biggest metal fans. Entrants from all over Australia submitted their photo to fasterlouder.com.au and Dave Mustaine chose the winner - young Rattlehead who must be the biggest little metal fan in the land.
The prize allows Rattlehead to hang out with the band before the show, get his pic taken with the band and receive a prize pack of merch.
Rattlehead was first introduced to Megadeth by his father and cites his fave Megadeth album as Youthanasia .
The event will mark the first concert he's ever attended and thanks to the crew at Gigantour his whole family will be along for the ride. The whole family are true metal fans - next year they the entire clan will be scooting off to see Iron Maiden...
When asked how does it feel to be named Australia's biggest metal fan? he said "I was like woooooooooaah, I didn' t know where to look and I could hardly speak".
His message to Megadeth.... "You guys Rock and I can't wait to see you rock on stage at Gigantour".
Read more at FasterLouder.com.au
MEGADETH PACK GUITAR LEGEND SLASH OFF TO DRIVING SCHOOL AND ANNOUNCE 2ND & FINAL SYDNEY SHOW
The top hat wearing Velvet Revolver guitar hero and Guns & Roses founder Slash approached Megadeth 's bass player James Lomenzo at a Portland hotel lobby last week and blamed Megadeth for his driving woes. "I love the new album ( United Abominations ) so much that every time I drive I've got it crankin' in my car... I've gotten two speeding tickets thanks to you jerks and now I've got to go to fucking traffic school!" A nervous Lomenzo duly apologised for the inconvenience caused but stopped short of promising the band's next album will not be as amazing as this one!
In other great but not-quite-as-amusing Megadeth news, the band have announced a 2 nd and final Sydney show on Friday November 16 at Big Top, Luna Park. Megadeth will once again be ably supported by the all-star Gigantour line-up of Static X , Devildriver , Lacuna Coil and Bring Me The Horizon . The band's Perth and Adelaide shows are also expected to sell out within days.
Lomenzo will narrowly avoid crossing paths with Slash who will roll into town a couple of weeks later with supergroup Velvet Revolver .
MEGADETH / STATIC X / DEVILDRIVER / LACUNA COIL / BRING ME THE HORIZON...this is GIGANTOUR.
TICKETS FOR THE SECOND AND FINAL GIGANTOUR SYDNEY SHOW ARE ON SALE NOW
SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER PERTH , METRO CITY - 18+
Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX (438 849), Amplifier, Galaxy, Mills, Planet (Mt Lawley), Jumbo & Rockeby
MONDAY 12 NOVEMBER ADELAIDE , THEBARTON THEATRE - Licensed All Ages
Venuetix www.venuetix.com.au , 08 8225 8888
TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER MELBOURNE , FESTIVAL HALL - All Ages Licensed & Unlicensed areas available
Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au 0r 136 100 & Festival Hall Box Office 03 9329 9699
THURSDAY 15 NOVEMBER SYDNEY , LUNA PARK BIG TOP - 18+
Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849 & www.bigtopsydney.com or 1300 BIG TOP
Second and final show on sale now!
FRIDAY 16 NOVEMBER SYDNEY , LUNA PARK BIG TOP- 18+
Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849 & www.bigtopsydney.com or 1300 BIG TOP
SUNDAY 18 NOVEMBER BRISBANE, RIVERSTAGE - Licensed All Ages
Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100, Rockinghorse, Skinnys, Music Mania, Moshpit Music, Kill The Music.
Britain's Bring Me The Horizon has now been added to three dates on Australia's GIGANTOUR. Nov 13 in Melbourne, Nov 15 in Sydney, and Nov 18 in Brisbane.
Vocalist Oli Sykes: "We can't wait to get out to the Australia. We've done loads of touring this year, going to new places and meeting new people and it's been great. I actually used to live in Australia, but haven't been back for years. To be able to return to tour with Megadeth is a dream come true."
In the seemingly short span of three years since their formation, Bring Me The Horizon has "accomplished more in that time than most bands do in 10," according to a press release. "In 2006, Bring Me The Horizon was the recipient of a Kerrang! award for 'Best British Newcomer' and held steady on MySpace's top 100 list of most played bands. Bring Me The Horizon was only one of two U.K. acts to chart in the MySpace top 100 (the other being Coldplay). In addition, they've toured with bands such as Bleeding Trough and Killswitch Engage and performed a show-stealing set at the U.K.'s Download Festival."
The group's debut album, "Count Your Blessings", was released in North America on August 14 via Earache Records.
Check out the band's myspage page at www.myspace.com/bmth
Dave Mustaine has posted this message at the Megadeth Forums:
"Droogies!
Well, now that Gigantour NA and OZ is over, looking back this year was just as much fun for me as last year, and the bands were hot this year, even if they had been out before on other tours recently. Remember this tour is about a sense of community between the bands and that spills over to all of the fans. Of course there will always be someone who doesn’t quite grasp the mindset of Gigantour and I will just have to pay special attention to them, to remind them what it is that the "bands and fans" are doing here.
I had a solid touring staff this year, and excluding a few bumps and one enormous pot hole, we had another successful trip around the continent. I look forward to hearing some stories about what Gigantour meant for you this year, as opposed to last year.
Now, into faraway lands; like Japan! What an amazing performance the Japanese promoter did with Loud Rock and the Gigantour Day. I could see us having one day of Loud Park being Gigantour Day every year. And the bands they picked for the weekend were really cool too! Sadly, I couldn’t see any of them on the second day, except in the hotels or nearby shops, restaurants, or the one guy that is always asking for the underwear vending machines.
And last, but certainly not least, is our Australian Droogies! Representing!!!
I saw a lot of the fans and Droogies from last year and thankfully got away with out seeing another that creeps me out a little bit, and overall the audience has grown to almost double the size of last year! Y’all must reproduce faster down there than we do up here. :D
I have already started talking to Gigantour’s Australian Representation about next years Gigantour.2007.OZ, and was, as it were, able to meet up with someone that G.2007.OZ were interested in for Gigantour next year in Australia as the headliner, since he was passing through and we all met up for dinner and seafood.
After tomorrow night, I will be returning home to prepare the few last touches on the new record and to finish writing two new songs. I wrote them with the help of my boys out on the road, and all of the ups and very few downs of this last tour, there is going to be a bunch of little spicing ups of parts.
This is going to be the year of the Droogie! I can feel it. :D
Angela Gossow of ARCH ENEMY recently posted on her myspace page:
"If you wanna know how to play the blues, get yourself a woman..
Well, I am both. Woman and ..end-of-tour..-bluesy.. Terrible.
My Mac broke down (the battery gave out, a serial defect) and I was offline for about 10 days. Thus the ..silence...
Loud Park festival in Japan was crazy and apparently we are in the top 3 of ..most popular band.. according to the festival..s forum. This is wonderful news. They know how to make you work there. A big room full of media, journalists and industry people. And you have to do ..The Round... All bands have to. I was totally talked out hours BEFORE the show. You got one day there and they know how to milk it. I had nothing left to say for days. I didn..t need to, the next day we embarked on a 23 hours flight marathon to Perth, Australia. We had a day off there, which I spent as a motionless carcass in bed. I was obviously wide awake the whole following night. Jetlag at its best. Love it. Perth is very beautiful at night. It is spring season there and the air is heavy with salty and flowery scents. I sat down at the beach in the moonlight and felt eternity. Maybe it was just the jetlag though. Or the space cookies. Anyway, the stars were closer to earth than anywhere else.
The Australian shows were nothing short of amazing. Perth and Adelaide were sold out. Aussie metal fans are lunatics. Fucking great. The air was melting hot in the clubs. Packed and sweaty. That..s how we like it. We sweat blood. At least that..s how the stuff looked like dripping from the ceiling. And I love Danko Jones.
We joined forces with Gigantour again for Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Me and Michael had painfully missed the Drover brothers and drinking at least 5 bottles of wine per night whilst discussing ..real.. heavy metal, a.k.a. Merciful Fate and Carcass. Genital Grinder!
I was seriously impressed by Soulfly! Max is so humble, almost shy and very, very nice. And a brilliant frontman. He has always been, I saw him back in the day with Sepultura. Beneath The Remains.. Joe Nunez is an animal on drums and Marc Rizzo throws in the odd flamenco/metal hybrid solo on his doubleneck axe. And you gotta love the trio-tribal drums. Hope to meet Soulfly again sooner than later on tour. Wonderful people.
Melbourne was the last show. After 8 weeks on the road it felt unreal. Not good. We all jumped onstage for ..Peace Sells... Dave gave a little speech after Megadeth..s set and said a couple of very nice things about us. Giving the fact we are some of the biggest Megadeth fans roaming this planet it truly touched our hearts. We are walking away from this tour with memories and impressions we will surely recall until we die. Some things money can..t buy.
My love and gratitude goes out to EVERYBODY who has been on this tour. We have had a great time with all the bands and got immediate help from the crew people whenever needed. Megadeth..s tourmanager Tracey had an eye on everybody..s wellbeing .. thank you so much for taking us out in Australia! The same goes for Mr. Dave Mustaine himself, who was caring and supportive all the way! Thank you so much!
The next morning we had to jump from the top of the golden Gigantour mountain to the bottomless abyss of 24 hour flying, straight into dark, cold, stormy Sweden. I had the roughest landing ever. The plane was swinging from left to right like a drunken sailor.
Piles of mail, bills and dirty clothes waiting for us. And the kids. They are the only ..sunshine.. we get here atm. It is depressing. Time to write some lyrics.
Skolt! Angela"
Live pictures can be found here: