Watch Megadeth play rare ’80s cut Liar live for the first time in almost 20 years

Megadeth have performed 1988 song Liar live for the first time in 18 years.

The American thrash metal force played the So Far, So Good… So What! track at their concert at the Youtube Theater in Los Angeles on Friday (August 9). It was last performed during the band’s tour of Asia and Australia in October 2006. Watch the footage of the song’s comeback below.

Megadeth singer/guitarist Dave Mustaine wrote Liar’s lyrics as an attack on the band’s former guitarist Chris Poland. Along with drummer Gar Samuelson, Poland was fired from Megadeth following the tour for 1986 album Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying! for disruptive behaviour stemming from heroin abuse. Poland was also accused of selling the band’s musical equipment to fund his addiction.

Poland confirmed that Liar was written about him in a 2022 interview with Sofa King Cool. “Oh, yeah. Obviously, Dave was very upset with me when I left the band – when he fired me, basically,” the guitarist said (via Blabbermouth).

When asked if the lyrical scathing made him angry, Poland said no and hinted towards Mustaine’s own heavy drug use at the time: “It’s like the pot calling the kettle black, man. When you point your finger, man, there’s three pointing back at you. I just rolled my eyes and was like, ‘Really?’”

Mustaine and Poland seemingly mended fences by 2004, as the guitarist played on the Megadeth album The System Has Failed. However, their relationship soon soured again, when Poland sued Mustaine over the inclusion of three demos on a 2004 re-release of 1990 album Rust In Peace.

Megadeth – now rounded out by guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Dirk Verbeuren – are currently touring North America and will perform at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater in Bend, Oregon, tonight (August 13). See the full list of dates and get tickets via their website.

The band are also currently working on new music, according to LoMenzo.