The former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland had a stint with the band from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band’s classic albums “Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!” and “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” He is also a featured soloist on the group’s 2004 album, “The System Has Failed”. He had left the band in 1987 and the following phase was a tough one. In a new interview with Canada’s The Metal Voice, the former Megadeth star opened up on the rough patch.
Chris Poland reveals he would be ‘bussing tables’
“I was bussing tables from midnight to 8 a.m. at [American casual diner-style restaurant] Denny’s after I left Megadeth,” he said. “And I would be bussing tables on a weekend, and some guy would go, ‘Dude, you’re Chris Poland.’ [Laughs] And I’d have to go, ‘Yeah, I am.’ [Laughs] And it was so weird, because he just looked at me, like, ‘Dude, what the fuck are you doing here?’ And I would just say, ‘Hey, man, I’ve gotta eat. I’ve gotta pay the rent.’
“When you think of it now, it is pretty crazy, because at that time Megadeth was beyond gold — ‘Peace Sells’ was really like a train,” Chris continued. “And here I am bussing tables in the middle of the night at Denny’s.
He also recalled how he was once insulted on a beach as no one recognized him. “I also had shit happen where I’d be at the beach with my girlfriend, and there’d be, like, six guys walking down the boardwalk in Venice wearing Megadeth shirts,” Poland recalled. “And at the time my girlfriend said, ‘Hey, you guys. You know who this is? This is Chris Poland from Megadeth.’ And they would just go, ‘Yeah, right. Fuck off,’ and then walk away. [Laughs] So I’ve had every little version of weirdness from being in that band, let me tell you.”
Asked if ever regretted leaving Megadeth, Chris said: “It was just meant to be. It got to the point where it was just time… It wasn’t working for anybody anymore. Who knows what would have happened if I stayed in the band? It was probably best that I didn’t. [Laughs] Probably drugs would have killed somebody, or all of us. Who knows?”
