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Six Flags New England - Halloween

November 7, 2006 - Xbox Halloween Event - by Tracey Wiedeman - Assistant Tour Manager

Here I sit on another airplane leaving another Megdeth gig but this time the show had a different flare. On Halloween night Megadeth premiered their new song “Gears Of War” at Six Flags New England for a special VIP event for Xbox who has a game of the same name coming out on November 7 th .

The day could have not started off any better when Jenn and Shaun from Xbox and myself were allowed to take the Superman roller coaster on a test run. So here are the three of us taking the coaster deemed as the best roller coaster on the planet for a spin not once, not twice but three times in a row! Talk about a rush! This coaster drops 221 feet on the first hill and rolls at 77mph! The original design of the coaster was supposed to be higher but with the nearby air force base, they had to adhere to certain height restrictions. When we finally decided we had better get back to work, my legs felt so rubbery and it took a while for the spinning in my head to stop!

Now there is only a short few hours before the band arrives. Therefore we continue with set-up accordingly. As soon as the band arrives we have an appointment with the Xbox gamer Blake who beat the designer of the game in only one day to give the band a tutorial on Gears of War before their interviews with MTV begin.

The band arrives, a quick bite of lunch and we are off to play Gears of War for the first time! For all you gamers out there, this game is an absolute must purchase! This game kicks major ass…no pun intended! My favorite part is when you can revert to the chainsaw to cut the bad guy into several pieces and blood splatters on the screen! Not to mention when you are walking away from the scene you can kick the head, legs, etc. out of your way as blood seeps all along the pavement! Dave mastered the chainsaw quite well as he immediately chops me into various pieces when we play each other for the first time! But I then promptly got him back on the round two! After all fair is fair!

Now the guys are feeling pretty good about the game and we've got a little bit of time before the interview segments begin with MTV. So only one thing to do…take them for a spin on the Superman roller coaster before the gates open to the public! I promptly call my roller coaster riding buddies from Xbox, grab Randy to escort us over to the ride and we're off! We insist that Dave sit in the ‘seat of doom” which is in the front car of the coaster on the left. When you sit on the left side of the coaster the only thing you can see, as your going up the enormous hill is the Connecticut River , which is a long way down! We have so much fun on the first go around that we must go again! This now makes 5 times Jen & Shaun from Xbox and myself to have ridden the Superman within just a few hours. If I thought my head was never going to stop spinning earlier…I was really in trouble now.

Time to start the MTV interviews. Our first segment is with “Gears of War: The Road To Launch” which airing on MTV. We start off in the gaming room where the guys can demonstrate their expert gaming moves they had just learned earlier that day. An interview segment follows and later on in the evening they will film the live performance of the song “Gears of War.”

Quick dinner break and time to start the MTV Headbangers Ball festivities which will also air on MTV and again on MTV2 one week later. More gaming for the guys, more interviews, more fun prevails! We can't tell you much more about the MTV segments here…so tune in to see it all for yourself!

Only one thing left now…the live performance! You can feel the excitement in the air as all the final preparations take place and the last of the crowd takes their seats. As Dave puts on his Megadeth wristbands just so, TJ begins the countdown 10, 9, 8, 7…. and so on…”Go Big Rock Show!”

Dave starts with a special shout out and thank you to Jennifer from Xbox and goes right into the powerful Devils Island followed by the long awaited “Gears of War.” The song goes off without a hitch just like they've been playing the song live for years. The show was originally booked for 3 songs, but Dave feels the crowd craving more! So he takes a moment to see if we can get permission to play one more new song but in the meantime takes the crowd right into “Take No Prisoners.” We get the approval we need and the guys roll into “Washington Is Next” to be released on the new album “United Abominations” in March 2007. The set then ends with “Holy Wars” as originally planned.

The show is a huge success, the park is getting ready to close…only one thing to do now…grab our roller coaster riding buddies from Xbox, grab Brian from Six Flags and blaze over to the Batman roller coaster!! As we approach we find that the kind folks of Six Flags have held closing down Batman until we have a chance to ride. So Dave, James, Jennifer and I bravely take our seats up front and we're off! We get whizzed up, around, down, sideways every which way and as we pull back in they ask…want to go again? But of course!! This makes seven roller coaster rides for the day and as I think about getting back to the venue to pack my computer and such, I look over at Brian and he asks…”Want to go ride the Superman a couple of more times?" A strong yes, yes, yes comes out of us all and the troops go marching back to Superman!

This time James and I look at each other the same time and say at the same time…let's try this from the very back this time. What a completely different experience! The thrill exudes from our pores as we complete another roll on the coaster and we scream to Dave to come join us in the back. This time Dave decides to keep his eyes closed the entire time! James and I try it for a brief moment but we are not the troopers Dave is to go the whole time with our eyes closed.

Time to shut it down after 9 roller coaster rides and the bruise to prove it! We drag our roller coaster buddies back to the backstage area with us for a traditional Jager shot as we toast to a good days work and to the end of the 2006 Megadeth run and what a run it had been!

Until next year…keep it metal!

Trixie

Gigantour 2006 - North America / Australia

October 29, 2006 - Trixie's Journal Entry - by Tracey Wiedeman [Assistant Tour Manager]

Here we sit on a flight from Sydney, Australia to Melbourne...our last show! We have completed 25 shows in the US, 4 shows in Japan and off to our 3rd show in Australia.

Our Webmaster kindly asked me to complete a new journal entry for G2 a few weeks into the US tour but things had been so hectic, it's only now I have a moment to sit down and put words into writing.

However, I think my delinquency in completing this request gives me an interesting new perspective on the subject matter. Last year I wrote about our life on the road...our bus, our crew, my daily duties, etc.

This year as I reflect on the tour wondering what to write and not be boring, the one thing that continues to come to mind is the one and only Mr. Dave Mustaine. The reason is because as a fan, what most of you see is what is presented to you on stage, in videos, interviews, etc. What you don't see is the man behind the scenes who never stops working to continue to create and execute his vision for Gigantour.

This year as the Assistant Tour Manager, I rode on the band bus and what was glaringly apparent and amazing to me is that Dave Mustaine rarely stops and hardly ever sleeps. In your eyes you may see a very talented musician. In my eyes what I also saw was a very smart businessman. I saw a man who was continually on his blackberry whisking through numerous e-mails, conducting important phone calls all the while maintaining the essence of the reason we are on the road...the show itself!

This doesn't even take into account all the time being spent working on the new album "United Abominations" scheduled to be released approximately March 2007.

To top it all off, Dave is also a true leader. The first sign of a leader is taking the time to care. This is the core of Dave Mustaine. For instance, being a musician on the road, it's so easy to get wrapped up in yourself and your own needs and forget about everyone else. On the road as a musician, you have staff to take care of all your travel requirements, all of your transportation needs, your daily schedule, your laundry, your food, etc. etc. Most of the time all you have to do is show up at the designated time in a designated place and everything is taken care of for you. In most cases, it's easy to forget there are people around you with their own needs not being met.

However, Dave will actually take the time to ask you how you are doing or ask you what’s wrong. The cool thing about this is that he actually cares and is genuinely interested or concerned. A very rare trait in not only a large percentage of musicians, but for most people in general.

I also must add that Dave is also quite the gentleman. He is one of the first to lend a hand to help me out of a vehicle, opens doors and always makes sure I walk through the doorway first. Actually, I am a lucky gal because chivalry is not dead with most of our band and crew!

So in summary:

Question: What do you get when you cross a talented metal musician & writer, a smart businessman and a true leader?

Answer: Dave Mustaine

Until our next adventure...keep the music alive!

Trixie

October 2, 2006 - Reporting from NYC/NJ - by Anabella Poland [Myspace Webmaster]

Hey there! This is Anabella Poland, webmaster for Megadeth & Gigantour Official Myspace(s), system lord on official forums, etc... etc. These three dates in New York/ New Jersey were such a blast! There is a great sense of comradeship among all bands. There is great organization behind it all. While you guys are enjoying the tunes of a band, a thousand other things are happening backstage, such as interviews, photographs sessions, platinum passes meets & greets, FYE signings and preparations for the next band up. It is almost like a perfectly coordinated waltz, except that the music is WAY heavier, and these ain't your typical ballet dancers! (LOL) I got to hang out with Dave and Shawn's wives in Holmdel and Atlantic City. What a perfect example to the phrase "Behind every great man, there's a great woman." Seriously, they are such amazing, understanding and beautiful people! Part of my evening was dedicated to locate the "Girls of Gigantour" in the crowd...for our beloved photographer Gene Kirkland which you'll learn more about in the next few days. My favorite moments were the photographs sessions with Megadeth backstage. Fans lined up and Gene would take 2 pictures of each fan with the band: one is naturally posed, the second one they'll do horns, Japanese bows and basically just anything from any culture that is kewl and requested by the fan. This normally leads to tons of Mustainism and just great fun. South Carolina and Florida get ready to get your bums kicked!

Cheers,
Annie