David Ellefson is a Baron Now
2021 has certainly been an interesting year for David Ellefson, hasn’t it? He recorded a new Megadeth album, published his first novel, got caught up in a sex scandal, got fired from Megadeth and had his parts for the aforementioned new album re-recorded by someone else, launched a new band called The Lucid with the dude from Sponge of all people, and then, for the big finale, was named a baron. No, really. Varg Vikernes had to pretend to be a count, but David Ellefson is, in fact, now Sir Lord Baron David Ellefson.
Who bestowed this prestigious new title upon the bassist? Well, technically, uh… he did.
To explain: Ellefson has become a baron of Sealand. Which sounds like SeaWorld’s answer to Disneyland, but is, in fact, a micronation founded by a British pirate radio broadcaster.
And I do mean micro — the entire thing consists of one off-short platform about eight miles off the coast of England. This is, I shit thee not, the entirety of Sealand:
As you can imagine with a “nation” (not recognized, it’s worth mentioning, by any sovereign state in the world), baronship isn’t exactly a hard get: you can purchase the title for about $45. If you’re willing to go as high as $130, you can become a sir or a dame. For $292, Vikernes could become a count for really real. And for the ultra-wealthy willing to shell out the oddly-specific number of $656.53, you can become a duke or dutchess.
So, basically, Ellefson bought his title using pocket change from Cameo.
Speaking to The New York Hardcore Chronicles Live!, the bassist revealed:
“Drew [Fortier, musician, filmmaker and actor], one day we were talking, and I was talking about castles across Europe. And he said, ‘Dude, you can go to Sealand’ — look it up online — ‘you can buy like a square foot of land of Sealand.’ So I became a lord, ’cause that’s what a landowner is, is a lord. And then I upgraded to becoming a baron. And then I even paid another couple of hundred bucks and became a sir. So now I’m Sir Lord Baron David Ellefson, the royal and noble title of the royal family. So I [paid] a few hundred bucks and became a sir as opposed to Paul McCartney and Elton John; they have to pay — I don’t know — a million pounds to the Queen or something to become a sir. So you can refer to me now as award-winning [film] producer Sir David Ellefson.”
I mean. I doubt anyone will refer to him as “award-winning producer Sir David Ellefson” anymore than anyone will refer to the star someone “bought” me as a gift as “Axl Rosenberg’s Star.” But again. The dude had a rough year. Let’s not begrudge him his small victory.
You can listen to the entire interview below. The Lucid’s eponymous debut is out now on SpoilerHead Records.
In semi-related news, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford recently became a colonel in Kentucky. I don’t know if that’s better or worse than being a baron in Sealand.
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