MARTY FRIEDMAN Says ‘It’s Been Too Long’ Since He Last Performed Outside Japan

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

In celebration of his latest music video for the song "For A Friend", former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman recently answered some questions submitted by fans through the Jackson Instagram story and showed off his Jackson guitars. Asked what his plans for 2022 are, Friedman said: "Hopefully that's playing for all of you people out there. It's been too long. My album came out in April of 2021. Usually, when my album comes out, I tour everywhere 'cause I love playing in every single country, every single city. I've only played in Japan [in support of the album]; I did two tours of Japan. I love being in Japan but I also love playing for everyone. And I really appreciate all the support all of you have always given me, even when I can't make it to where you live. That's the first thing I'm gonna do [this] year when it's a little bit more of a smoother international touring process." Marty's latest album, "Tokyo Jukebox 3", received a North American release on April 16, 2021 via The Players Club/Mascot Label Group. The record, which was made available in Japan in October 2020, is the third in a series that began with "Tokyo Jukebox" in 2009, and then "Tokyo Jukebox 2" following in 2011. The trilogy presents Friedman's inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he's chosen to cover. Marty has spent the last few years working on a documentary called "Spacefox". The film, which is being directed by Jeremy Frindel, the founder of Substratum Films, follows Friedman's reinvention from lead guitarist in MEGADETH to one of the most famous TV personalities in Japan. In July 1999, Friedman was onstage performing at Woodstock '99 in front of a sea of fans as the lead guitarist for MEGADETH. Since joining the band in 1990, Marty played a crucial role in their rise to stardom with his unorthodox style of virtuoso guitar playing, selling millions of records worldwide, and being nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. Just six months after Woodstock, in an unexpected move that shocked his friends, family, and especially his bandmates, despite platinum albums and sold-out tours, for reasons unknown, he suddenly quit the band and walked away from it all. Unbeknownst to his U.S. fans, Marty moved to Tokyo to pursue his love of Japanese pop music, and in the process, reinvented himself as a wildly successful Japanese TV celebrity. Marty has appeared on 700-plus television programs, commercials and motion pictures since then, and become was dubbed "the Ryan Seacrest of Japan" by Billboard magazine in the USA.