I saw Satch & Vai last night

bluechargeboy

In a moment of madness I deciced to book a flight to America to go to a Satriani/Vai gig. Second row seats in an 1800 capacity venue. That makes this by far the most expensive gig of my life, but fortunately it was excellent!

New stuff and plenty of greatest hits: Blue Powder, For the Love of God, Surfing with the Alien, Satch Boogie, Flying in a Blue Dream etc etc.

Vai's song on the Hydra guitar was mesmerising. Seeing Vai playing EVO about 3 meters away was almost surreal

They did an hour each then a combo deal complete with guitar duelling a-plenty (Satch won IMO, he was just ripping it). They did Enter Sandman, and hearing Joe playing Hammett's solo note for note was cool.

Very pleased!!

LionAquaLooper

You just decided to go to a gig in the US on a whim? Fair play to you. I can't even be arsed to go to a London gig these days  

bluechargeboy

LionAquaLooper said:

You just decided to go to a gig in the US on a whim? Fair play to you. I can't even be arsed to go to a London gig these days  

Well, I booked it in November. I have friends out here so I could make it into a general holiday, but it still felt slightly reckless and decadent. Speaking of which, I need to get home before my liver fails

fastonebaz

Excellent adventure,  like it. 

hollywoodrox

What an awesome experience  well done would loved to have seen that 
  They are superb aren’t they

viz

Amazing!

LionAquaLooper

So do they actually jam on each others songs on this tour, or do they only team up to do covers like in their G3 tours? Would be amazing to hear Satch on something like Bad Horsie and Vai on Satch Boogie. 

digitalscream

Extremely cool!

bluechargeboy said:

They did Enter Sandman, and hearing Joe playing Hammett's solo note for note was cool.

From what I've heard, that's not entirely surprising - Satch was teaching Hammett back then, and I was told he stopped because whenever he'd show Hammett some of his own stuff, it'd appear on the next Metallica album

(this may or may not be accurate, just rumours from folk who'd probably know)

bluechargeboy

LionAquaLooper said:

So do they actually jam on each others songs on this tour, or do they only team up to do covers like in their G3 tours? Would be amazing to hear Satch on something like Bad Horsie and Vai on Satch Boogie. 

No, they just did a few songs together: their new collab one, Enter Sandman and You Really Got Me. all of these turned into extended jams. The keyboard player sang the lyrics but they were kind of an afterthought. They just wheeled an amp on stage for Vai after Satch's set finished, and played with Satch's band.

MagicPigDetective

Sounds awesome. Was it the Ohio gig or Rochester NY, a place I know as I have relatives there. Try the Dinosaur bar-b-que! 

bluechargeboy

It was in Ohio, 20 minute drive from my mate's house. I went to the gig with three people who are not guitarists or fans, and they loved it.

The weather has mostly been like Wales

Offset

Good on ya.  Yep, I'd have gone to that.  We've done the same for a US gig :-)

Funkfingers

Judging by the photographs, both guitarists were enjoying themselves. 

Is Vai motorcycling between tour venues in the style of Neil Peart? Leather trousers at aged almost sixty four, I ask you!