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Photo Credit: TAKAAKI HENMI
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The following conversation is part II of the interview between Sophia Radish and Marty Friedman.
RELATED ARTICLE: https://www.guitarthrills.com/martyfriedmaninterview/
Sophia: I'm completely fascinated by your musical journey! Your intuition is a prized possession for sure! You've been so incredibly blessed, Marty!
You're on a crazy rigourous DRAMA LIVE touring schedule in 2025. You've just recently completed an American tour, you're now playing shows and festivals in Japan, and soon to go out on a sold out Latin American tour, starting June 2025. Congratulations! Your work ethic is staggering. You must love touring and performing! So, you're in the best possible position to answer the following question. In your opinion, what makes a live performance epic and legendary?
Marty: Well, it's taken a lot of time to kind of get good at this, with my own band. In my other bands, I was just the guitar player and I had that part covered pretty well. But when it's the Marty Friedman Band, I now have to be the frontman and we've gotta do something where it's not just "look at Marty play guitar for 95 mins". You know? So, over the years, me and my band have worked hard to put on a great show. We've become "entertainers".
And to me, there's lots of things that are equally important, if not more important than the guitar playing. I mean the guitar playing, let's face it, I've been playing forever. So, I've had the guitar playing pretty much taken care of since I was a teenager. You gotta entertain people! People leave their houses. Maybe they get a babysitter, drive, pay for parking, and even get a hotel if they come from out of town. So, It's a very big deal to come out and see a show! I appreciate and respect that! For that reason, for those 90 minutes or 120 minutes, we're totally conscious of entertaining!
You know, bringing people into the show and not having them leave thinking, "Oh! Here's a very virtuous guitarist! He's very talented!" I hate that. Haha! I hate that so much! You know what I mean? It's like, I want people to leave the show saying they're so glad they went, and that they feel great. And, that they're ready to face the week! I want people to feel positive and uplifted!
We're having lots of fun! We have such a great interaction. Everybody in the band partakes in entertaining the audience. It's not just me and a bunch of backup players. Like I always say, my band outshines me all the time. It sounds like a sound bite, but when you see us play you'll know exactly what I mean. We're all in it! We're making eye contact with every single person in that audience. Bringing them into the story. Bringing them into the show. And, being that kind of entertainer has been working really well for me and my band.
It's taken a long time to get here, you know? Because, I'm a guitar player at heart. It takes a long time to develop yourself as a frontman and to find that absolute right chemistry in the band. We just did two shows yesterday! So, I'm still really high on those! It's the band! It's having the right chemistry and people get it. It's a joy to play!
Sophia: Epic music and dynamic chemistry! You've got it all. Congratulations Marty. Great musical legacy! So, the million dollar question: how can a guitarist achieve their own unique sound, as you've been so undeniably successful at achieving? Do you think that this Is something that can be taught, learned? Or, do you think it's an innate characteristic that one has to be born with?
Marty: I don't think anyone's born with anything, really. It's what lazy people say when they don't wanna work to get things done."He was born with all of that talent!" No, no, no! Every single person has worked for it. Trust me! No matter how easy they make it look. They have worked for it. Everyone has worked for it. Beware of phrases that, you know, allow you to be lazy.
And, with that said, anyone can have an identifiable sound. The short answer and the key to making that happen is, you're the one responsible for choosing every single note that comes out of your instrument. Whatever instrument that is. You decide! Am I gonna play an A here or an A sharp here? Am I gonna play it long or am I gonna play it short? Am I gonna shake it, not shake it? Am I gonna kinda play it flat or am I gonna kinda play it sharp? Am I gonna bend to it? Am I gonna slide to it? Am I gonna slur on it? There are so many choices in every single note! Much less every single song, every single phrase. Every single thing you do, has to be a conscious decision. Which of these options represents me the most?
Once you get into the pattern of that, you start to figure out your own tastes. You start to figure out the things that irk you. Then, you start to figure out the things that turn you on. Then, you start to have a criteria of the things that come out of your instrument. It's a constant judging of yourself. Some people are good at that and some people are not.
Some people think that if you work really hard, then it's good. That's not the case. Sometimes, the stuff I've worked the hardest on have been my crappiest things ever! Sometimes, the luckiest things I've done have taken no work, and magic happens. You have to recognise the difference.
So, when you work hard, just because it's done and it's played perfectly, doesn't mean anyone's gonna like it. It doesn't even mean you're gonna like it. It's just gonna mean, like, oh you've accomplished it. But, have you accomplished anything that you like? You have to be honest with yourself and not be afraid to throw away hard, hard work in the pursuit of finding things that you wanna put your name on. I think I've lucked into a pretty good answer to that question! Sometimes, what I say is complete nonsense. But, I think I lucked into a good answer on that. Haha
Sophia: Yeah you absolutely nailed it! You did! I completely admire your integrity and commitment to your music. That's why you're an icon! You invested yourself in music, from such a young age, with fierce determination. Did you ever have an epiphany Marty? Some sort of realization that you were never going to abandon your music, and love for the guitar?
Marty: Actually, I don't really love the guitar that much to be honest with you. The guitar is a tool. It's like a knife or a fork or a pair of chopsticks. It's just a tool. But, music is 99% of my body! And, so, music is pretty much all I'm consciously living and breathing. Guitar happens to be the one instrument that I can play to get music done.
I'm not one of those people who cares about models of guitars or woods or pickup wires and stuff. But people are really talented with that. I admire them very much. Even when I was a teenager, I knew that, you know, I always wanted to be into music. Listening to it, playing it, writing it. Even without thinking about it, music was always such a big part of my life. So, it was always just kind of a given. I never really thought, "Wow! I guess it's music!" It was always just there.
Sophia: Can you please share the difference between recording a song, versus playing the same song live? And, how do you play your studio versions, when touring? Are they adapted in any way for live performances?
Marty: Yeah! We adapt things. Especially with my band now! When you're listening to an album, you're sitting there listening to every single note and you don't have any visual cues. So live, we have the added bonus of visual cues. So, it allows us to tighten up the music for live performance. For example, we'll do the best parts of songs, and we'll kind of concentrate and intensify things. So, we get the best bang for the buck so to speak. Sometimes to tell the story in a recording, you tend to stretch things out. But, I think we get a lot more action by tightening things up and giving people the highlight reel, so to speak. Keeping the show going. Keeping people into the show the entire time. That can also mean, sometimes, extending things. To add bonus parts and stuff, for live shows only. We are very, very conscious of every second that's played live. How to make it the most entertaining. So, it means we edit songs constantly.
Sophia: That's so powerfully impressive. You seem to be 100% in touch with your creative instincts! The intuitive choices that you make in your live shows and on this album, once again, reflect your mega footprint on the music scene, Marty! Your early career 1982-1989, in your bands Deuce, Hawaii, and Cacophony (with Jason Becker). Then, of course, your guitar hero status as the most revered lead guitarist in the Megadeth line-up! For a decade, 1990 through 2000, you defined the sound of their biggest albums. Their multi-platinum years!
Many fans of the most celebrated thrash metal bands like Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax must have been shocked and saddened at your departure, after a decade of fame and fortune and leading Megadeth to the top of the charts! Guitar Guru! You left it all behind to follow your heart to Japan. You were determined to work in the domestic Japanese music scene and J-pop. What were you seeking, artistically, when you made the move to Japan in the early 2000s?
Marty: I just knew that I wanted to be a part of the Japanese music scene. I was listening to Japanese music 24/7 and nothing else. I just didn't think it was fair to the guys in Megadeth and to our fans, to just go through the motions and play the hits. Our most popular songs.
Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I just had so much more I wanted to do and I knew that I should be doing. And, there were probably a lot of other guys who'd be more than happy to jump in my place, and do a great job with Megadeth. And they certainly did! Everybody won! I knew that there were other things I needed to do! And, if you listen to any of the albums that I've done since then, they've continuously grown. And, none of that would have happened if I would have just stayed where I was. So, all the new life experiences that have happened since then, have all built up to, luckily, where I'm at today. It was just time to make a change.
Sophia: Thanks crazy! How, you intuitively knew that at that time. At the height of Megadeth success. That's powerful and inspirational. Truly! You won the rock 'n' roll lottery! You're riding the wave! Your growth has been exponential!
Marty: Yeah! I have won the lottery a million times over. No complaints!
Sophia: What personality trait do you think you have that continues to keep you inspired and motivated to create? You're so focused! You rock 'n' roll along, like a "Rolling Stone".
Marty: Well, all I really care about is making music. Obviously, family and things like that are important too. Personal things. But all that aside, I don't really have hobbies you know? I don't build model airplanes or anything. I don't care about a lot of things! Hahaha! People ask me about a lot of current events and most of the time, I don't know what they're talking about. And the others ideas, I don't care about. Is it okay not to care about a lot of things? People seem to care about a lot of things! I do feel badly for not caring, but all my eggs are in the same basket. For whatever reason.
When it comes to music, I definitely have a lot of energy. It pretty much saps up any energy from anything else. So, sometimes current events will kinda go right over my head. But, I just don't have that much data bank in my brain, that can hold that much information. Some people do and I admire them a lot! You know? A lot of my favorite musicians can talk intelligently about a lot of things that are going on in the world. And I'm like, how come I'm not that smart? Haha! I just don't have a lot of outside interests. You know? My music keeps me extremely focused. I'm very focused on it. You know, other things kinda go right over my head. Haha!
Sophia: Hahaha! Love it! You do what you do best! I think people tend to complicate things sometimes. You know, when life can be so much more simple.
Marty: Thanks, Sophia! I can agree with that! You're right!
Sophia: Keep making your marvellous music, Marty! You're a legend! Frontman Dave Mustaine told Rolling Stone Magazine, that re-uniting with you at Budokan in Japan, in 2023, 23 years after leaving Megadeth, was "like a gigantic birthday and Christmas present for him." That's such an admirable and beautiful sentiment! And, you also played with them in Germany at Wacken Open Air, that same year. You must have been so stoked!!! I'm sure your fans from your Megadeth days want to know...what was it like to play with them again... after 23 years?
Marty: It was wonderful. I mean, if anything, it was a celebration for me and Dave. It was a celebration of the things that we had achieved together, as well as a celebration that each of us had done in each other's absence. It was just like, let's go back and be nostalgic.
And, it's also like, we're still here and at the top of our respective game. We're doing a lot of things that we've always wanted to do. It was a celebration and it's wonderful. It was a wonderful thing. I couldn't have been happier. I think the band sounded better than ever! Aside from that, it was really a love letter to our fans. Sometimes fans, when a member leaves the band, feel like they deserted, or don't care anymore. I understand that feeling very much, you know? Because, I'm also a music fan! And, when I'm a fan of somebody's music and the band member leaves or the band breaks up, I feel a little bit like I've experienced a personal relationship break up.
So, someone might have this little resentment towards that person or band. Why did he quit? Why did they have to break up? I understand that. But, in real life, it's nothing like that. Nobody quits because they don't love the fans. It's all the other reasons. So, playing those shows, I wanted to show my constant appreciation for our fans. They were there while I was in Megadeth, who followed the band in my absence, and the wonderful fans that followed me into my solo career after that.
So, it was just a celebration of everything. And, it was a dream for me and Mustaine to play Budokan together. Not many dreams come true 23 years later. It was like winning the lottery! And, it was just wonderful to watch the fans' faces. They were gasping. There were tears. There was screaming. It was just so different from any other gig I'd ever play with those guys. It was an absolutely wonderful experience.
Sophia: What an incredible thrill that must have been! Perfect full-circle moment! It was written in the stars, Marty! Now, about your guitars. I absolutely adore your purple Jackson Pro Series Signature Marty Friedman MF-1 Electric Guitar. What a beauty! How do you describe the sound of this guitar, and how did you get Jackson Guitars to get it just right for your unique sound?
Marty: I have a long relationship with Jackson. They know me inside and out. They know my guitar tech Alan Sosa inside and out. So, it's really kind of an easy project to build a guitar for me. My sound is very simple. If you notice, it's a very simple sound and I keep it simple because I like to let my playing be the thing that you hear. Not necessarily the personality of a guitar.
So, all I need really, is a solid workhorse that I can count on. And, you know, playing a lot of different countries, different climates, different electricity, voltages, a lot of hard travelling, you need a solid workhorse. And, Jackson is the king of that. The king of modern design. It was really quite an easy process, you know? They made a couple prototypes. I said do this, do that, and their experts took care of it.
Sophia: Nice! A match made in heaven! How many guitars do you take on the road with you? And, what's your gear set-up for touring?
Marty: I only take about 3, maybe 4 at the most. In a live set, I usually do 1 guitar change, or two at the most. There's not a whole lot of downtime between our songs. There's not a whole lot of dead air, so to speak.
So, I need a guitar that's gonna stay in tune after a lot of very, very hard and agressive bashing. The Jacksons are perfect. I use my signature ENGL amp, the Inferno. And, you know, not a big pedal board. A couple little things in there, and very simple! Keep it simple.
Sophia: Smart. Awesome! Your guitar music is soulful and intoxicating! Your shows are exhilarating! You've had die-hard fans for decades. Do you have anything that you'd like to say to your fans, that come out to your shows, and show you love? They support your music, from all over the planet?
Marty: I completely always, always appreciate the support! More than anything! Because, like airlines say "there are so many different choices! We're glad that you flew with Lufthansa or whatever!"
There's so much music out there! There's really an overwhelming amount of music out there. So, the people who find my music and enjoy it, support it, and come out to see us play are the people that I appreciate the most in the entire world! And, they're growing, thankfully. The more they grow, the more we can travel and play live to new audiences all over! We're able to play original music and we really appreciate it. I'm really thankful for all the support! I'm always grateful for our fans.
Sophia: Awww! I love that! Your fans love you!!! I hope you come to Canada soon! We love you here too!
Marty: I hope so! I love it there! I can't wait! I didn't know you're in Canada. Where in Canada are you at?
Sophia: I'm actually in the capital city, Ottawa. It's kinda close to Montreal and Toronto!
Marty: Oh cool! Cool! I hope we can play there next time around. We'll shoot for it!
Sophia: Thank you! That would be stellar! And, one last thing. You just released an autobiography - Dreaming Japanese, published in December 2024. Your fans must be all overthis book, as you're renowned for keeping your private life private. In your autobiography, you let it all out! It's a tell-all, so to speak. That must have been so liberating! Story-telling. Reliving and sharing your life's successes, struggles, the highs and the lows... the secrets...all the stories that make you, YOU! It's a page turner!
What surprised you the most about writing this book and what did you learn about yourself, throughout the process of writing your autobiography?
Marty: What surprised me the most, was how crystal clear my memory is with regards to what happened a real long time ago. I think that's due to not getting hooked up with drugs or alcohol or any of that stuff. It's really crystal clear. I recall and understand everything that I experienced and my whole goal was to write about things that have never been in interviews or in print or on the internet. Anything that's already out there! That was the main criteria.
Anything that I found interesting, that I thought fans would find riveting and that was personal. Things that I had never shared publicly, that's what I wanted to put in my book. That's the time to tell it! In your autobiography. That's the time to share very private moments, and sometimes very embarrassing stories. Hahaha!
I mean, I don't look so great in a lot of this stuff, but I just wanted to put it all out there. I mean, I read a bunch of autobiographies before I started writing mine. And, I found some mistakes that others made. Like, as a reader, I don't like it when it kinda looks like a resume. I did this, this, this and this! I don't like that so much.
I did like it when authors share personal things, that may even incriminate them sometimes! Haha. Like, things that don't make you look so good. Really. I found myself really getting into the honesty of that. It took balls to say it! But, who cares? It's an autobiography. I'm not applying for a job here! It doesn't need to be a resume. So, instead of tooting my own horn, I said a lot of things that I really felt embarrassed about. But when reading it back, II think fans are gonna get a kick out of it because it's friggin' embarrassing and that's a good read in my opinion.
Sophia: You're a rockstar! You can say it! Tell it like it is! Hahaha! I think it gives people a chance to connect with you on a different level. If anything, it'll bring you more fans and more love for you and your music. It all comes back to that! It's authentically you!
Marty: I hope so! A lot of the stuff in there is pretty much "PG-13". Or maybe even R-rated. Haha! I just found that the more embarrassed I felt writing it, the more interesting it was probably gonna be!
Sophia: Hahaha! Right! For me, I started reading your book and it felt like a movie was playing in my head. I could picture everything so vividly! It's all in my mind, like a movie!
Marty: Aww thanks Sophia! Thank you so much! That's so nice.
Sophia: Can you please share with your fans at Guitar Thrills Magazine, a short snippet of your autobiography ...a teaser? ...Maybe, something your fans wouldn't expect you to talk about. Or, if you have your book close by, read one of your favorite passages? Hahaha!
Marty: Hahahaha! Well, I don't have the book handy! But, what I will say is that my book clears up lots of things that have happened in my career and personal life too. So, when you're reading something on the internet, on a news site or something like that, you're getting a product. That news outlet's product. And, they shape things in a fashion that gets them the interest they want in their entire news product. So, you could say there's an agenda on their part.
So, what I will say, is if you've ever had any questions about why I left Megadeth, or, what it was like to put together an album with Jason Becker. Or, how I felt when I found out about Jason's ALS. Or, what it was like to come to Japan with absolutely no connections at all, and just throw everything I knew away. What it felt like to leave a multi-platinum band and move to a new country, a different culture and lifestyle, and read about it in great detail, then you'll like reading my book. I have all the details in there, and there's no news outlet criteria or editing or filters or anything like that. So, when you're reading it, you can know that it comes directly from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Haha!
I think it clears up lots of things. A lot of the time, people are curious about relationships. Like, is there animosity between certain band mates? And, it's clearly outlined in my book. I think it's gonna give a lot of closure to people who have read things and it's maybe coloured their opinions. I think people are gonna be very, very surprised about the inner workings of all the bands I've been in. And, for anyone who's interested in the Japanese entertainment industry, like television and things like that, it's gonna be an extremely eye opening experience. I'm almost like a double agent you know? I'm living in that world, but I'm exposing it in a different language. In English, to the rest of the world. So, I don't know if anyone has ever done that before but I think it will be interesting for a lot of people!
Sophia: Thanks so very much, Marty! I loved reading your autobiography. I definitely recommend it!
Marty: Thanks Sophia!
Sophia: Throughout your career, you've had a magical and fantastical musical ride! You've toured, and are currently touring the globe! The sky's the limit for you, Marty! Your musical energy and spirit remind me of Steve Miller's song lyrics from "Fly Like An Eagle".
"Fly like an eagle let my spirit carry me I want to fly like an eagle 'Til I'm free" It's been such a great, great honour and guitar thrill to speak with you today! I have a colossal amount of respect for you and your music!
I'm a huge Marty Friedman fan! Thanks Rock Star! stories they help tell.”
