The best live band ever, according to Steve Vai
It is often understated just how many similarities classical and rock music share. While some of the industry’s most renowned guitar players immersed themselves into the world of rock ‘n’ roll, some, like Steve Vai, made the transition after being classically trained – a distinction that sets him apart from many of his contemporaries.
Vai’s insatiable desire to continue churning out enlightening music is an energy most musicians find difficult to hold on to, but the guitarist has repeatedly proved that his time to shine is still ongoing. Discussing 2022’s Inviolate, he summarised his mindset to Louder by explaining: “There are certain physical limitations that enter your radar as you get older, so there’s no time to waste.”
Vai’s musical tastes vary from genre to genre, including innovators and legendary acts like Queen and Elton John. The latter of which got him through some incredibly tough times after he found Tumbleweed Connection and “totally immersed myself in it.” Regarding live bands, however, the guitarist points to a more glamorous contender.
Vai first experienced Alice Cooper live in concert when he was a teenager. Although a lot of musicians caught his eye at the time, “there was something about Alice”, he says, which seemed to stand out from the rest. “The whole thing was rock ‘n’ roll, it was melodic, and it was great,” the musician told The French Connection, whose experience watching him many years later only solidified his opinion.
“That’s the thing you notice with real artists, they mature as they go through their careers,” Vai said, explaining that most musicians “go one of two directions; either they get bored and insecure about what they’re doing, and the authenticity gets eroded, or they’re going to really grow into their role with such authority and confidence.”
Catching Hollywood Vampires years later in Rock in Rio showed the guitarist that Cooper “was still so committed” and “there were no excuses”. Considering Vai’s own trajectory, it’s easy to see which of the two categories he falls into as he continues to demonstrate his unwavering dedication to the craft. “I’ve been seeing in my mind’s eye an evolution in my playing,” Vai told Louder. “Imagining things that I can’t yet do and documenting them visually in my head.”
Some may have opted out years ago, satisfied by the contributions they made among a seemingly endless list of the industry’s biggest stars. Vai soldiers on, however, forever inspired and immersed in the ever-evolving ideas that pervade his mind. Acts like Cooper may have sparked this level of longevity, but it was always lurking inside of him, waiting to burst out.