DAVID ELLEFSON to perform MEGADETH's entire 'Countdown To Extinction' album on March 2026 European 'Bass Warrior' tour
26-01-2026
Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson has announced his “Bass Warrior” European tour for March 2026. The trek will feature Ellefson and his solo band performing select cuts from his well-known catalog of MEGADETH hits, including MEGADETH‘s “Countdown To Extinction” album in its entirety, solo material and other hard rock and metal favorites which inspired him during his 40-year music career. Direct support on all dates will come from MADO.
Ellefson states: “‘Bass Warrior’ has become an annual celebration with my fans across Europe. This year I’m really excited to be performing the ‘Countdown To Extinction’ album in its entirety on the tour. It’s always been one of my favorite albums in my discography and I’m looking forward to celebrating those songs with my fans on the tour in March.”
Tickets go on sale Friday, January 23. VIP tickets will go live on Friday, January 30. Information can be found at www.basswarriortour.com.
“Bass Warrior” European tour dates:
March 12 – Kill Joy – Rome (Italy)
March 13 – Pocoloco – Paganica (Italy)
March 17 – Spazio Artis – Legnago (Italy)
March 18 – Reigen Live – Vienna (Austria)
March 19 – Bounty Rock – Olomouc (Czech)
March 20 – Kino Klub – Svatoborice (Czech)
March 21 – Rc Mlyn – Vrutky (slovakia)
March 23 – Muzeum – Bratislava (slovakia)
March 24 – Bergkeller – Reichenbach (Germany)
March 25 – Sounddog – Breda (Netherlands)
March 26 – De Kaller – Zutendaal (Belgium)
March 28 – Manoir Pub – St Maurice (Switzerland)
March 29 – Rock N Roll – Rho/Milan (Italy)
Ellefson launched his “Bass Warrior” tour in 2024, accompanied by guitarist and musical director Andy Martongelli (ELLEFSON-SOTO, ARTEMIS), as a way to perform songs for fans across Europe from his 40-plus years as a world-renowned recording artist.
Ellefson was originally in MEGADETH from the band’s inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play.
Mustaine reformed MEGADETH 22 years ago. Originally setting out to record a solo album, Mustaine enlisted studio musicians to play on what ultimately became MEGADETH‘s 2004 “The System Has Failed” comeback album, subsequently recruiting former ICED EARTH bassist James MacDonough to take Ellefeson‘s place for the album’s touring cycle.
Ellefson sued Mustaine in 2004 for $18.5 million, alleging that the MEGADETH guitarist/vocalist still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.
In his first book, Ellefson admitted that he became a salaried employee upon his return to MEGADETH 15 years ago. He told Metal-Rules.com in an interview: “Going from being a co-founding owner to just a sideman musician was initially why I didn’t come back in 2004. I was not happy with the participations that were presented to me. In recent times, coming back, I found great joy in doing music with a lot of other people in other settings that helped me fall back in love with playing music. Now I can come back into or go into musical situations and be able to be there for a purpose and level of pay. Being a sideman absolves you from being involved in all the other stuff. At this point in my life, I would rather leave that stuff on the sidelines. Like American Express says, ‘membership has its privileges,’ being a sideman has its benefits. In my case, it helps retain a friendship too. In order to have a friendship, I had to give up some ownership.”
Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly five years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.
MEGADETH‘s Dave Mustaine has previously revealed that the band’s eponymous album (out now) will be the final MEGADETH studio album of his career.
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