One of the most tragicomic moments in the 2004 Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster features not the band itself but rather Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine. In a touchy-feely, on-camera counseling session, Mustaine reveals some major inferiority issues to Metallica's drummer, Lars Ulrich. He even seems to come uncomfortably close to tears as he recalls how fans, in the '80s, would yell "Metallica!" at him on the streets.
With that in mind, it seems more stinging, then, that just a couple of months after Metallica's super-triumphant show at the packed BankAtlantic Center, Megadeth rolls into town... at the 1,000-ish-capacity club Revolution. Apparently, though, that playing such venues was a calculated move on Megadeth's part for this national outing, supporting the band's 12th studio album, Endgame. The rest of the dates bring the band to similarly intimate spots. Well, it's better to have people clamoring to get into a packed club than to worry about the echo of empty seats in a more cavernous venue.
And Megadeth should, of course, still draw plenty. For all the insults that Metallica's fanboys lob at Mustaine and his glorious feathered mane, the fact of the matter is that he remains one of the best guitarists in metal, and perhaps overall, playing today. Rivalries aside, Megadeth was one of the innovators of thrash, and Mustaine's distinctive playing style remains much imitated but never duplicated.
