More than 23 years after he last played with the group, guitarist Marty Friedman is set to reunite with Megadeth.
Lead guitarist Dave Mustaine says Friedman will take the stage with his former bandmates in a one-off show on February 27th in Tokyo. The performance, which will be staged in the legendary Nippon Budokon arena, will serve as the kickoff for Megadeth’s world tour.
“Marty and I have remained friends over 23 years, since we last played together,” Mustaine explained. “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.”
“It has been a long time — 23 years to be exact since I’ve been on the same stage with Dave Mustaine making music,” Friedman said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “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.”
“It’s gonna be so much fun to get Kiko and Marty together, because they’re both geniuses on guitar. So this is like a gigantic birthday and Christmas present for me,” Mustaine told Rolling Stone.
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