'The Roar of L'Amour'

MEGADETH - The night in a bowling alley parking lot and more 

If you were a fan of metal in the 80's, you obviously knew of Dave Mustaine and Megadeth, but ... did you know they were bowling enthusiasts?

Well, not exactly true, but there was one night in Staten Island when ...

Let's begin at the top.

I was 10 weeks into my position as DJ when Megadeth and Slayer played L'amour in December of 1984.

It was both bands' first time at the club and people were excited at the double-bill.

Metallica had two albums out by then and the scene started, but it was that double-bill when I saw that a community was forming.

I met Dave briefly that weekend, but I doubt he remembers.

Over time between various gigs at L'Amour and through mutuals, we hung out several times, including one night in 86 when Dave, the boys and a winnebago met me and some friends at a bowling alley in Staten Island.

For some reason, that Sunday night a good friend of mine Scott Koenig (RIP) and I wanted to go bowling.

We chose a bowling alley in New Dorp, SI called 'Bowling on the Green' and since a buddy (of mine) lived a half a mile away, we invited him ... that buddy was Bobby Gustafson of Overkill.

We made plans to bowl and drink at 8pm and I get a phone call from Scott about 6pm with ... "Dave Mustaine just called me. They are driving through NJ later and asked if we are doing anything?" I immediately said "invite them to bowl" and he laughed that he already did.

I picked up Scott in my P.O.S. car called "the mosh mobile" (pre Firebird) and grabbed Gus and we went bowling.

This bowling alley had a bar and we were getting hammered and eating really bad burgers and fries while embarrassing ourselves bowling and all of a sudden at about 10pm in an empty bowling alley, we heard a commotion ... Dave and the boys arrived.

There were a few other lanes filled that were in shock at our appearance and antics BEFORE Megadeth showed up and now the craziness begins.

First thing out of Dave's mouth (after goofing on us) was where is the bar?

I told them and they went in and started pounding drinks.

We finished our game and joined them and the bartender/manager gave us a last call and I thought the Cali boys were going to wreck the place.

They drove out of the way to get drunk with us and now the bar is closed?

So, we decided to party in the parking lot.

I forget if they had beer or we bought more, but we wound up with cases.

Maybe my buddy Dave Olivieri brought a case, because for some reason he met us there and is my witness to everything.

We go into the winnebago and Dave says "let's play the cigarette game" ... huh?

He took out a pack of cigarettes and flipped them and explained that how it landed would dictate the drinking.

If it landed flat, the guy who flipped had to chug a beer.

If it landed on its side you pick someone to chug a beer.

if it landed top up it was two chugs

If it landed top down three chugs

I said it sounded stupid and he said "pussy" ... NOW IT IS ON.

While a few of us were playing, I kept picking him to drink and he kept picking me.

The game actually was a lot of fun, and I wound up playing it in my booth every night at 9pm before it got crowded with my buddy Eddie Lights.

The weird part about the flipping of the pack was the fact people kept smoking out of it, so the weight distribution kept changing making it difficult to master ... we were drunk ... WHO CARES?

I remember Dave Mustaine busting my buddy's' balls by calling him "New Wave Dave" ... he wasn't "new wave" but certain;y not "thrash" and there were already two Dave's so ...

As we progressed Dave called me "Moosey" because I was by far the biggest guy there at 6'1" and 195/200 lbs.

That gave me an opening to call him "Lucy" ... it was all in fun and two A-Types being themselves.

We got hammered. I know it's beer but we were chugging cans.

It got to the point where Dave Mustaine said "no more" and Scott goes "Holy shit ...Chuck outdrank Dave Mustaine!!!!"

To be fair, they were drinking a LOT of liquor, before they got to us so it wasn't exactly fair, but ... it's an awesome story.

I wore the "outdrank Mustaine" legend with pride, until a night in 1987 when a small-framed teenager named Peggy Christie easily outdrank me at a tequila bar in Manhattan ... that girl could drink!

I obviously would see Dave and Megadeth every time at L'Amour (including the recording of the video for Peace Sells) and socialize and there is the infamous pic of us by my Firebird.

I remember being with him at CMJ Marathon in Manhattan one year and Scott, Bobby and I drove to Poughkeepsie to see them open for Alice Cooper.

I always liked and respected Dave and now he has a #1 album with an old buddy of mine on bass (James Lomenzo) ... FUCKIN' A.

He catches shit for things he says about the Metallica days, but he lived it and that is his right (to tell his side).

So to recap ...

Megadeth

Winnebago

Bowling

Cigarette packs

Beer

L'Amour 

Poughkeepsie

Firebird

&

Peggy outdrinking everyone

Chuck Kaye

Ah Yes Indeed

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