by Testament frontman Chuck Billy has accused Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine of attempting to block his band’s stage setup during a tour with Judas Priest and Megadeth. He shared his account on The David Ellefson Show.
Billy described how Testament had invested in new stage equipment for the tour. Mustaine restricted it at the start of the shows.
“Well, I remember we just flew in from doing big tour over in Europe. And I guess the biggest memory is the band you played in. [Laughs] No offense, Dave, but the other Dave [Mustaine, Megadeth leader]… I don’t know if you remember that tour… Because things were growing for us, we had ordered a brand new Voelker drum riser built on a riser. All these cabinets showed up, backdrops. And I don’t know if you remember, Dave [Mustaine] pulled them from us all on the start of that tour,” Billy said.
“He’d seen it and he said we couldn’t use all of that, so we couldn’t use our riser, backdrops and stuff. And my band nudged me on, because every day K.K. [Downing, then-Priest guitarist] or [Glenn] Tipton [Priest guitarist] would come in and say, ‘Hey, you guys good? You guys need anything?’ And [my bandmates would] be elbowing me, ‘Dude, say something, say something.’ I’m, like, ‘No, no, no.’ And then one day [they went], like, ‘Dude, just go talk to Rob [Halford, Priest singer], please.’”
Billy explained how Judas Priest’s Rob Halford ultimately intervened to resolve the situation.
“So I went in there and I told Rob what was going on, and that day he was, like, ‘What? That is ending today.’ And he went in to production and said, ‘Testament gets everything up there. Get their drums up there, get their backdrops, get everything up there.’ And when we went on that night, I know Dave [Mustaine] was side stage by the monitors — not you, Dave; the other Dave — and his arms were crossed. And he was just having a fit that we were having everything again,” he continued.
“And it was crazy, but that was the biggest start of that tour for us. ‘Cause things were starting to happen, and we were, like, ‘Oh, man, we just bought this big show to play for Judas Priest and Megadeth, man.’ And in the end we got to use it, and it ended up being great and it was amazing.”
Billy described an incident that took place during a significant period in metal history. All three bands were at crucial points in their careers.
Wikipedia documented that this tour was part of Judas Priest’s Painkiller Tour, which ran from October 18, 1990, to April 15, 1991, promoting their Painkiller album. The tour marked an important milestone for Judas Priest as it featured the debut of new drummer Scott Travis, who had replaced Dave Holland.
Concert Archives recorded that Testament and Megadeth were both opening acts on numerous dates across North America during this tour. The three-band lineup performed at major venues including Richfield Coliseum and Nassau Coliseum. This made it a significant touring package for metal fans.
For Testament, this tour represented a breakthrough moment in their career trajectory. The band had been building momentum following their earlier releases. Sharing the stage with established acts like Judas Priest and Megadeth provided crucial exposure to larger audiences.
Billy’s backstage account reflects the competitive nature of the metal scene during this era. Stage presence and production values were becoming increasingly important for bands looking to make their mark. Testament’s investment in professional stage equipment demonstrated their commitment to elevating their live performance. This made Mustaine’s alleged interference all the more significant to their career development.
