Watch Megadeth perform Metallica's 'Ride the Lightning' live for the first time
It had its debut in Colombia
Megadeth performed their cover of Metallica’s ‘Ride the Lightning’ live for the very first time in Colombia on Sunday night (26th April).
‘Ride the Lightning’ is one of a handful of Metallica songs that Dave Mustaine co-wrote during his brief tenure with the band in the early 80s alongside ‘The Four Horsemen’, ‘Jump in the Fire’, ‘Phantom Lord’ and ‘Metal Militia’.
The seminal song featured as the title track of Metallica’s ‘Ride the Lightning’ album in 1984, and in a full circle moment, Megadeth covered it as the closing track on their 17th and final studio album ‘Megadeth’, which was released in January.
Megadeth have already played more than a dozen shows across North and South America this year, however ‘Ride the Lightning’ didn’t make the setlist until Sunday’s show at the Movistar Arena in Bogota.
Dave Mustaine, James LoMenzo, Dirk Verbeuren and Teemu Mäntysaari tore into ‘Ride the Lightning’ 15 songs into their set in front of 14,000 fans in the Colombian capital.
Watch fan-filmed footage of Megadeth performing ‘Ride the Lightning’ live:
Explaining why he chose to cover on his final Megadeth, Dave Mustaine said in January: “As I come full circle on the career of a lifetime, the decision to include ‘Ride The Lightning’, a song I co-wrote with James, Lars, and Cliff, was to pay my respects to where my career first started.”
‘Megadeth’ charted at Number 3 in the UK and reached the top spot on the United States’ Billboard Hot 100.
Megadeth’s setlist at the Movistar Arena in Bogota on 26th April 2026:
Tipping Point
Hangar 18
Wake Up Dead
In My Darkest Hour
Skin o' My Teeth
I Don't Care
She-Wolf
Sweating Bullets
This Was My Life
Angry Again
Trust
Tornado of Souls
Let There Be Shred
Mechanix
Ride the Lightning (Live debut)
Peace Sells
Symphony of Destruction
Encore:
Holy Wars... The Punishment Due