JOE SATRIANI

As Sammy Hagar's The Best Of All Worlds Tour scales the globe, Joe Satriani joins us to explain how he set about honouring the magic of Eddie Van Halen's style, what gear he's bringing along for the ride, and how the experience has shaped his own playing

- Andrew Daly

Few guitarists, let alone a virtuoso like Joe Satriani, would dare to touch on the legacy of Edward Van Halen. Insinuating as much usually gets fans hot and bothered – and that’s been the case since rumours of Satch paying homage to King Edward began to swirl in 2022.

That was different, though, as it featured David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen. But things changed when Satch’s old pal, Chickenfoot bandmate and former EVH cohort, Sammy Hagar, came calling with his version of Van Halen (and more) tribute-paying, The Best Of All Worlds Tour – alongside Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham.

“The vibe on tour has been great,” Satriani tells Guitarist. “It’s a party, but everyone expects everybody to play their best each night. There’s this beautiful anticipation before every show to celebrate the legacy. And the fans’ reaction has been heartwarming.”

As Satriani is tasked with the impossible, to imitate EVH, the fan reaction is important. “I’m just speaking for myself,” he says. “But I feel it. I’m not the guy who says, ‘I’m the only [one] that can do it.’ None of that bullshit. I want to do it right. I spent all this money on gear and want to make it a great night to celebrate these songs. And I think everybody gets it.”

Satriani’s mindset is also heartwarming. The idea that he’d set aside his iconic style and cache of songs to pay Eddie his due is the secret to why he’s the man for the job. But in true Satch fashion, he’s managed to do it so that his and Eddie’s worlds happily collide. “I’m throwing in all the stuff I normally would,” he says. “But I’ve added some things I never really did because I thought, ‘Well, that’s Eddie. I’m not gonna copy that.’ It doesn’t come naturally to me, but I’ve made it work. Though I’m not copying the parts; that’s not me, I’m not in a tribute band.”