Steve Vai

Steve Vai began the guitar at the age of 13, and he briefly had Joe Satriani as a teacher (for one lesson!). After playing in several local bands, he decided to audition for Frank Zappa and sent him his transcription of The Black Page and a K7 of his guitar compositions. Frank Zappa was so impressed that he hired him in 1979 as a transcriber, then at the end of 1980 Steve Vai became a full member of Frank Zappa's band and went on a world tour. After leaving the band in 1982, he returned to California and the following year he began the composition and recording of his first solo album, which was released in 1984. In 1985, he replaced Yngwie Malmsteen in Alcatrazz and joined Public Image Ltd, Johnny Rotten's (Sex Pistols) group. Also in 1985, at the request of his bassist friend Billy Sheehan ( Mr Big , The Winery Dogs , Talas ), he joined David Lee Roth ( Van Halen ), with Gregg Bissonnette on drums ( Joe Satriani ). In a record very close to Van Halen, they recorded two albums together, Eat ‘Em And Smile in 1986 and Skyscraper in 1988 before separating for artistic differences. Steve Vai made a film appearance in the 1986 film Crossroads (NB: no, don't confuse with Britney Spears !!!) for which he composed a part of the music, and in which he appeared as part of an epic guitar duel. In 1989, he joined Whitesnake and also played on the album Hey Stoopid by Alice Cooper (with Joe Satriani in a guest on the title Feed My Frankenstein , which is found in Waynes World's BO). In 1990, he released his reference solo album, Passion And Warfare , which to date remains his biggest commercial success. He will participate as a guest in the collective album Zappa That same year, he decided to create a real band around him, and he recruited Terry Bozzio on drums (Frank Zappa, Fantomas (live)) and T.M. Stevens on bass. For the song, he appeals to a stranger at the time, a certain... Devin Townsend! From this collaboration resulted the album Sex&Religion , totally misunderstood and unjustly descended at the time by critics (notably because of the song, totally innovative and barred). Following this semi-failure, Steve Vai resumes his solo career where he left and chained the albums until the late 1990s. He surrounds Mike Mangini on drums, Mike Keneally on guitar and Philip Bynoe on bass for live. He also participated in the G3 from 1996 with Joe Satriani and a multitude of talented guitarists (Eric Johnson , Paul Gilbert , John Petrucci, Steve Lukather, Yngwie Malmsteen ...). In 2001, Steve Vai released his first live performance, Live In London, on which Billy Sheehan (bass), Tony MacAlpine (guitar/keyboard), Dave Weiner (guitar) and Virgil Donati (Batterie) appeared. In 2006, Steve Vai joined the Zappa Plays Zappa tour alongside Dweezil Zappa and Terry Bozzio. The following year he will release a double album Sound Theories , consisting of a kind of compilation of former rearranged and rerecorded tracks with a symphonic orchestra. In 2010 he released a series of singles entitled VaiTunes, available only for download, and later joined the American tour Hendrix Experience Tour alongside Eric Johnson , Vernon Reid ( Living Colour )... His latest studio album The Story Of Light released in 2012, and Steve Vai embarks on a new world tour, which will pass through France. This does not prevent him from playing the luxury guest on the latest album of Iwrestledabearonce, Late For Nothing, recording the guitar parts of the song Carnage Asada.
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