Line-up

Headliner
Steve Vai Last time in Utrecht: First time!

Venue

TivoliVredenburg

Vredenburgkade 11, 3511 WC, Utrecht, Netherlands

www.tivolivredenburg.nl

Capacity: 7,900

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Additional details

Doors open: 20:00

Concert in your area for Metal and Rock.

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Steve Vai biography

Steve Vai is a guitarist and songwriter hailing from Carle Place, New York, U.S who was born on June 6th 1960. Since his debut in 1978 he has become one of the most succesful and famous virtuoso guitarists in the world, and has released eight studio albums since 1984.

Incredibly enough, Steve Vai only started playing guitar at the age of 13 years old. This is practically ancient compared to most virtuoso instrumentalists, as most of them are childhood prodigies who received lessons before they could walk. Not for Vai, he just picked up the guitar in 1973 and after some lessons from Joe Satriani himself, he was leading his own band, fittingly named The Steve Vais. After only five years of playing the instrument, he was accepted into the Berklee College of Music, but dropped out early as he had secured a job performing with Frank Zappa.

Vai had sent a transcription of a Zappa guitar solo to the man himself and Zappa was so impressed with the results that he employed the to transcribe a number of his guitar parts. This eventually lead to Vai joining Zappa’s band The Mothers of Invention, where Vai’s sheer skill was so overpowering that Zappa credited him in his album linear notes as playing “stunt guitar”. Vai first went on tour with Zappa in 1980, and stayed for two years before leaving for Los Angeles, California to focus on his solo career.

His debut solo album was released in 1984, and while it wasn’t a huge success it did secure him a spot in the heavy metal band Alcatrazz, filling in the lead guitarist spot that some no-hoper called Yngwie Malmsteen vacated. It was his time in the band that secured him the spot that would hurl him into the public spotlight, playing lead guitar in Diamond David Lee Roth’s new band. His first album with The David Lee Roth Band was released in 1986, sold over 2 million copies and set Vai up as the next Eddie Van Halen in the eyes of many, many people.

Ever since leaving the David Lee Roth band in 1989, Vai has worked as a journeyman guitarist and a solo artist in his own right. He’s enjoyed successful stints in bands like Whitesnake and Public Image LTD while also having hit solo records like 1993’s “Sex And Religion” and 1999’s “The Ultra Zone”. He remains an inspiration to multiple generations of guitarists the world over, and still comes highly recommended.

Live reviews

Steve Vai’s adept skills at playing carefully, crafted scales on the guitar at rapid speeds and using intricate techniques to perform his methods truly puts him in a league of his own in the world of guitar virtuosos. It is no joke that Steve Vai is a master at his instrument able to play various styles of music, having toured with the likes of Frank Zappa, Public Image Ltd., David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake. He has also been recognized by critics for his great works, having already won three Grammy awards. He has regularly toured with the G3 concert tour, which is a musical showcase designed by his contemporary, Joe Satriani, in which Joe Satriani and two other well renowned and talented guitarists perform their music individually as well as in a group.
During live performances Steve Vai is usually backed by musicians that are recognized as the best on their instruments. He often engages in guitar duels during his performances where various members of his band playfully take turns soloing on either the bass or the guitar to see who can perform the best. It is no doubt that Steve Vai wins every time. One of the most interesting parts of a Steve Vai show is all of the different types of guitars he plays throughout the performance. During some parts of the show he plays a triple-neck guitar, where he performs on multiple necks at the same time. Steve Vai often plays in a quirky, angular style and often incorporates bizarre rhythms into his music. Steve Vai also has a very captivating stage presence, wearing bizarre clothing such as black robes and having blasts of wind blow at him while on stage, which lets his hair look like it is blowing in the wind while shredding on his guitar.
Steve Vai remains at the top of his class for a reason. A chance to see him live should not be missed to let him prove his talents with his lightening fast guitar shredding, and high-energy performance.

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