In the newest issue of Guitar World, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine addressed questions about the band’s farewell tour, including whether any former members might be invited to join the group on stage during the run of final shows.
He said: “We’ve already done that with [former Megadeth guitarist] Marty [Friedman],” Dave responded. “And I mean, let’s look at the other people we’ve played with… there’s a lot of people. [Laughs] That would be a huge undertaking. I don’t think I want to do that. I’d rather keep doing what we’re doing and let the fans [experience] Megadeth music and be happy about it. It’s not ‘puppet show Megadeth.'”
Mustaine had touched on a similar topic earlier during a December 5, 2025 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk,” where he was asked if Megadeth’s last show could feature a lineup that reunites all surviving past members. At the time, he replied: “Well, I can’t really do that, because of the behavior of one of the bandmembers in the past. I just can’t — I can’t. Because, first off, it would be unfair to the other bandmembers if I didn’t play with them as well,” he said.
Reflecting on past collaborations, Mustaine highlighted his special connection with former guitarist Marty Friedman, who rejoined him on stage in Japan in early 2023.
“The thing about what we did with [former Megadeth guitarist] Marty [Friedman] in Japan [in early 2024], that was a no-brainer. That was brilliant. And I love Marty. We had our separation, and he went his way and we went our way. But it was a very, very intense relationship I had with Marty, because that was the first relationship I had with a guitar player.”
He also spoke about his relationships with other former guitarists, noting that while they were positive, they didn’t match the depth he shared with Friedman. “My relationship with [former Megadeth guitarist] Chris [Poland] was really great, but it wasn’t as good as it was with Marty,” Dave said. “My relationship with [former Megadeth guitarist] Jeff [Young] was good, but it wasn’t as good as it was with Marty.
Mustaine clarified that aside from the late Gar Samuelson, he wouldn’t have an issue performing with most of the former members. Still, he emphasized fairness to the current lineup: “I’m just not gonna do anything that is gonna, in any way, seem unfair to the other bandmembers.”
When asked whether Megadeth would announce a definitive final show or quietly end their touring career, Mustaine admitted he’s uncertain. “I don’t know. I was joking around with our management and said, ‘You guys should probably book some fake dates at the end of the tour that I don’t know about so I won’t go out there on the last date and just blubber like a f**king 175-pound wuss.’”
