Dave Mustaine and Rudolf Schenker join Classic Rock Awards Tokyo cast

A picture of Rudolph Schenker and Dave Mustaine
Rudolph Schenker and Dave Mustaine

Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine has been confirmed as the host for this week’s Classic Rock Roll Of Honour in Tokyo – where Scorpions guitarist Rudolf Schenker has also been added as yet another guest star.

Mustaine and Schenker join a cast of rock icons that also includes Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and Phil Collen, Cheap Trick, Richie Sambora, Orianthi, Slot Machine, Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo. Hollywood Vampires guitarist Johnny Depp was also confirmed as a guest performer this week.

Both Mustaine and Schenker will perform live at the event.

The awards show takes place at Ryogoku Kokugikan Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, on November 11 – the first time the event has been held in Japan.

TeamRock has joined forces with KLab Entertainment and Parallel Contemporary Music for the event.

On his stint as the host of the event, Mustaine says: “It is my distinct honour to host the Classic Rock Awards this year, and even more honourable to host it for the great people of Japan.

“The world’s greatest guitarists in one of the world’s greatest cities promises to truly be the night of a lifetime.”

Jeff Beck will be given the highest honours on the night and he has announced that he will be assembling his own special band of musicians for the event. Beck’s band includes an all­-star cast featuring the brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots on guitar and bass.

He will also be joined by guitarist Tommy Henriksen, of US-based supergroup Hollywood Vampires, and Korn drummer Ray Luzier.

Sadly, it has also been announced today that Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett will not be able to attend the event as planned.

Hammett says: “I’m afraid I have to tell you with heavy heart that I won’t be able to make the Classic Rock Awards this year.

“As you know the following week is the new Metallica album release and we are busy with press and rehearsals. I’m hoping to be in Japan soon so until then, have a great night with one of my all time hero’s Jeff Beck and the stellar line up for this years Classic Rock Awards!”

Tickets for the event are available now.

Classic Rock Awards heading to Japan in 2016

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.