In an interview on “Steve-O’s Wild Ride!” podcast, MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine discussed his long-standing hesitation to perform the band’s 1986 track “The Conjuring” live, citing his Christian faith as a key reason.
“The Conjuring,” one of the standout songs from MEGADETH‘s classic album Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?, was written about black magic and, as Mustaine explained, includes instructions for casting hexes.
Reflecting on his decision to finally perform “The Conjuring” live again in June 2018—marking the first time since 2001, Mustaine shared his thoughts: “I wasn’t sure about what effects the lyrics would have on our young fans. And I didn’t wanna mislead anybody. I wanted to make sure if I was singing something and they gave it any kind of importance that I wasn’t inadvertently making a decision for them and they were saying something that was gonna possibly hurt them in some way or form…
“[But] the structure of the song did not have in it what I thought was in there. There’s nothing misleading in there, and after extensive evaluation with it, a lot of thought, a lot of navel gazing and prayer and stuff, I figured it’s okay to do this one now.”
In a 2016 interview, Mustaine shared that he was rethinking his decision to never play “The Conjuring” again, saying he would consider bringing the track back to MEGADETH‘s live shows “as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody.”
In his autobiography, Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir, Mustaine revealed that he practiced black magic as a teenager, an experience that inspired “The Conjuring” and impacted his life for years afterward.
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