Dave Mustaine on Mask Mandates: "This Is Called Tyranny"

The frontman railed against "tyranny...in the schools and...medical business" onstage in New Jersey

Photo: Dana Zuk

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Sep 16, 2021

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine took time out of a "Metal Tour of the Year" concert on Wednesday night to rail against "tyranny" and COVID-19 mask mandates.

"I just wanna tell you how great it is. Look around you, guys. Look to your right, look to your left, and look how wonderful this is. We're all here together. We're not freaking out, and we're not yelling at people, 'Wear your fucking mask,'" Mustaine told the BB&T Pavilion crowd [via Loudwire] in Camden, NJ, last night (September 15).

"Listen, it starts with this kind of a sensation that we build right now," he continued. "We feel together, we feel like strength in numbers. We feel like we are invincible. People will not be able to stop us."

Perhaps MegaDave's comments aren't a surprise given his history of entertaining and regurgitating right-wing, conspiratorial beliefs — including but not limited to birtherism and accusing President Obama of "staging" mass shootings in order to turn the United States into "Nazi America."

"The thing right now that's going on is tyranny," Mustaine told the crowd on Wednesday. "This is called tyranny. Look it up when you get home. And tyranny isn't only in government. Tyranny right now is in the schools and tyranny is in the medical business. So, you guys look it up. We have the power, especially us metal fans, we have the power to change things."

You can hear Mustaine's comments in the player below, beginning at the 8:30 mark.

Megadeth are currently on the road with Lamb of God, Trivium, and Hatebreed. Before "The Metal Tour of the Year" began, Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe urged fans on Instagram to "be vaccinated and wear a fucking mask" when attending shows.

"If you are on the fence, wondering 'Hmmm… should I bring a mask to the show?' my advice is… YES," Blythe wrote. "Will it be hot & uncomfortable? Probably. Is it doable? Definitely. If my old ass can fly screaming across the stage for over an hour with giant blasts of fire going off all around me, you can wear a mask for a few hours to help protect yourself & others."

It's ironic to note that Megadeth's forthcoming album is presently titled The Sick, the Dying and the Dead — exactly the state those presently raging against vaccines and masks could soon find themselves in.

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