- Megadeth performed Metallica’s « Ride the Lightning » live for the first time on April 26, 2026, at Movistar Arena in Bogota.
- Dave Mustaine is an official co-writer of the song, which was written before he was fired from Metallica in 1983.
- The cover appears on the album « Megadeth », the band’s 17th and final studio record, released in January 2026.
- The show is part of the farewell tour « This Was Our Life », which will stop in Europe in May.
At Woodbrass, we’ve been following the Mustaine vs. Metallica saga since day one, and let us tell you, we never believed such a symbolic reconciliation would happen. And yet. When videos from Sunday night’s show started rolling in, we all looked at each other: Mustaine had just performed live, for the first time, the title track from the album that saw him leave. Forty-three years after his swift dismissal from a certain garage in Norwalk, the Megadeth frontman has come full circle. And he does it his way: ultra-fast, ultra-precise, and with palpable emotion.
Bogota, April 26, 2026: the live performance we stopped expecting
The scene unfolds at Movistar Arena in Bogota, Colombia, before 14,000 ecstatic fans. Fifteenth song of the set, right after « Mechanix »: the iconic riff drops, and the crowd immediately gets it. Dave Mustaine sings the lyrics James Hetfield carved into thrash history in 1984. At his side, Teemu Mäntysaari shares the solos historically played by Kirk Hammett. Behind them, Dirk Verbeuren on drums and James LoMenzo on bass hold down the hellish pace of an absolute classic.
Mustaine slightly sped up the tempo of the original version and gave Dirk Verbeuren free rein on the final drum fills. A way of bringing in the Megadeth touch while respecting the DNA of the original song.
Why this song, and why now?
Those who know thrash history know that Mustaine is credited as a co-writer of « Ride the Lightning » alongside James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and the late Cliff Burton. The main riff and the guitar part following the second chorus came straight from his mind, back when he was rehearsing with Metallica before being fired in April 1983. The song itself was completed and recorded without him, but his signature is still everywhere.
For the singer, the stakes are far from insignificant. As he has explained in several recent interviews, he refuses to call it a simple cover. His version, recorded as a bonus track on the album « Megadeth » released last January, works more as an act of reclamation and symbolic reconciliation with his former bandmates. The gesture carries weight when you know the legendary rivalry between the two heavyweights.
To recreate this sound in rehearsal, aim for ultra-consistent downpicking at around 200 BPM on the verses. An active humbucker like an EMG 81 and a high-gain tube amp will do the job tone-wise. Mustaine has historically played guitars with thin necks for fast movement: take a cue from him if you’re taking on thrash.
A farewell tour packed with symbolism
This Bogota performance is not just a promotional move. It is part of the « This Was Our Life » tour, Megadeth’s official farewell announced by Mustaine. The band will travel the globe for several years before taking its final bow, with several key stops already confirmed:
- Ongoing South American tour (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico)
- European leg in May 2026
- North American run opening for Iron Maiden starting this summer
Meanwhile, Metallica is preparing a 24-show residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas starting in October. The two paths will probably never cross onstage, but this live performance of « Ride the Lightning » by Megadeth feels like a long-distance handshake between the two camps. An elegant way to close a chapter four decades in the making.
A finale that will go down in thrash history
Let’s not kid ourselves: watching Mustaine take on this song with his own band is the metal equivalent of time travel. The frontman has often said that Metallica’s guitar work “changed the world,” and he has spent his career proving that his own could carry just as much weight. By performing « Ride the Lightning » in 2026, he is not merely closing a personal chapter: he is giving fans a moment we thought was impossible. Now we’ll have to see whether the song makes its way into the European setlists in May. If you have a ticket for a tour date, you know what to hope for.
Sources
- Rolling Stone – Megadeth Rip Through Metallica’s ‘Ride the Lightning’ for the First Time Live
- Consequence – Megadeth Perform Metallica’s « Ride the Lightning » Live for First Time
- Louder Sound – Watch Megadeth play Metallica’s Ride The Lightning for the first time
- Guitar.com – Watch Megadeth perform their Ride the Lightning cover for the first time ever
- Blabbermouth – Megadeth Performs Its Version Of Metallica Classic ‘Ride The Lightning’ Live For First Time
