In 2014, Motörhead’s Motörboat Cruise lost major headliner Megadeth and was left scrambling to find a replacement.
Luckily, the event was saved by some of metal’s most prominent musicians, who stepped up and filled in the vacant timeslot.
“It was at that moment that everybody pulled together with a community spirit to jump in and provide a cool all-star jam,” said Megadeth bassist David Ellefson in a recent phone interview. “Right after that, (Dream Theater drummer) Mike Portnoy said, ‘Look, why don’t we all go to my house and let’s write an album.’ So we did.”
The group became Metal Allegiance, with four core members including Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist and songwriter Mark Menghi, Portnoy and Ellefson. As a side project for most of its members, they only perform special events, including a small music shop in Indio before The Big 4 concert that took place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio in 2011. Metal Allegiance will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a show at House of Blues Anaheim on Thursday, Jan. 25, coinciding with the first day of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) held at the Anaheim Convention Center on Jan 25-28.
While NAMM is no longer exclusive to badge members only, it’s still predominantly an industry convention, however, ticketed events the Metal Allegiance show are open to the general public. The annual She Rocks Awards, a ceremony that honors women in music, is open to the public at 7 p.m. in the ballroom at the Anaheim Convention Center on Jan. 25, too.
“Not only is it our 10-year anniversary, but we’re back in Anaheim during The NAMM Show, which has really become a home for us,” Ellefson said. “There’s so many people there, rockers and metal heads, and there’s a lot of music of all different genres, too. I think for us, to be able to provide the heavy metal backdrop for those fans, has become our dutiful honor.”
Before Ellefson was playing shows around NAMM, or a part of showcasing his business ventures such as his Ellefson Coffee Co., he and Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine would score badges from Megadeth’s late drummer, Gar Samuelson, who earned his badges as the general manager of B.C. Rich Guitars.
“Back in those days, it was top secret, like don’t show anyone these badges and don’t let anybody know where you got them,” Ellefson said of The NAMM Show. “It was tight-lipped, very closed, and strictly for companies and their sales force to write orders and display new products. Now there’s always rock stars everywhere and autograph signing sessions. It was not like that back in the ’80s, so I’m super excited that now I get to play (at the House of Blues) and wear the corporate hat inside of NAMM as an entrepreneur and a business owner.”
Metal Allegiance doesn’t have a set vocalist, but the shows typically include special guests who take up the mic. Fans at the House of Blues show can expect appearances by Troy Sanders (Mastodon), Brann Dailor (Mastodon), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Bobby Blitz (Overkill), Gary Holt (Exodus/Slayer), Doc Coyle (Bad Wolves/God Forbid), Hel Pyre (Nervosa) and Chris Poland (Megadeth), among others, in addition to their usual brood of surprise guests.
“A good 25-30 percent of the show is original material, and it’s not just us going up and doing an all-star jam; this is a very focused show. It’s very orchestrated,” Ellefson said. “It’s good friends making great music together with the awesome songs that we grew up with, and if they were recorded members on our records, it makes it even more special. Because then they’re really a part of the fabric of what Metal Allegiance became as recording artists, too.”
Ellefson said some of his highlights over the last decade include playing shows with his idols such as Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, and performing Van Halen’s self-titled album with Wolfgang Van Halen from top to bottom. Other top moments include inviting fellow thrashers Kerry King and guitarist Marty Friedman, who also spent some time alongside him in Megadeth, to participate in the jam sessions.
“Letting our friends come up and share the stage and do some things that are a little bit different than what they normally do is one of the greatest joys of Metal Allegiance,” he said.
Metal Allegiance
Where: House of Blues Anaheim, 400 Disney Way #337, Anaheim
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25.
Tickets: $35.25 at Livenation.com. VIP meet and greet tickets are available for an additional $125 at metalallegiance.bigcartel.com.
