MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson recently spoke with Jon Liebman at ForBassPlayersOnly.com. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

FBPO: What's the story behind the formation of Megadeth?

Ellefson: "I grew up on a farm outside a small town of 3,000 people, a town called Jackson, Minnesota. From the time I took up bass at age 11, I immediately started putting rock bands together with friends and regional musicians. I was not the stay-at-home practice guy, but rather a guy who practiced so I could be on stage. To me, being a touring/recording rock & roller was the aim from day one. Don't get me wrong, I spent a ton of time in my basement learning to play and woodshed, but practicing was a means to an end, not an end in itself.

I had a hunch at age 16 that I should move to Los Angeles to get a band going, that my future was out there. I'm glad I followed that hunch because I moved to L.A. within five days after graduating from high school two years later, in 1983. My backup plan was to attend B.I.T. (Bass Institute of Technology, at the Musician's Institute) but my real aim was to get into – or put together – a metal band.

Ironically, I moved into an apartment under Dave Mustaine, who had just been released from Metallica. In hindsight, our meeting was not coincidental because that hunch at age 16 was the good Lord putting things in motion and all those years preparing in rural Minnesota were the seeds planted for that pursuit, which became Megadeth."

FBPO: How far did you think the band would go? Were you surprised at how successful you were?

Ellefson: "I knew as soon as I met Dave that he was the real deal and that together we would set out to form a band that would in fact become successful. That is not meant to be proud or boastful, but you could really feel it in the room that it was going to be big. Keep in mind, it didn't just 'become' big. We worked our tails off for the success we've enjoyed. I think for most musicians, the payout of success isn't as important as the work you put into it because the work you put into it is part of the payout, the real enjoyment of doing what you love."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Complete dates for the Megadeth/Slayer Canadian and American Carnage are as follows:

Canadian Carnage

July

23 - Pavillon de la Jeunesse - Quebec City, QC
24 - Heavy MTL, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, QC
26 - Metro Centre - Halifax, NS
27 - Moncton Coliseum - Moncton, NB
29 - Molson Amphitheatre - Toronto, ON
30 - John Labatt Centre Center - London, ON

American Carnage

August

11 - Glens Falls Civic Center - Glens Falls, NY
12 - Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
14 - Tsongas Arena - Boston, MA
15 - Susquehanna Bank Center - Camden, NJ
16 - Chevrolet Theatre - Wallingford, CT
18 - Tower City Amphitheatre - Cleveland, OH
19 - Joe Lewis Arena - Detroit,MI
20 - UIC Pavillon - Chicago, IL
21 - Roy Wilkins Auditorium - Minneapolis, MN
23 - Cap Fed Park @Sandstone - Kansas City, KS
25 - Magness Arena - Denver, CO
26 - Tingley Coliseum - Albuquerque, NM
27 - Dodge Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
29 - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre - San Diego, CA
30 - Long Beach Arena - Long Beach, CA
31 - Cow Palace - San Francisco, CA

September

1 - Arco Arena - Sacramento, CA
3 - Wamu Theatre - Seattle, WA
4 - Washington County Fairgrounds - Portland, OR