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This variable band project, was founded as known by guitarist Steve Vai. He gave birth to it in 1996. the first line up included, apart from himself also his mentor Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Kenny Wayne Shepard. And this first tour developed to such a success, that the answer were pretty simple by just to continue to do so. And that's what it did. One year later in 1997 the same line up toured again. Only Eric Johnson was replaced by Robert Fripp (King Crimson). In 1998, Steve Vai himself didn't participate due to other obligations, and Satriani toured with Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth as G3. Over the next years, also Yngwie Malmsteen and John Petrucci of Dream Theater took part at this tour trek. - After 2003 there was longer break until now, when Steve Vai reanimated his baby. The first part of this tour were played by him, Joe Satriani and Steve Lukather. This second part here we got Vai, Satriani and Steve Morse. And at the third part, Morse will be replaced by John Petrucci again.

But we are here on July 23 at Munich's Tonhalle, where at 8 p.m. Steve Morse starts his 50 minutes set.

And it's becoming clear very soon, that 58 year old Morse is pretty different to his two collegues, what's up to the musical style. While Steve Vai and Joe Satriani follow more or less a pretty straight greatest hits line, the Deep Purple and Dixie Dregs guitarist chooses more rare and experimental pieces of music from his back catalogue. Tracks which are inspired by Rock as well as Jazz, Blues and Country tunes. On his side we find bassist Dave larue, who also plays in Dixie Dregs, and who gives Morse's playing the right rhythm beat. The music is great but has the huge disadvantage, that it gets lost somehow in our ears and it needs a little getting used to it. for the normal music lover. Steve Morse is a technician and other than Ritchie Blackmore who he once replaced in Deep Purple, who went more for the deficile art. To be honest, this is not everybody's cup of tea, as many miss the emotion in Morse's performance, as he ain't no showman either but rather pretty laid back. Next to many solo- and Dregs tunes he also pays tribute to former collegue John Lord, who recently passed away. But though this goes down very well, most of the audiance rather got mixed feelings and are not a 100 percent sure, whether to think this here has been absolutey phantastic or rather not so suitable for this trek.

By the way, in september, Steve is already back again on tour in Europe with a very new project named Flying Colors, also featuring Neal Morse and drummer Mike Portnoy. And even later we got him back anyway with the new Deep Purple tour.
www.stevemorse.com

Compared to Morse, Steve Vai storms the stage like a hurricane and shoots off with his classic and well known tune 'The Audiance Is Listening' from the album 'Passion And Warfare' from 1990.

No song introduces Vai's talking guitar better than this one, sticking right in our ears. He is a selfmade musician in every way. He writes his songs, he records them, produces them and releases them on his very own label Favored Nations. By the way,
before he started his successful solo carriere, this six string man worked for Frank Zappa. And it is known, that everybody who once played with Zappa, can think a lot of himself. Another station of Vai was Alcatrazz and of course David Lee Roth.
Well Vai is a down to earth worcaholic and doesn't know any rest. He is a father of two, a strict vegan and his biggest hobby besides music is keeping bees and producing his own honey.
And he is constantly moving, just like right now up there on stage. The setliste shows seven songs rocking like hell. And he doesn't need any long hair anymore. We all get older whereby in his case it's only the visual aspect, but not the performance at all.

He acts like a highstandard athetics up there. Vai is an ace in improvisation, and once he said: "I always have to have the feeling that I could wrap my arms around the world, and then everything works automatically, and I don't need to add much more". And when this feeling transfers to the audiance, then this is like a huge bulk of envergy and enthusiasm. Long talk short sense, - the place here is slowly going mad.
By the way, Aug. 12 sees the release of his new soloalbum 'The Story Of Light' - of course once again written, recorded and produced and released by himself. And in the fall the 52 year old Vai will be back again for another solo tour in Europe. More infos and the exact dates can be found at www.vai.com

One more is missing tonight, and after another short break Joe Satriani is showing up and starts the third hour and his part of the show with his classics 'Flying On A Blue Dream'

This very personal song comes from the same titled also very personal album from 1989. Personally, because during the recording works Satriani's father had died. 14 times Satriani has been nominated for the Grammy Award. But he never received the award. Although he's done a lot for the music world and his input and influence at other guitarists is high, as for instance on Steve Vai, who's teache he used to be. Satch, as his friends call him, ain't improvising that extensively, as Vai has done it before, but he doesn't go for the fusion of Morse either.
He rather goes for a straighter line and gets our dancing legs swinging at his Satch Boogie. Mind me, his music ain't that easy. It is a esplicit finger acrobatic, which makes his music probably the most difficult tonight. His famous techniqs of plectrum picking doesn't show up too often as well as his brilliant tapping. Satriani is using scales, most of all the Blues scale. But he literatually can play anything, that's what he proves with his other band Chickenfoot, who is playing only very solid Hardrock, no more no less. Satch ends his set with his most common tune 'Surfin With The Alien'. And that one is now 25 years old.

It's going down as honey and in the end the mere of all fans here think: Satriani is the best of all three tonight. He ain't frickling like Morse, nor is he the explosive showman like Vai. He is only himself. And the difficult grade of his playing is hidden behind an easy attitude. In addition to that, he seems very close to the audiance, and the sparkle of sympathy is reigning on our heads.
so however and everybody what he deserves... but little Joe does have our deepest respect, that's for sure.
www.satriani.com

Including the breaks, more than 3 hours have gone. An it's only the crowded place and the heat, getting us a little exhausted.

But of course we do get a final, one where all 3 guitar heroes join together for a huge Da Capo, which is named 'You Really Got Me', originally by the Kinnks and now sung by Steve Vai, followed by Cream's 'White Room', where the vocals are shared. And last but not least the very last tune is the Neil Young classics 'Living In A Free World', of course in an extended version.

And so, this very interesting, but also very exhausting evening with more than 4 hours comes to an end. And the last resumee is the fact, that here we got three excellent musicians, who have definately shown and proved their skills to many people here, including those local heroes here, who get into endless discussions later on in what was bad and what was excellent. And me myself has reached a new record. Because due to the brilliant light conditons on stage I just couldn't stop taking picturen within the given time. And in the end, I count 1.100 pictures on my SD card.
It's been great, and though I'm not a professionall guitar player but just a simple music lover, I'd come back any time to check them out again.