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"The Guitar Trinity."

Yes. First of all I went to G3 in Glasgow. I've been a fan of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani for years, and to actually see them in the flesh was amazing. They were supported by Robert Fripp, who was gash to be honest. The whole using the guitar as an analogue control for a synth was cool for about 2 minutes. Some people couldn't handle 35 minutes of it and left. It wasn't that he couldn't play, it was that he wouldn't.

Steve Vai was awesome. He walked out onto stage with his hair billowing in true rock star fashion. Indoors remember. That's how cool he is, his hair automatically billows. He played his heart out for around and hour and a half, performing all his best known songs like The Riddle and For The Love Of god etc. His backing band had Tony MacAlpine on keyboards (he was a shredder from the 80's that I loved as well) and Billy Sheehan, the worlds best bassist, one time of Mr Big along with Paul Gilbert.

It was like seeing Hendrix, probably. Vai played normally, behind his back and with his teeth. He even gave on playing the guitar to just make notes out of feedback at one point. He genuinely was on fire that night.

Then Satriani, the most famous of them all appeared. He too played a blinder, with a bunch of stuff from his new album along with songs like Surfing With The Alien, the ones that made him famous all those years ago. Although I prefer Vai to Satriani, and I think Vai played better on the night, together they rammed home the point of how good live music can be when people actually have talent. I hate modern music, it is fake and soulless. This was real, these guys never had people vote on telly for them. They made it by being really good at what they do. And it was wonderful.

Then at the end they all came out for a jam. Two astoundingly good guitarists, and one good one, all on stage. The noise, the tone, the feeling. I've never seen guitar played like that before. It was truly inspiring. They played a bunch of King Crimson stuff, thankfully the good stuff, which of course Fripp wasn't responsible for. They played some of their own songs as well.

I didn't think G3 would really work, having several spots then a final jam with three guys who all do the same thing. But it did. If you play guitar, you really have to see them play. Hearing just isn't enough, you never appreciate the tricks they use that way.

But I'm not counting Fripp amongst guitarings holy trinity. That third place is reserved for Eddie Van Halen.

Van Halen were huge twenty years ago. They had several records back to back go over 15 times platinum. They did something like 10 albums. They were huge. They swapped out singers. Then that one, Sammy Hagar, left as well. A year ago EVH was almost dead with cancer.

What a difference a year can make. Eddie got the all clear. Sammy made up with the rest of the band. And they went on tour, recorded a few new songs and released a greatest hits. I saw them on that tour at the Pepsi Centre in Denver. It was an experience of a life time.

To begin with the place was packed, but comfortable nonetheless. There was a great atmosphere, a big stage and no support band to detract from them. They came out, Eddie without his shirt and with a perfect 6 pack. Not bad for someone in his late forties who nearly died.

And they played astonishingly. It was wonderful to see, like a well oiled machine. Sure, they've had the practise, but that was the first tour in years. All of them were on top form. And they had the songs to back it up - Panama, Jump, Why Can't This Be Love, Right Now so on.

I never thought I would see Van Halen live. I've wanted to, ever since a maths lecturer raved about seeing them on the 1984 tour years ago. When I realised that I would be in Colorado at the same time as them, I knew I had to go. It was one of the greatest gigs I've ever seen, one of the most amazing displays of musical prowess, and finally a dream come true.

So why did I tell you? Hopefully to impart some of my enthusiam for them, to get you to take a chance and listen to some of their stuff, so that you too can experience the holy trinity of guitarists in some shape or form some day.

That's rock n' roll man.

Timmargh wrote:
> You saw Van Halen live? I hate you with a passion you can only
> imagine.

I hate him with that sort of passion also.

Before I went off to theUS, I was checking to see if they were gigging in Florida whislt I was tehre, but, alas, they weren't, so I cried.

Here's hoping they have a UK tour.

Notorious Biggles wrote:
> Is that the passion that led Light to need rectal stitches?

No comment.

I heard that Zakk Wylde, Dimebag and Mick from Slipknot were going to do a G3 type thing but with heavy metal, id like to see that. The best g3 thing i saw was vai and satch with malsteen doin voodoo chile slight return, twas good.

Is that the passion that led Light to need rectal stitches?

Just in case I haven't gone on about how brilliant they were, Eddie played Eruption whilst spinning on his back. And his son Wolfgang came out and played backing guitar at one point. And Sammy was dressed in all yellow, presumably to do a banana impression.

I know Mick Thompson is a great shredder, but Slipknot are still pretty poor in my opinion. I'm not a big fan of death metal.

You saw Van Halen live? I hate you with a passion you can only imagine.

I saw Steve Vai some years ago supporting Aerosmith at the NEC in Birmingham and he was fan-f###ing-tastic. Me and my mates had a big argument on the way home because I said I enjoyed watching him more than I did Aerosmith, even though I shook Steven Tyler's hand while he was singing.

They came to Nottingham a few weeks back.

By the time I'd heard of the concert, the tickets had sold out.

Good post. Yes these Guitar Hero's are great, but there is still a lot of potential and talent in todays music world. Especially guitar playing wise.

Believe it or not, The guys from Slipknot are amazing shredders, you should check this month's total guitar magazine.

Sadly Satch didn't play the Top Gun theme. Great song, duff movie.

Sheehan was in Racer X as well I believe. And he guested for Planet X, a band Tony MacAlpine was in. The letters X and V appear in shredders names and band names disproportionately to normal usage. Just an observation.

Sheehan also played for Dave Lee Roth, formerly of Van Halen as well. He's quite the little bass 'ho.

Cool! Was Sheen in Racer-X too?

sweet dude, sounds like an awsome show..

did satch play the Top Gun theme?? :)

Must have been great...
Gah, you've made me jealous now.