Dave Mustaine recently denied an old rumor involving Pepeu Gomes and Megadeth. The story suggested that the Brazilian musician had been invited to join the group in the early 1990s.
The rumor was that the invitation came after Pepeu Gomes' participation in Rock in Rio 1991, an event that also featured a performance by Megadeth. At the time, the lineup included guitarist Marty Friedman, considered part of the group's classic phase.
In 2013, Pepeu revealed the story through his social media, where he gave a statement to musician Arthur Franquini in 2006, recounting how the invitation came about.
“I didn’t audition, actually they made an indecent proposal. And I didn’t accept, because… I was involved in something else. I’m a very nationalistic guy and I felt that Brazil needed me more at that moment than being in Megadeth. […] From what their producer told me, they go on tour for a year. That’s a long time. I couldn’t stay away from my family. But I felt very flattered,” said Pepeu.
What Dave Mustaine says
Now, in an interview with the Ibagenscast, Dave Mustaine said that the story is false and rejected any attempt to rewrite the band's history [transcription via Whiplash].
“Lies! Lies! One hundred percent! Lies[…]. Why would I call him to be in the band if Marty was in the band? It’s a lie. I don’t even know him. I’ve never seen him. I couldn’t recognize him in a line [of suspects] at a police station. It’s a lie. Sad when someone lies like that, but I don’t care. I would have been the one to invite him and I wouldn’t invite him, not at all. Countdown to Extinction was being recorded in 1991 and we released it in ’92. It was our biggest album up to that point. It almost went triple platinum. Why would I invite that guy?”
READ ALSO: In a "farewell," Megadeth delivers an explosive show in São Paulo with an air of return.
