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The Latest Breaking News from Marty Friedman

“David Ellefson told me, ‘You got the gig. Oh and by the way, Dave told me to tell you that you played many of the wrong guitar parts’”: Marty Friedman tells the inside story of his auditions with Ozzy Osbourne and Madonna – and landing the Megadeth gig

In this exclusive excerpt from his new autobiography, Dreaming Japanese, the guitarist looks back at his early years, when he was broke and forced to choose between eating or auditioning

Guitar World

“I’m flat on my back in the ER shivering like a moron in the middle of the Arizona desert”: Marty Friedman remembers intense panic attack he suffered during final Megadeth days

In an excerpt from memoir Dreaming Japanese, Friedman looks back on the “unusually strong” panic attack he suffered on Christmas morning, 1999

Metal Hammer

“You should know the music so well that you could still play it perfectly while someone is screaming in your ear”: 15 pro guitarists share their tips for memorizing music

We've all been there. Or worse still, you're playing, all is well, and then the mind goes blank. Here, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Joel Hoekstra, Marty Friedman, and a dozen of their fellow pros share their strategies for memorizing their parts

Guitar World

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“I apologize for what’s about to happen”: Steve Morse becomes the latest guitar hero to pay tribute to the late Jeff Beck with a stirring rendition of his signature tune, Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers

Morse follows the likes of Gary Clark Jr., Eric Clapton, John McLaughlin and Joe Bonamassa to perform one of Beck’s most well-known recordings in honor of the late guitar great

Guitar World

“Grunge? I don’t know too many things where people are praised for having less skill”: The blazing story of Shrapnel Records, the 80s label that gave shred to the world

How guitar shredders Yngwie Malmsteen, Racer X, Cacophony and Richie Kotzen turned Shrapnel Records into the fastest label of the 80s

Louder

“‘You got long hair, right?’ Right. ‘And you’re over 6 feet tall?’ I’m like, ‘I’m 5’7 but I’ll have an operation’”: Marty Friedman recalls missing out on joining Kiss because of his height

Yngwie Malmsteen and White Lion's Vito Bratta were also rejected due to image-related reasons

Guitar World

"'You’re just 5’ 7'? Sorry it’s not going to work out”: Yes, Marty Friedman really was too short to audition for Kiss

Marty Friedman was turned down for Kiss because he's too short

MusicRadar

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“I’m 5’7” but I’ll have an operation, I’ll do something”: Ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman was denied a Kiss audition for being too short

Marty Friedman’s height cruelly cost him the chance to join one of rock’s biggest-ever bands

Metal Hammer

“At one time, it even had a flame thrower on the headstock”: Marty Friedman's rare 1985 Jackson Kelly San Dimas has gone up for sale – and it could go for as much as $125,000

Friedman's Megadeth-era guitar is also reportedly one of the first 500 guitars Jackson ever built, and was used to record Rust in Peace

Guitar World

“I don’t have any vintage gear. I’ve always been a ‘new gear’ type of guy. But on this album, I’m seeing the light a little bit”: Marty Friedman on Drama, and how his “love letter” to his audience takes his playing – and gear – into unchartered territory

Friedman promises a full-fat high-calorie version of his artistic self on a new record that might have some virtuoso licks but will challenge the idea that he is a shredder

Guitar World

6 scales from around the world that every guitar player should know – and how to use them

Tired of the same old blues scales and pentatonics? Try these on for size…

Guitar World

It's a blues extravaganza starring Slash, Kingfish, Samantha Fish, Gary Clark Jr. and Billy Gibbons – only in the new Guitar World

Also starring Lamb of God & Mastodon, plus Marty Friedman, Bruce Kulick, Towa Bird, Eric Gales' pedalboard, Goo Goo Dolls, our EVH SA-126 review and more

Guitar World

Singapore's Only Heavy Metal Bar Rocks 'Something Different'

Tucked away in the basement of an old mall lies gleaming Singapore's only heavy metal bar, where music fans brush shoulder-to-shoulder with international rockers who helped pioneer the genre.

International Business Times

Marty Friedman wants you to stop calling him an ‘ex-Megadeth guitarist’: “It’s not doing me any favours. It’s 25 years ago.”

Though still proud of his time in the celebrated thrashers, Friedman feels his music and theirs have become wildly different

Metal Hammer

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Metal Hammer

“People were crying and screaming and smiling from ear to ear”: Marty Friedman revisits Megadeth reunion at Budokan

The former Megadeth guitarist performed with the thrash metal favourites in his new home country of Japan last year

The Guardian - UK

From Megadeth to Japanese make-up tutorials: the bizarre life of guitarist Marty Friedman

The US musician went from homelessness to multiplatinum success with the thrash metallers – and then became a pop cultural icon in Japan. He explains the weirdest portfolio career in rock

MusicRadar

“You can almost hear The Beatles influence and the Led Zeppelin influence at the front of the song”: How Dave Mustaine channelled unlikely influences for Megdeth's Hangar 18

"These were songs that I took with me to that first band – didn’t get a chance to get them out in my second band – but my third one I did”

Louder

Listen to Todd Rundgren's version of King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man

All-star reimaging of King Crimson's debut album, Reimagining The Court Of The Crimson King, to be released in April

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Guitar World

“I would prefer no solo in a song to a solo that’s just an obligation”: Marty Friedman sets the record straight on guitar solos

We asked the Japan-based virtuoso to elaborate on his thoughts surrounding technique, self-indulgence and the future of solos. What we got was a manifesto for the guitar solo in the 21st century

Guitar World

“I’m excited to bring my spice to the Megadeth soup. We’ll maybe look to get back to the roots. Maybe you’ll hear some Rust in Peace vibes”: Teemu Mäntysaari reveals how he landed (and nailed) the Megadeth gig – and the band’s new album plans

In his first major interview since joining the metal juggernauts, the Finnish guitarist shares the unlikely coincidence that meant he’d inadvertently shaped the tone of Kiko Loureiro, the biggest lessons he’s learned from Dave Mustaine, and which of the band’s previous shredders he admires most

Louder

The best new rock songs you need to hear right now, including Mdou Moctar, St Vincent, Danko Jones and more

Eight songs guaranteed to make you feel better about life, the universe and everything

Guitar World

“An unforgettable, unmissable display of guitar mastery”: A new Jason Becker single fashioned from an old demo has been released – and it brings together a staggering cast of A-list guitar heroes

Championed by Nita Strauss, Some Assembly Required recruits Steve Vai, Lari Basilio, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert, Zakk Wylde and countless other guitar greats for an epic 7-minute solo session

Guitar World

“I was approached to audition for Megadeth and Machine Head, but I'm not sure I'm made for being a hired gun”: Gus G explains why he turned down the opportunity to audition for two of the biggest metal bands in the game

The Firewind titan was approached by Megadeth and Machine Head in 2015 and 2019 respectively as a potential replacement for Chris Broderick and Phil Demmel

MusicRadar

“We need guitar music that makes those people feel something”: Marty Friedman wishes “slow and painful death” upon the traditional guitar solo and has some ideas on what should replace it

The former Megadeth lead guitarist is the latest high-profile player to declare war on solos, arguing eight bars of “stupid licks” are not moving the audience anymore

Metal Hammer

Ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman: “I hope the traditional guitar solo dies a slow and painful death”

The famed thrash metal player wants guitar solos to become much more inventive

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