SATCHVAI Band Live in Glasgow: When Guitar Gods Walk the Earth
An unforgettable night of soul, shred, and sonic sorcery with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and their all-star band.
Photo credit: Mark McGrogan
Last Tuesday, I attended the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall to witness some incredibly talented world-class musicians. Support act Ned Evett quickly won over the audience with his impressive slide work and unique fretless glass/titanium guitars. His use of exotic percussion loops created layers of sounds that added to the performance. Ned finished his set with an original take on the Jimi Hendrix classic 'Are You Experienced?' You can check out more of his work at Ned Evett – King of the Fretless Glass-Guitar.
Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and the band took to the stage at 8.45 to thunderous applause. I thought it was great to have a rock show at a concert hall, as the acoustics were superb. A lot of subtleties in music often get lost in larger venues that are not always set up for music.
The opening song, 'I Wanna Play My Guitar', featured vocals by bassist/vocalist Marco Mendoza. (The Official Website of Marco Mendoza) His powerhouse voice set the tone of the night for the great music that was to come.
The next song was 'Sea of Emotion Part 1', which was written by both Joe and Steve. It had a funky drum groove and an instantly identifiable guitar riff. It was easy to see how much Steve and Joe enjoyed performing together, with constant smiles on their faces. Session guitarist Pete Thorn was amazing at playing rhythm guitar parts that created and helped sonically fill out the music. It was easy to see why Pete has nearly 300k YouTube subscribers with his tasty and melodic guitar playing. (Pete Thorn's YouTube Channel... All Guitar, All The Time!)
Photo credit: Kevin Murray
People always talk about how much technical prowess both Steve Vai and Joe Satriani have. Although this is undeniable, I would like to mention how much emotion their melodies created in the audience. This was evident by how engrossed the crowd was watching the performance instead of being preoccupied with their phones. I could count on one hand how many people took their phones out that evening. The performance of 2 guitar masters was electrifying, to say the least.
Steve and Joe would take turns exiting the stage to let each other perform their solo material. I noticed that each song that was played was a hallmark of their career. 'Always With Me, Always With You' gave dimension to the show with its slow tempo and three/four-timing drum beat. It's hard to believe this song is over 35 years old. The genius of this music is it's timeless and sounds like it could have been recorded last year.
'Surfing with the Alien' was another hit from Joe, which created a buzz in the room with its straight-ahead drum groove and driving bassline.
My favorite song of the night was 'Satch Boogie'. I like it for the simple reason that it defies being placed in a single genre of music. The beat starts as an old-school jazz beat, which has triplet accents throughout that play in unison with the guitar riff. It then goes into a heavy rock double bass drum shuffle played by incredible drummer Kenny Aronoff. Aronoff is a musical chameleon. He is one of the rare musicians who can authentically play funk, rock, fusion, jazz, and pop. It is no surprise his services have been sought by Bon Jovi, The Smashing Pumpkins, and John Fogerty. (About Kenny Aronoff, World-Renowned Drummer)
Photo credit: Ian Potter
When Steve returned to the stage, he delighted the audience with his custom 3-neck guitar referred to as the 'Hydra'. It consists of a 12-string, 7-string, and 4-string bass. It is one thing to have a mind brilliant enough to conceive such an instrument, but to be able to play it was a true act of genius. It is jaw-dropping to see Vai go back and forth from each neck playing bass notes, chords, and melodies. I joked to the guy next to me about how many people in the audience were guitar players and how many would quit the next day after seeing Steve play the Hydra.
Steve's ballad 'For the Love of God' changed the pace of the show and created a strong emotional connection with the audience. The simple, soulful melody played with a slow vibrato was a showstopper. Recorded on 'Passion and Warfare' in the 90s, it is still considered a modern classic.
The thing I felt about the Satch/Vai concert was the show's cohesiveness. It had moments of pure shredding guitar mastery, heavy rock riffs, funk grooves, and lots of musical improvisation. I feel the variety of the music really appealed to the different generations in the audience. It is incredibly impressive that the show lasted 2 hours and has an encore, when most modern pop bands usually play for 75 minutes.
The concert ended with Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' and Steppenwolf's 'Born to be Wild'. These classic rock tunes raised the audience to their feet, myself included. In a world of instant everything and music that is here today and gone tomorrow, watching Steve, Joe, and the band perform was a truly emotional experience.
Tickets for the UK/European tour are available at https://www.satchvaiband.com/
Photo credit: James Edmond
About Magesh Magesh
Magesh is a musician and producer who has worked with Rihanna, Lionel Richie, Ricky Martin, Chris Brown, The Pussy Cat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, and Vernon Reid of Living Colour.
He released an instructional drumming DVD called "Unique Beats" where he mixed the drum kit with electronics and Indian hand percussion. He recently moved from Australia to the UK to explore new musical opportunities.
Website: mageshdrumteacher.co.uk
Contact Magesh Magesh at magesh.magesh7@gmail.com
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