MARTY FRIEDMAN`s presence in the world of music, the world of guitar, and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. His 14th solo album, ONE BAD M.F. Live!!–set for release October 19 on Prosthetic Records–is an all-out celebration of his music in its rawest form. Recorded live during his 2018 “Wall of Sound” tour on its final show in Mexico City at Centro Cultural on April 14, 2018, ONE BAD M.F. Live!! is chock full of his own brand of “feelgood aggression.”
He’ll celebrate the release of ONE BAD M.F. Live!! in Los Angeles, CA at the Viper Room on October 21. It`s the only U.S. show he will do in 2018, but at this show, he will officially announce the details of a full scale 2019 U.S. and Europe tour. Tickets are now on sale here.
As seen in the first live music video which premiered today on GuitarWorld.com, “Whiteworm,” FRIEDMAN and his band–Kiyoshi (bass), Jordan Ziff (guitar), Chargeeee (drums)–are all smiles and are in constant interaction with the audience, pouncing on the rhythms and playing such addictive melodies that one doesn`t miss a vocalist for a moment.
“This live album is a tip of the hat to the live albums that blew my mind when I was a kid,” explains FRIEDMAN, “the musical content itself is modern and atomic-powered, but the presentation is decidedly old school. The pacing of the show, the audience participation stuff, the special live arrangements of the songs, these are the things that got me all jacked up as a kid. I like to give the audience the feeling that they are really getting something unique, something that only happens at THEIR show, not just a recital of the songs exactly as they know them. There are lots of happy accidents, once in a lifetime ad libs, things that could have only happened because we were high on that particular audience`s energy.”
ONE BAD M.F. Live!! is the follow-up to WALL OF SOUND, which was released August 4, 2017 on Prosthetic Records, and debuted on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” chart at #12. “I`ve had albums that have charted higher, sold more, and got more attention over my career, “says FRIEDMAN, “but WALL OF SOUND is the album I`ve been striving to make ever since I picked up a guitar. I have an almost unhealthy amount of pride towards that album. The thrill I get from playing the WALL OF SOUND stuff live is something that I wanted documented, and that`s what ONE BAD M.F. Live! is.”
Fluent in Japanese, FRIEDMAN`s overwhelming love of Japanese music and the Japanese language found him moving to Tokyo in 2003. It is there where his career took off in very unexpected ways. His appearance as the star of a new TV comedy, “Hebimeta-san” (“Mr. Heavy Metal”) and its spinoff, “Rock Fujiyama,” which ran for six seasons, propelled him into the living rooms of Japan`s mainstream. Currently he is a constant fixture on Japanese television (appearing on hundreds of network programs of all types, and as the face of long running campaigns for Fanta/Coca Cola, Sumitomo Bank, Suntory etc.), as well as appearing in major motion pictures. He is also the author of two hardcover books in Japanese detailing his unusual views on the current Japanese music scene, as well as two best-selling manga-related books, which are both in their eighth editions now.
Despite MARTY FRIEDMAN`s flourishing television career, he still considers his music his “only real job,” often performing at the Tokyo Dome, Budokan, Ajinomoto Stadium, the Saitama Super Arena and other top venues with his own music, as well as guesting with other artists. FRIEDMAN has not only held top charting positions with his own albums in Japan, (LOUDSPEAKER, INFERNO & B: THE BEGINNING-THE IMAGE ALBUM), but has also collaborated on and produced several chart topping hits with the biggest names in J-pop and J-rock (Momoiro Clover Z, Sound Horizon,
