I bet you didn't know that! Fun Facts - Metal edition !

[Bürggermeister]

Jay Reynolds was in Megadeth long enough to appear in interviews for The Decline Of Western Civilisation II but which were cut, as was he by the time they recorded the footage for In My Darkest Hour, from the finalised documentary.

[The Great Cull]

Jeff Waters was also wanted to fill in for Hetfield after he got the pyro burn back in the early 90s, but his management never told him about the offer

Another list of big names associated with that one.
Mike Gilbert
Bobby Gustafson
Andreas Kisser
Pepper Keenan
Possibly some others I've forgotten too.

After all that effort they went with old reliable John Marshall

[Neuromancer]

On the theme of nearly joining a band.

Back when RJD originally left Sabbath and was putting the original DIO band together, Jake E. Lee was in the mix to be the guitar player - they had some rehearsals, but when the opportunity arose for Jake E. Lee to join Ozzy Osbourne's band, he ended the collaboration with DIO and went with Ozzy.

A potential next in line for the DIO band was ex-Tygers of Pan Tang man John Sykes, though once RJD discovered that Sykes had unsuccessfully auditioned for Ozzy - he wanted nothing to do with him and went with Vivian Campbell.

Years later, when Def Leppard we're looking a replacement for Steve Clark, both Sykes and Campbell (along with Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith) auditioned for the spot, with Vivian Campbell being successful.

Given Campbell replacing Sykes in Whitesnake and playing in a later incarnation of Thin Lizzy, I've always wondered how the 2 felt about each other.

Similarly, according to Adrian Vandenberg - Vandenberg worked with Thin Lizzy for about a week in 1982, before leaving and Sykes joined. Funny how "incestuous" the scene was back then.

[Ducky]

Everyone almost joined Megadeth at some point 
Dave Lombardo
Bobby Gustafson
Lee Altus
Jeff Waters
Jeff Loomis
Alex Skolnick

Didn't Loomis audition for them back in the 80s and the consensus was "you're lethal but you're 16"?

And was asked to join many years later but declined.

[The Butcher]

Now I'm wondering what kind of riffs Loomis would have conjured up for a post 2010 Megadeth. Would have been a great addition

[Ducky]

Loomis should never be a sideman, but would have much preferred him in post-2010 Megadeth than cunting Arch Enemy.

[Necro Red]

Loomis should never be a sideman, but would have much preferred him in post-2010 Megadeth than cunting Arch Enemy.

yea, I think he's a great axe man, but Arch Enemy.......decent wage I suppose for him though.