Megadeth is reuniting with guitarist Marty Friedman at an upcoming show in Tokyo’s iconic venue Budokan.
The Budokan show is taking place on February 27 and is the first time Megadeth is playing in the renowned arena. The show will be livestreamed worldwide via Dreamstage with advanced digital tickets retailing for $15.
This show marks the first time in 23 years Friedman will perform with Megadeth. The guitarist’s tenure with the band lasted ten years from 1990-2000. Frontman Dave Mustaine said in a statement, “Marty and I have remained friends over 23 years, since we last played together. However, I hear his music every night, and he still is among the top guitar players I’ve ever heard.”
Mustaine added, “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 resides in Tokyo and issued a video statement about the news. He said, in part, “It’s been a real long time since I’ve been on the same stage with Dave Mustaine making music, and we’ve both taken severely different paths in our life since then. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m so extremely proud of the part that I played in Megadeth’s history and Megadeth’s legacy, and I’m also very, very proud of the achievements that the band has done in my absence.”
Friedman added, “But for right now, at this moment, I just feel immense joy and serious adrenaline to look forward to playing together at this very, very cool place. So I just really wish you could be there, and I hope to see you soon.”
