Since 2013, Megadeth has traditionally opened their shows with the song "Hangar 18" from the album Rust in Peace , and many fans already know this, but did you know that Vinnie Paul is responsible for this choice?
In a virtual panel at Headbangers Con, bassist David Ellefson revealed that Vinnie Paul of Pantera suggested opening the shows with the song, as he believed it to be a powerful track. “We were on the Gigantour in 2013 with Black Label Society and Hellyeah , and Vinnie Paul, who is a big Megadeth fan and a great friend of ours, came up and said we should start the shows with 'Hangar 18'.”
“We were like, ‘Seriously?’ and Dave and I looked at each other,” he recounts, “And then Vinnie said yes. That night we started the show with ‘Hangar 18’ and it was like, ‘WOW!’ It was truly incredible! Since then, to this day, we open the shows with ‘Hangar 18,’ and now it’s like a tribute to him.”
Ellefson further explains that the song is great for opening shows because it starts without vocals, which allows for perfect mixing. "Of course, we do a soundcheck, but it gives us time for the mix to be ideal before Dave starts singing."
