Dave’s specific health issue, stenosis, is a neck and spine condition that is actually an abnormal narrowing of the blood vessel or organ. The show went on and Mustaine played through the pain, but felt like he struggled to get through the band’s set.
Before the show, Mustaine talked about his pain and his plans to undergo neck surgery pronto.
“I was in a hospital yesterday morning, so I’m going home to get surgery right after this,” said Mustaine. “It’s pretty bad; if I move wrong tonight, I could be paralyzed. We called yesterday and said we couldn’t make it, but then I thought about it. I trust God, I know he’s got me in his hands, and I know that he hasn’t brought me this far, after all this adversity and done all this reconciliation with all the bands, and all of us getting along this well, to have the finale show here in the States stopped. I just thought, either God’s everything or he’s nothing, and I believe in him and that’s why I’m here [to perform].”
Waiting in the wings to jump in if Megadeth’s plug had been pulled were San Francisco rockers Exodus.
This news was revealed during an interview at the stadium with Slayer guitarist Kerry King, who commented on the close call, and the effort Exodus made to make it happen, if it was going to happen.
"I just felt bad for Exodus, 'cause they were on the bill,” King told Guitar World. “They were working on flights [to NYC for the show]. And that got yanked. I mean, Gary [Holt, Exodus guitarist, currently touring with Slayer as the temporary replacement for Jeff Hanneman] is gonna be here anyway, but the band Exodus, I felt bad for them."
Megadeth - Dave Mustaine on his neck injury
Big 4 - Yankee Stadium - New York City – September 14, 2011
Megadeth
Big 4 jam – Overkill
Yankee Stadium - New York City – September 14, 2011
See also:
VIDEO: Behind the scenes at Megadeth video shoot
Megadeth are Public Enemy No. 1
VIDEO: Megadeth rock Heavy T.O. festival
VIDEO: Metallica, Big 4 rock Sonisphere UK
VIDEO: Metallica – Big 4 jam at Sonisphere UK
VIDEO: Metallica - pro-shot footage of Big 4 jam in Germany
VIDEO: Big 4 jam at Milan show
VIDEO: Big 4 - Watch full Metallica set from Sweden
VIDEO: Big 4 - Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax jam at Sweden show