Scott Ian says more ‘Big 4’ shows won’t be happening until at least 2025, if at all
ANTHRAX‘s Scott Ian and Charlie Benante recently sat down with Metal Edge magazine and discussed everything from touring to the status of their follow-up to 2016’s “For All Kings” album.
Toward the end of the discussion, interviewer Michael Christopher brought up the fact that MEGADETH’s Dave Mustaine “has been saying he wants more [‘Big 4’] dates to happen and, with SLAYER officially retired, if more dates happen, do you think EXODUS should get slotted into that spot? Or is the Big 4 something that’s untouchable with just the four of you?”
Benante replied: “Yeah, I saw Mustaine was kinda fishing for some of that. I mean, I don’t know. I don’t think Metallica need to do that right now. They’ve got so much coming up in the next two years. [laughs]”
Scott Ian would eventually elaborate: Here’s the thing: [Metallica] just announced their ’23 and ’24 plans, and I was looking at those dates this morning and thinking, “Well I wonder if, like, they do these two nights in each city here in the States and one night is the Pantera night and the other night is the Five Finger [Death Punch] night. So are people gonna be clamoring for the Pantera night and nobody’s gonna show up on the other night?”
But then I stopped myself, and I said, “Hold on a second. They could’ve just announced it as ‘An Evening With’ – with no opening bands – and they’re still selling out two nights in every stadium.” It doesn’t matter who’s opening. None of that matters. They don’t need support bands. They do it to make an event out of it, I guess, but they don’t need it.
If the Big 4 was to ever happen again – in any capacity – it’s certainly not going to be before ’25 now, because they’ve already announced their plans. So, there you go. Anyone who has a question about the Big 4, hold that thought until 2025. [laughs]
Aside from playing drums for ANTHRAX, Benante currently sits behind the kit for PANTERA, who will be hitting the road with METALLICA this year, and next, for their “M72” world tour.