Megadeth to Perform with Marty Friedman for First Time in 23 Years

Megadeth will welcome back their former guitarist Marty Friedman for a special February 27th show at the famous Budokan Arena in Tokyo that will be live-streamed worldwide. It will mark the legendary thrash metal band’s first performance with Friedman in 23 years.

After exiting Megadeth in 2000, Friedman moved to Japan a couple years later, where he has continued to record music and has become a television personality. During his decade-long stint in Megadeth, the guitar virtuoso played on classic albums Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction, among others.

“Marty and I have remained friends over 23 years, since we last played together,” stated Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine. “However, I hear his music every night, and he still is among the top guitar players I’ve ever heard. This is an amazing treat for the fans, as well as myself. I am going to enjoy this as much as the fans are, and I’m sure many of you will catch me sneaking a peek during Marty’s appearance. Domo arigato, Marty-San!”

Friedman added, “It has been a long time. 23 years to be exact since I’ve been on the same stage with Dave Mustaine making music. We’ve both taken drastically different paths since then. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m extremely proud of the part that I played in Megadeth’s history and legacy. I’m also very, very proud of the band’s many great achievements and continued success in my absence. For right now, I just feel immense joy and some serious adrenaline. I am looking forward to playing with Megadeth at this very cool place, The Budokan.”

The show will feature a triple-guitar attack, as Friedman plays alongside Mustaine and current Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro. The concert is also historic in that it is Megadeth’s first show at the Budokan Arena.

The livestream will begin at 4:00 a.m. ET / 1:00 a.m PT on February 27th, with advance tickets available for $15 here. Fans can also catch Megadeth in person at the Tokyo show, as well as the next night in Osaka, followed by an Australian tour in March, a few US festival dates, and a UK/European run this summer. Pick up tickets to Megadeth’s upcoming shows here.

Friedman, meanwhile, will hit North America in early March for an extensive tour in which he’ll support Queensrÿche and play a number headlining shows. Tickets for most of those dates are available here.

In other news, Friedman just shared a music video for his official Japan Heritage theme song (watch below). “Many people outside of Japan relegate their image of Japan to anime/cosplay conventions, Harajuku fashion, futuristic neon signs and Samurai warriors. This is an incredible shame because as uniquely Japanese as all those things are, that isn’t even the tip of the tip of the iceberg,” he said in a statement announcing the video’s release.