Dave Mustaine Supports Rick Santorum

[Mosh]

Well, I judge people by their actions. Music is an action. Stupid behavior is an action.

I'm not listening to music to judge people. Also, I don't learn about the different members/personalities of a band until I've gotten familiar with their music to the point where I enjoy it.

Music is more important than the person itself but the person is still part of it. I find that hard to separate. Especially when both actions are on the same stage, basically at the same time (during a concert).

Well we are definitely different here. Again, the personality of a musician isn't going to affect the way I hear their music. As for lyrics, if I'm familiar enough with the artist, I can usually hear their personalities in the lyrics. Rush is a great example of that. But even still, if the lyrics are something that I don't like, I can get past that and enjoy the music. Using Rush as an example again, I don't exactly agree with the lyrics of "Anthem", but it doesn't make me love the song any less, it is one of my favorites even.

 

[bearfan]

I generally ignore the political views of musicians/actors, etc. If the music/movie is good, I will watch/listen to it ... if not, I do not.

 

[mckindog]

I can and will buy music from idiots, but the idiot factor can and does prevent me from fully embracing certain acts, and can influence my spending habits.

It's kind of like political commentary — even the idiots can and do make valid points and provide food for thought.

 

[425]

@LooseCannon:

It is of course your perogative to refuse your business to those who take actions with their profits with which you disagree, and I support your right to and understand your reasons to do so. I choose not to, because I tend to focus on the immediate exchange (what am I giving them vs. what they are giving me), but that doesn't mean I don't understand doing it another way.

However, I just want to stress that I hope this means that you, addition to not purchasing Megadeth music, do not illegally download it. Because someone disagrees with you is not a reason to steal from them. Also, you should probably skip a Megadeth song whenever it comes up on Pandora or similar, since they receive money for allowing their music to be on those services. I am not making presumptions about you in particular or anyone else, I am just adding this important point that while a boycott is legal and ethical, piracy as a boycott from purchasing is illegal and unethical.

Well we are definitely different here. Again, the personality of a musician isn't going to affect the way I hear their music. As for lyrics, if I'm familiar enough with the artist, I can usually hear their personalities in the lyrics. Rush is a great example of that. But even still, if the lyrics are something that I don't like, I can get past that and enjoy the music. Using Rush as an example again, I don't exactly agree with the lyrics of "Anthem", but it doesn't make me love the song any less, it is one of my favorites even.

Interesting, the lyrics of Anthem help make that one of my favorite Rush songs, and the Objectivist themes help make them one of my favorite bands (that is not the main reason, of course, I love the music, but the lyrics make me love them even more).

 

[Sara]

I can and will buy music from idiots, but the idiot factor can and does prevent me from fully embracing certain acts, and can influence my spending habits.

It's kind of like political commentary — even the idiots can and do make valid points and provide food for thought.

I absolutely agree with this. I do buy Megadeth albums, but I definitely do not and cannot fully embrace the band now the way I used to in the 90's. Mostly due to Dave's views and antics.

Your last point is great too, and Megadeth is a classic example here actually. Despite the fact that I mostly disagree with Dave's attitude and views vehemently, I still like some of his lyrics on later albums, and even agree with a small amount of what he says.

 

[Forostar]

@Mosh, I meant this is not about lyrics only. It's about stupid actions as well. That makes a difference, not?
"Especially when both actions are on the same stage, basically at the same time (during a concert)."

I also wondered if you would not mind if Bruce would do the same thing during a concert break (instead of e.g. playing football on stage).

 

[Perun]

My view on this is less dogmatic - some may call it inconsistent.

I enjoy Megadeth and Iced Earth immensely, even though I think Dave Mustaine and Jon Schaffer are nutcases. I do not support the political agenda they subscribe to, but in both cases, I can sort of look over it. Mustaine has always been a freak who spat out the weirdest shit imaginable. I've always felt it was more about a need for attention and an unrealistic sense for self-importance, and for that matter, I've always kind of liked him for all of this. He's just very entertaining to watch, and his music is always more or less the stuff that 16 year olds think of as cool.

Things are a bit different with Jon Schaffer. I stopped following what he does when he started with his Sons of Liberty rampage, and when I heard Dystopia, I really lost all interest in what he and Iced Earth are doing. Part of that is certainly due to Schaffer's behaviour, but the other part is that Dystopia really was one of the worst albums I had ever heard. If that is the kind of music the band will be doing in the future, my once very intense love affair with Iced Earth is over. Nevertheless, I still enjoy their classic albums a lot and won't stop listening to them.

The way I see it, Schaffer and Mustaine are harmless people who think they have it all figured out and will talk a lot about their views - but it's always the music that is in the foreground, and unless they write the next Horst Wessel-Lied, I can easily separate things.

Then, there really are people who use their music as a platform to propagate their ideas. The lyrical contents of black metal bands such as Dark Funeral or Dissection are sometimes very questionable, if not completely objectionable. Sometimes I think it is mere provocation, but sometimes I think there is some genuine evil inside. This is the case with Varg Vikernes and Burzum, for instance. Musically, Burzum is really incredible, but I have never managed to separate the music from the person who made it - a murderer and arsonist, who developed a sophisticated nazi ideology in prison. Maybe it's just that this is such an extreme case, and I simply fucking hate nazis that I am singling it out.

 

[Mosh]

@Mosh, you did not react to these part:
"Especially when both actions are on the same stage, basically at the same time (during a concert)."

It's not like he spends a long time going on about it. I don't really have a problem with a short rant during a 2 hour set or however long that was. When that sort of thing becomes the focal point of the show, then yes, that's going to bother me.

I also wondered if you would not mind if Bruce would do the same thing (instead of playing football on stage).

I wouldn't really. And he didn't play football on stage at my show, in fact what I got was closer to a political rant than playing football on stage. I'm not there to hear the man talk, unless it starts taking up big chunks of the concert, then I am OK with it.

Interesting, the lyrics of Anthem help make that one of my favorite Rush songs, and the Objectivist themes help make them one of my favorite bands (that is not the main reason, of course, I love the music, but the lyrics make me love them even more).

The lyrics are well done, and it certainly interested me when I started delving deep into Rush's lyrics. However, I'm not a fan of the objectivist/Ayn Rand thing.

 

[The Flash]

Behaviour of a band member/leader won't stop me from listening to their music, but it will stop me from buying records. When I'm buying stuff, I'm supporting the band and they have to deserve it in my case.

 

[Night Prowler]

There are only a few bands/artists I don't wanna listen/check out because of what they do/believe in, like Dissection and Burzum. I actually found some Dissection songs cool (some bands I like covered their songs), but due to behaviour of its frontman I just don't wanna listen to it. Same goes for Burzum. It depends from case to case IMO. I'd probably have a different opinion on Mustaine and Schaffer if I was American and knew more about stuff they are talking about, but I'm not, so it doesn't bother me too much...

 

[Sara]

I'm not American (well, I'm part South American by blood), but I've never had a problem with Jon Schaffer (aside from the dictatorial way he runs the band), unlike Dave Mustaine. Perhaps it's because Jon sounds more articulate, and also, I'm not so quick to dismiss his theories as nonsense, again, unlike Dave. Dave also sounds like a genuine far-right lunatic, who also makes homophobic slurs, and has made racist remarks about Obama. The rights or wrongs about Jon's conspiracy theories aside, he does seem like far more of a genuine nice guy than Dave Mustaine is. I'd love to spend some time in Jon's company, chatting with him. Whereas I wouldn't want to spend any time in Dave's company.

 

[Kill Devil Hill]

Honestly, personality does factor into how devoted I am to an artist. If I feel a connection on a personal level and I enjoy the music, I'm going to be extremely devoted to the artist. For instance, Bruce Dickinson is my favorite singer because I not only love his voice and music, but I also love his personality. So personality plays a positive role.

But personality isn't a make or break deal. It's just the icing on the cake. I can still enjoy music from people I don't like or agree with. Obviously, I'm a huge Guns N' Roses fan. GN'R is basically the band that's made me form this philosophy. I do love Axl Rose's personality for his sheer honesty, but sometimes usually Axl does the dumbest things, and he's in the past done stuff to people that's just plain shitty. Despite that, I love his voice and his music so much, I just had to move past it. I had to realize that Axl making his girlfriend shit in a litter box does not make him any less of a frontman, songwriter, or vocalist.

The same goes for Megadeth. If Dave hadn't opened his mouth, would my view on his music have changed? No. So why should it change now? Dave is still delivering what I'm asking of him -- good music and good live shows. I'm still getting what I paid for, so what sense does it make to stop spending money on him? I'd get it if it was an extreme case, like if the money would be used to fund the genocide of deformed toddlers, but just for Dave being a moron? Nah.

I'm never gonna agree with everything someone does anyway. Even Bruce.

 

[LooseCannon]

@LooseCannon:
However, I just want to stress that I hope this means that you, addition to not purchasing Megadeth music, do not illegally download it. Because someone disagrees with you is not a reason to steal from them. Also, you should probably skip a Megadeth song whenever it comes up on Pandora or similar, since they receive money for allowing their music to be on those services. I am not making presumptions about you in particular or anyone else, I am just adding this important point that while a boycott is legal and ethical, piracy as a boycott from purchasing is illegal and unethical.

The piracy discussion isn't really present, but as I owned every Megadeth album up to United Abominations before I learned Mustaine was a conspiracy Alex Jones loving nutfuck, then yeah, I don't feel bad with having downloaded those albums (I own several on cassette, rather than cd, and my only copy of Rust in Peace is a vinyl I found at a yard sale, again, beforehand).

 

[Sebas-hero1995]

I find funny how far his political views have changed, for example now he is defending the 2nd Amendment yet, if you see the video of the song 99 ways to die, he clearly expresses some anti-gunship. Or the final words of Holy Wars, I think that happened to Dave (I'm not saying all christians are like that, but christians in the USA tend to be too fundamentalists).

 

[425]

Actually, Dave is claiming Holy Wars as an example of how he had "knowledge" of these conspiracies for a long time, the line "The end is near, it's crystal clear, part of the master plan."

I think, after looking more into this, I'll give a small, partial defense of Dave. While the gagging impression was immature and dickish, and the element of certainty was, too (though some of that could be attributed to the atmosphere of a rock concert), the basic idea of questioning the premise of Fast and Furious is not flawed or offensive. When you have a policy that openly admits that it involves giving guns to drug lords, I don't think it is too off base to question the motives of that policy. I would say that the moment you accept everything the government says at face value is the moment that liberty dies. Once again, not defending the gagging bit, and not saying he should have acted so confident in his version of events (edit: and also not defending unfounded claims related to either of the recent shootings, just remembered that was a part of his statements), but I will defend the "question authority" bit of this, and that has always been something Dave has been good at, for all his other flaws.

 

[Sebas-hero1995]

Well people say Fast and Furious was being planned since Bush's administration... Yet that doesnt free Obama of guilt. I think that this elections will be very dividing in the USA, and Dave already took sides. Yet I think I see it with a little prejudice since here in Mexico we don't like Republican Party at all...

 

[425]

Truth be told, I don't like either political party in the United States, I think they're both much more similar than they would like the public to believe. On the issues that matter most to me, such as the PATRIOT Act and the NDAA (the first allows warrantless wiretapping of citizens and the second allows indefinite detention for citizens), both parties support these laws, while I oppose them. The former was signed into law by Bush, the latter, by Obama.

I would not doubt at all that the Bush Administration started planning Fast and Furious. The thing I am most curious about are the documents relating to it which are being shielded from congress by executive privilege being claimed by the president. The concealment of this information is likely and not entirely unjustifiably, giving birth to conspiracies about the operation.

 

[Perun]

Getting back to my post, I have to admit that I'm not so sure anymore about what I said there. I mean, Mustaine really did say some very crass things, and they have been overshadowing my appreciation for his music lately.

 

[Natalie]

I think the individual actions/personalities of band members affects my appreciation on a sub-level. First comes the music of course, but if that sub-level becomes noticeable then it can affect how I think of the band in either a good or bad way. Bruce affects the music in a good way for me, he has a great personality, and I agree with the views he puts in his lyrics (i.e. Starblind) for the most part. Now Dave Mustaine, I didn't really mind him because I enjoyed his music but wasn't a huge fan. But now his antics have started taking foreground over the music, so much so that its impossible to separate his nutcase ideas's from the music. It makes me sad because he made good music and now I find it hard to even listen to my favorites without thinking what a dick he is.

So I was going to check out "13" but now I'm no longer interested. As far as piracy goes, it makes me feel better about myself when a band that I haven't spent a penny on pulls shit like Mustaine...that way I've never spent money on them and never will. If a band "behaves well" on the other hand, it makes me far more willing to spend money on them in other ways (merch, tour, etc).

 

[Deleted member 7164]

However, I just want to stress that I hope this means that you, addition to not purchasing Megadeth music, do not illegally download it. Because someone disagrees with you is not a reason to steal from them.

Once and for all, "piracy" is not theft.

Theft is when you take something from somebody. There's no taking here, welcome to the electronic age. And no, Megadeth has not lost $10 because I downloaded Rust In Peace from torrents, as opposed to buying the record, because I would never buy the record. They'd never get $10 out of me. This is an example, Rust In Peace is an excellent album worth to be "owned", however the point of being an artist comes down to reaching people, not reaching for their wallets.

Besides, all the people screaming "piracy is killing us", both in art and software world, are literally swimming in money. Just take a look who's signed on those anti-piracy bills, etc.