“I Handled It Selfishly”: Marty Friedman Reflects on His Messy Megadeth Exit and Historic Budokan Redemption
In a candid interview with UK radio station VRP Rocks, legendary former Megadeth lead guitarist Marty Friedman once again opened up about his departure from the band more than two decades ago. When asked how difficult it was to make the decision to walk away from the group led by Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman explained:
«I knew I had to leave because, in the state the band was in at that point, there was simply nothing left for me to contribute. But the timing was terrible—we were right in the middle of an active tour. I handled it quite poorly because it was an extremely selfish move on my part. Mentally, I was already completely done with it, so I just wanted to pull the plug right then and there. Yet I had firm commitments to the tour, and I tried as hard as I could to see them through.
However, a whole series of things happened that made it impossible for me to stick around as long as I had originally hoped, and I regretted that for a very, very long time. Years later, Dave Mustaine, the rest of the band, and I finally cleared the air. But during that final stretch, a lot of things took place that I’m not proud of at all, mainly because I felt backed into a corner. I genuinely couldn’t find a clean way to do the right thing, and the exact way I chose to leave ended up deeply hurting a lot of people.
It turned out messy, but the band definitely recovered after my departure and went on to accomplish truly amazing things without me. The same holds true for my own journey: I forged my own path and achieved my own personal success. So I believe both sides ultimately won in the end, even though I certainly wasn't proud of my actions at the time...»
Marty Friedman also revisited his emotional onstage reunion with Megadeth during the band’s historic first-ever show at the world-famous Budokan arena in Tokyo, which took place over three and a half years ago. On February 27, 2023, Marty Friedman joined the band near the end of the main set to perform three legendary tracks alongside his former bandmates: «Countdown To Extinction», «Tornado Of Souls», and «Symphony Of Destruction».
«Dave Mustaine and I wanted to play the Budokan so badly. Back during the 1993 „Countdown To Extinction“ tour, we had completely sold out the venue, but then unforeseen circumstances forced the show to be canceled (referring to Dave Mustaine’s near-fatal overdose and the subsequent tour cancellation). Then, a few years ago, Dave Mustaine reached out to me and said: „Man, we’re playing the Budokan. Do you want to join me on stage?“
It was an absolute night of miracles. People in the crowd were crying tears of joy with huge smiles on their faces. I truly believe a lot of burnt bridges were rebuilt that night».
Marty Friedman also noted that prior to that special appearance with Megadeth, he had already performed at the Budokan eight times with his other projects:
«Whenever I step onto the Budokan stage, I always think to myself: „Man, I wish I could be playing here with my teenage band Deuce!“ Your very first band stays in your heart forever. Every time I play a truly monumental show, I think back to those guys, because that’s where the original dream was born. But at the same time, I kept thinking: „Megadeth—I really, really need to do this together with Megadeth!“ And we finally did it. So for me, it was a completely magnificent experience, and I believe it meant just as much to the fans as well».