Steve Vai has never been one to sit on his hands for too long, but looking at the American guitarist’s schedule over the next 12 months, you could almost say right now is the busiest he’s ever been.
He’s currently promoting the G3 Reunion Live release, documenting the sold-out 2024 tour with the original line-up of him with Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson.
Then there’s the upcoming SatchVai record with Joe Satriani – his first time collaborating with another instrumental guitarist.
And, of course, there’s always new solo material being composed because, as he’s proven time and time again, this man’s imagination never ceases to run wild.
“I have this thing I call my ‘infinity shelf’, which is a hard drive with snippets of guitar ideas,” Vai tells MusicRadar, speaking to us from The Harmony Hut, his home studio in Encino. “I’m talking about thousands of riffs that will one day get turned into real music. I’m always adding to it.”
This notion of evolution and progression is more than evident in the latest G3 live release.
You’ll find classic cuts that were on the debut G3 live record of 1997 – masterpieces like Johnson’s Desert Rose, Satriani’s Summer Song and Vai’s most famous track For The Love Of God. But more importantly the setlist is reflective of just how far each player has come in the near-three decades since.
There have been various incarnations of G3 over the years, including legendary virtuosos Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci and Paul Gilbert, but many might argue the original G3 is the most definitive.
The fact that Vai, Satriani and Johnson have such varied approaches to tone and composition is what makes this package work so damn well.
“We sort of play in the same backyard, but different parts of the playground,” Vai says. “Occasionally we get together by the monkey bars!
“I gotta tell you, this reunion felt special. As a musician, you are a different person every day but that first G3 tour feels like a lifetime ago. Bringing it back felt great. I’m there with my friends, I love playing with them and we resonate well together.”
Eric Johnson pays tribute to Jeff Beck in the form of Freeway Jam – a beautiful yet poignant reminder that we are now in the post-Beck age…
“Very true,” Vai says. “And it’s such a classic jam song. I was playing that in my basement as a 15 year-old.
“Jeff played a huge role in my musical upbringing. There was always something about his touch, notes choices and bulletproof way of navigating things. His performances were otherworldly.
“One thing that joined us at the hip was a love for the whammy bar. You can hear various influences in my music: Beck, a little bit of Holdsworth, and Satch. Everyone in G3 has their own distinct DNA… it’s a prerequisite for a G!”
We’ve heard one track from the SatchVai album so far: The Sea Of Emotion, Pt.1.
What else can we expect from this album?
“Craziness!” Vai says, laughing. “I’ll see an email from Joe and think, okay, here we go! That first listen is always interesting.
“I’ve never done anything like this – we are co-creating, so there are sketches of melodies and arpeggiation. At the beginning, Joe sent me two parts of The Sea Of Emotion. They sounded fantastic and I could immediately hear how I would contribute.
“Then I had the idea of taking a riff from an old tape when Joe was giving me lessons and turning it into part three. I got a solo back recently and he’s kicking ass, man! Joe is on fire.
“What better inspiration can you get? Him saying ‘Here’s my solo, now it’s your turn, go!’ I have to deliver, reach into my deep zone and be more Steve Vai than ever.
“I’m not going to try and sound like Joe, because I can’t, I don’t want to and people won’t want to hear that.”
