In a new interview with WRIF‘s Meltdown, Marty Friedman explained why he chose to open up about his MEGADETH years in his autobiography, Dreaming Japanese, after dedicating nearly two decades to his solo work.
Mary said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “I lost it big time [toward the end of my time with MEGADETH], and I never really talked about this because once I left MEGADETH, I stopped doing interviews about MEGADETH completely and I made it a clause in any contract having to do with a live appearance or anything, it’s, like, ‘You can’t mention MEGADETH in the marquee or in the advertisement or in the headline or anything.’ And I did this for 23 years. But in an autobiography, that’s a big part of my history, so now it’s time to talk about the things that really, really happened in detail and with honesty and with respect to that period of time and respect to the people in the band and the people around the band, talk about our managers and our crew and, of course, the members in the band and my relationships with them.”
“It’s not gonna make me look good, I’m telling you this right now, when you read it, he continued. “I didn’t leave the band on the nicest terms and I kind of — I don’t wanna say ‘screwed the band over,’ but it wasn’t a really nice thing that I did. Of course, I had absolutely no choice to do what I did, and you’ll see why, but I feel really bad about the way I left the band and the situation I left them in, and you can see that in the book, why it turned out that way. And there’s no excusing what I did, but it wasn’t gonna happen any other way. Things happen and that’s what happened. So, now you’ll finally read it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.”
“I think it’s interesting. It’s definitely not something I’m happy about. But, of course, I’m very glad I left the band and I was able to do things that far surpassed my time in the band, and the band has done wonderful things in my absence, so I think everybody wins. But at that period of time, it wasn’t nice for anybody, and I think that’s what makes for interesting reading. So, I think people will — at least they’ll get some closure on it; they’ll know the whys and the whos and all that.”
In his autobiography, Friedman acknowledged that monetary factors influenced his decision to contemplate a reunion of MEGADETH‘s iconic Rust In Peace era lineup eleven years ago. This opportunity arose in 2014 following the departures of guitarists Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover.
Friedman commented on the financial offer presented by MEGADETH‘s then-manager, Ron Lafitte, writing: “Let’s just say he wasn’t even in the ballpark. Hell, he wasn’t even in the parking lot for the ballpark. The amount they offered was right around the first salary I got when I joined MEGADETH in 1990. If I’d had any idea they would lowball me like this, I never would have met with them in Anaheim. Had I taken that offer, I would have been paid less in a week than I made in a normal day in Japan. I was stunned and angry and told them I couldn’t even consider it. I made a counteroffer, which was the bare minimum I could accept, and far less than I have received from any of the artists I’ve toured with in Japan.’
Referring to Lafitte‘s suggestion of a joint tour with IRON MAIDEN as the initial step following a Rust In Peace lineup reunion, Friedman continued: “I was willing to take the financial hit because a reunion tour with MEGADETH opening for IRON MAIDEN could open doors for me again in America. And what followed could be a bigger tour than anything we had previously done. Even if they met my rate, the tour would have been a huge windfall for them. They easily could have agreed to that, and the reunion would have been on, but they said I wanted too much money.”
“I was happy with my career in Japan, doing what I loved, making real money without the kind of drama that comes with MEGADETH,” he added. “They didn’t even acknowledge they had just lost their guitarist and drummer and needed me more than I needed them. When I got over my initial anger, I was puzzled and sad.”
In Dave Mustaine‘s latest book, Rust In Peace: The Inside Story Of The Megadeth Masterpiece, Friedman candidly revealed why he declined the offer of a MEGADETH reunion.
“My main thing was I’d be happy to do it, but I’m not going to take less money than I’m already making to do it,” Marty said in part.
“I’d been in Japan for more than ten years cultivating a career with solid rewards. I was making money not only for myself but also for my management and staff. My manager has been with me fifteen years.
“Everything was sound and solid professionally, and when the offer came up to all of a sudden join MEGADETH again, as long as I would not be making less money, I was ready to go,” he said.
“”But I was certainly not going to take a loss to join a band that, frankly, at that point, didn’t seem like they had too much to offer musically. A couple of members of the band had recently quit, and musically I hadn’t heard anything that they’ve done in a long time.
“I didn’t know about how relevant they continued to be in the music business. It wasn’t like MEGADETH was on the tip of people’s tongues, at least not in Japan. I had reached the point where people stopped immediately connecting me to MEGADETH and were talking about the things that I had done in Japan.”
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