Megadeth was the headliner of the first day of Rock Fest 2026. But there were other attractions. For example, the Swiss band Gotthard, a historic name in European hard rock, offered a well-led show of classic flavors in Santa Coloma de Gramenet by Nic Maeder, the singer who joined the group in 2010 after the death of the original vocalist, Steve Lee. Among the audience were at least a couple of Swiss fans, one of whom wore the country's flag as a cape. Flags from Estonia, Croatia, Bolivia, and Colombia were also seen around the venue, as well as one from the Basque Country during the concert of the Basque band Latzen (the return of an emblem of thrash in Basque). Between references to Deep Purple ('Hush') and their own classics, they ended with the acoustic 'One life, one soul' (because, in 'a world full of shit, music keeps us united,' Maeder said) and a cover of Dylan's 'Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)'. Classics, but of heavy metal, are the Japanese Loudness, protagonists of one of the most applauded concerts of the day. With the flag of the Japanese army on bass and as a scenic element, the group led by singer Minoru Niihara celebrated 45 years of career by respecting their legacy with force.Before Megadeth, the Sex Pistols performed with singer Frank Carter. That is, the original lineup (Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock) without the original singer (John Lydon). More or less, they repeated last year's concert at Cruïlla: a repertoire of about fifteen songs, from 'Holidays in the sun' to 'Anarchy in U.K.'. They bring the dignity of a tribute band, and Carter shows a good predisposition to personalize the punk legacy, but the songs sound deactivated, karaoke fodder and nothing more. Even when Carter gets off the stage to promote the pogo in 'Pretty vacant' and 'Bodies', it seems like a simulation. The most remarkable thing came at the end, when this time he did make 'My way' his own and when he later spat out the first verses of 'Anarchy in U.K.' with intention: 'I am an Antichrist / I am an anarchist'. Curiously, a song that Megadeth covered in 1988 on the album 'So far, so good... So what!'.
The Rock Fest pays tribute to Megadeth, the heavy metal world's favorite villain band
The band of Dave Mustaine culminates the first day of the festival, in which Sex Pistols and Gotthard also perform
Santa Coloma de Gramenet"Megadeth!, Megadeth!", shouted the Rock Fest audience past midnight on Friday. There was a desire to see the North American band and to thank its leader, the Californian guitarist Dave Mustaine, for his service to the cause of heavy metal for forty years. Everything suggested that the concert in Santa Coloma de Gramenet was part of Megadeth's farewell tour, but Mustaine himself clarified on Friday that it is the tour for the latest album, Megadeth (2026), and that the final tour will be the next one. In any case, the dedication of the audience that traveled to Can Zam park was one that fosters devotion.
![Audience during Megadeth's concert at Rock Fest 2026.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1600 1066"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
One of the new songs, Tipping point, opened a performance whose repertoire stirred up the records that consolidated Megadeth as one of the benchmark bands of thrash metal, especially the notable Rust in peace (1990) and Countdown to extinction (1992). Yes, for a long time Dave Mustaine was the Gru of heavy metal, the favorite villain of thrash metal: expelled from Metallica and the protagonist of all sorts of controversies, always with that impertinent and pissed-off post-adolescent attitude. He hasn't lost that character at 64 years old. A week ago, at a concert in Finland, he insulted a journalist who in previous interviews had asked him if he would win a confrontation with James Hetfield, the guitarist from Metallica. A primary school question, it must be said. Life, including a overcome throat cancer and a chronic hand injury (Dupuytren's contracture), have calmed disagreements. As happened at Rock Fest, on this tour Mustaine often covers Ride the lightning, by Metallica, a song of which he is a co-author: it's also a way of reclaiming himself, of course.
Ride the lightning was one of the highlights of a concert dominated by the guitars of Mustaine and Teemu Mäntysaari and without stage distractions: in the background, the band's name; on stage, two walls of Marshall amplifiers and the sporadic appearances of the mascot Vic Rattlehead. From the outset, the power of classics Take no prisoners and Hangar 18 set the tone for the show, with drummer Dirk Verbeuren squeezing the possibilities of the double bass drum and bassist James LoMenzo egging on the audience while Mustaine sang with his hair in his face. He has a thinner voice, but he makes up for it by making the guitar speak in still dizzying riffs, both in tracks from the latest album like Puppet parade and in rescues from So far, so good... So what! (1988) like Hook in mouth. "Megadeth!, Megadeth!", the audience insisted every time the band disappeared (basically so Mustaine could change guitars), and the roar grew until it became a clamor of approval when he reappeared. These were the only breaks in a concert conceived as a steamroller, without the logic of a calm-crescendo, although heading towards the thrash metal apotheosis of Symphony of destruction and Holy wars... The punishment due, the final point of a performance after which a good part of the audience ran towards the Can Zam stop to not miss the last metro.
