Guitarist Marty Friedman , best known for his time with Megadeth between 1990 and 2000, gave an interview to TCDG Guitar Lessons Ozzy Osbourne 's band and a rather unusual situation with KISS .
The invitation to audition for Ozzy's band came directly from Sharon Osbourne , at a time when Friedman was playing in the band Cacophony and going through serious financial difficulties: “I was totally broke, almost homeless, but Sharon called me and asked if I would like to fly to Los Angeles to audition. I said, 'wow, that's cool'.”
“I auditioned, I played, I thought I did a good job. However, I didn't quite fit in with the band's energy. They were the typical Los Angeles metalhead type, with handcuffs on their belts and Jack Daniel's t-shirts. They were all completely decked out for rehearsals, something I understand at concerts, but not on those occasions.”
Despite his good musical performance, Friedman said he stood out a lot from the group: "I arrived wearing a t-shirt and jeans, I looked like some random guy waiting for a bus or something."
“I never heard from them again. Then, finally, Zakk Wylde got the spot. He was simply perfect, much better than I would have been for that position. He fit into the group and played really well,” he added.
The guitarist soon came to the conclusion that he might not be the best choice for the band: “I did a good job, but I don’t think it would have worked out. Those guys would probably drink and party after rehearsal, and I was just a boring ‘good boy’.”
Marty Friedman's near-audition for KISS
During the conversation, Friedman also recounted a curious situation he experienced when he was invited to audition for KISS.
“Someone from management called me, inviting me to participate. 'Are you interested in playing at the audition for KISS?', and I agreed, since KISS was the reason I started playing guitar.”
After that, Friedman was bombarded with questions, answering them all affirmatively: “I thought, ‘great, I’m in.’ The last question asked was, ‘How tall are you? Are you 6 feet tall without shoes?’ I replied that I’m not 6 feet tall even with shoes, I’m 7 feet tall. Then they told me, ‘Oh no, we need someone who is as tall as Gene ( Simmons ) and Paul ( Stanley ).’”
Even though he was willing to do anything to get into the group, the guitarist believes the visual difference wouldn't have worked on stage: “I understand, the guys are tall, they're in the front row of the stage. Gene, Paul, and Marty would come along, and he'd be much shorter than them, it wouldn't have worked. But, at that moment, I was very upset. I thought that was my chance.”
"I would have done it even for free! They probably would have agreed to it, knowing Gene and Paul. I would still have been happy to play."
For Friedman, playing with KISS would be a dream: “The first things that inspire us stay with us forever. I wouldn't mind playing for free, because I would be living a dream. But, it was impossible for me to become tall enough (laughs).”
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