SatchVai Band – Surfing With The Hydra // Live Review // The Royal Concert Hall // Glasgow

So this is it, kids, the gig I never thought was ever going to happen! Two guitar gods sharing the same stage, touring together, and we’re on native soil. Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have brought their much sought-after SatchVai Band to the UK for a short run of dates to whet the appetite for all lovers of everything six-string wizardry!

Now for anyone in the know it’s not the first time these two instrumentalists have shared the stage, we’ve had G3 and numerous crossing of paths via brand functions and other artists who get to hang out with these cool kids, but this is their first tour together as SatchVai, the two most influential contemporary guitarists of their generation working together in perfect harmony, showcasing four decades of the finest rock guitar we’ve ever known.

I cannot overstate the influence musically these two have had on my life as a lover of music, as a teenager looking escapism on the streets of Belfast during the troubles, coming of age and carrying an arsenal of music supplied by these two legends from Satch’s breakthrough album ‘Surfing With An Alien’ to Steve’s work with Dave Lee Roth and how work on “Eat Em and Smile’ and Skyscraper which led on to his infamous ‘Passion And Warfare’ album, a game changer for many and the launch of a guitar that kinda changed the world in the RG/Jem. Both brothers stood side by side, carrying Ibanez, announcing to the world that these instruments were the weapon of choice for shredders everywhere, and the world took notice. Reverberations throughout the guitar world captured the imagination of millions across the globe.

I was one such kid, who I have to say feels personally responsible for Joe’s success ( I jest ) as a spotty teenager I spent my summers visiting my brother in Dublin and “Surfing” had just been released circa 88’ and when I arrived are with a top of the range Sony Walkman ( Yes I was THAT cool 😎) I wore out that tape playing it on repeat! But I took it one step further, taking to the streets of Rathfarnham, Marley Estate to be exact, with a Ghettoblaster on my shoulder as my mates dandered from Grange Court to Grange Wood blasting it at 10!!! Now, at this time ‘Ice Nine’ was the theme tune to “Raw Power”, a metal show on TV in the wee hours of a Saturday morning, and people would stop you in the street to find out who played it! So, Joe, this selfless act by me made you the legend you are in Ireland today! (Even though we haven’t seen you since 2013!)

My introduction to Steve came around the same time as my cousins introduced me to DLR and his work there, the love affair with both artists started back in the 80’s and are as strong if not stronger today as they now provide a level of comfort like a warm blanket on a cold winters night can only do, a lifetime of nuances that grounds you wherever you need it.

Now, thankfully, I had the pleasure of catching Steve when he passed through Belfast a few years back; that was pure joy! Witnessing him up close and even more now as a photographer capturing him live in my home town was pure magic. How was the man who started my journey wanting to be in the pit, as back in 2013 at The Mandela Hall in Belfast I watched a group of ‘Togs’ pile into the pit to capture him live in the fles,h and I knew right there, right then that what I wanted to do.

“So tonight, Mattthew”, I am going to be a ‘Tog’ in the pit of The Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, Scotland, capturing these two gems together one more time. My first time shooting Joe and hopefully not my last. The summer Steve played Belfast, we were spoilt as we had Steve, Paul Gilbert and Ritchie Kotzen all pass through Belfast, and it was glorious! But Joe has eluded me till now. First, though, I need to get my sweet as from Belfast to Glasgow and that means a quick jaunt across the Irish Sea, so let’s do this!

Today is beautiful, so it makes the walk around Glasgow very easy., We stop off at Glasgow’s most expensive Thai restaurant, thinking it was the door to a pizzeria, and in our embarrassment, eat the most expensive meal I’ve had. A while! Sure, you only live once. This is my first time at the RHG, and it’s a beautiful venue, reminiscent of our Waterfront Hall back home in Belfast. So the sound will be glorious!

8 pm comes around, and Ned Evett takes the stage, now not many or should I say not enough people know Ned Evett, I cannot lie, I myself only found out about him last week when watching YouTube an interview with him popped up from a local guy in Belfast as Ned played Voodoo in Belfast city centre, the conversation was eye opening! Glass Guitars! SatchVai tour support! Animation for Satriani’s graphic novels! Who is this man??? Well, as it turns out, an absolute gent, I grabbed a quick chat with him at the merch stall while picking up my size in the SatchVai cream longsleeve … oh yeah baby! But live, he is magnetic! His collection of glorious instruments and his ability to weave intricate melodic songs from quirky guitar tunings based around his glass, fretless guitar, I’ll say that again … GLASS FRETLESS GUITAR! Is mind-blowing. He used his capo to change the key and then used said capo as a slide. The work he weaves on stage is so cool, using various modulated effects to enrich his songs and create these crazy sonic sounds that bellow out over the auditorium. Such a special experience to witness live, winner of the 2003 North American Guitar Competition, Tommy Tedesco Award, and featured on the PBS Television documentary “Driven To Play”, Ned is indeed s special and unique individual who should be championed! An accomplished writer, animator, and co-creator of ‘Crystal Planet’, an original sci-fi Graphic Novel created with musician Joe Satriani, his talent knows no limit,s and it will indeed be a journey I will follow from here on in. Do check him out.

https://www.nedevett.com/

Photography: Mark McGrogan / Rock ‘N’ Load

8:40, and the call goes out over the PA, the show is taking off in five minutes. The band, of cours,e is rich in talent, a part of the SatchVai element we have the majestic Pete Thorn on guitar backing up Steve and Joe, the gorgeous human being that is Marco Mendoza on bass and vocals laying down some thick lines and of course, the sublime Kenny Arnoff on drums. A killer lineup for what will be a killer set and an unforgettable evening.

The lights drop, and Steve and Joe come out from stage right, noodling announcing their arrival before they break into ‘I Wanna Play My Guitar’, and the two guys work their magic as the jaws drop all around the venue. This is it, folks, the tour of all tours is taking flight in Glasgow and all those gearhead conversations that happened over the years about dream lineups and tours, it’s here, it’s happening!

We have two songs to capture the best of Joe and Steve on stage. Joe is playing his Gold JS, and the light is catching it at every turn; it’s quite the sight. Steve is playing his trusted no.1 Jem. We get treated to two originals from the SatchVai band to open the show, the second being ‘Sea Of Emotion pt.1”, both guys slaying it, harmonising, wailing in symmetry, it is simply mind blowing!

Two songs in and Joe steps aside to let Steve shine for a few tracks and he just is up with ‘Zeus’ and ‘Little Pretty’, as I mentioned earlier having caught Steve back in Belfast in recent years I knew what I was in for, but in this majestic hall with such amazing acoustics we are treated to something pretty special this evening.

Joe comes back on stage and the guys do a mash-up of each of their songs,  Ice Nine and Machine, with Pete Thorn stepping up to the plate to burst out with some killer kicks of his own. Joe then treats us to two of his classics and the place goes wild, ‘Flying In A Blue Dream’ and ‘Surfing With The Alien,’ catching these songs live in the flesh once again after so many years is just magical. I’ve lived with these tunes for so long they’re part of my very DNA now.

Steve comes back on to join Joe for ‘Sahara’, and the tremors are bouncing throughout! Glorious!

Joe then steps back once again, and Steve bursts into a tune, trying to disguise it before the chords of ‘Tender Surender’ break through and the hall explodes with approval. This song is absolute perfection. Jesus, it takes you on a journey, the peaks and valleys of this one are something else, and when Steve ends his blistering solo midway through, the place erupts with applause! People get to their feet in approval. Rightly so, it is legendary and will always remain one of the greats of the modern age.

Then, something completely different, the Hydra is introduced to Glasgow! Steve’s bastard creation! A project he just had to get out of his system and something we’ll probably never see the like of again, a beast of an instrument only Steve Vai could play and he does courtesy of “Teeth Of The Hydra” just a crazy exploration of what can be done when you push yourself beyond what you thought was capable. Simply unbelievable!

Steve catches his breath while Joe treats us to another classic, ‘Satch Boogie’, aww man #totesemotes hearing these tunes live once again! Joe then treats us to one of his more contemporary hits, ‘If I Could Fly’, a killer tune with a beautiful solo at the end of the song, when Steve comes back out to lay down some fantastic lines in addition. Where do you go from there, you ask? Well, Steve’s iconic ‘For The Love Of God’ Jesus h what a tune! Joe harmonises along with Steve, but when he lays down that solo, which must be one of the greatest in modern times, and he hits it live, every time, man, the hairs just stand up on the back of my neck, such a special performance. We then get a beautiful rendition of ‘Always With Me, Always With You’, just a magnificent song from start to finish and one that crosses genres and musical boundaries.

That my friends represented the main part of tonight’s performance, and as the lads took their bows and waved at the friendly faces in the crowd, we all knew there was going to be a big closer to the show. And as it was ‘Crowd Chant’ kicked off a run of three encores, the party gets started with one of Satch’s live favourites and then we got a detour with Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ with Marco one again taking to the vocals and the song in Ernest as written bit with a dragged out ending with blistering lead work from Joe and Steve and then we had one song left and it was Steppenwolf’s classic ‘Born To Be Wild’ and the room was bouncing! What a night! What an experience! It truly was one for the faithful, the lifetime addicts and the newbies alike, but this is what it was all about! A lifetime of dreaming about this show becoming a reality and a majestic success, better than expected, they say don’t meet your heroes, but Joe and Steve didn’t get the chance to meet me, so they’re safe for a while yet! Hopefully, this tour gets more life and more people get the opportunity to experience it for themselves. The songs, although classics in their own right, gett fresh air breathed into them by the competing guitarists and their take on the licks and solos throughout. The quality of musicianship is without comparison and can only be understood if you have seen it for yourself.

Many many years in the making, devoured over two hours by a ravenous audience.

What else is there to say?

SatchVai for president!

Photography: Mark McGrogan / Rock ‘N’ Load