Steve Vai: Last News

Foo Fighters upcoming new hour movie, Studio 666.The legendary guitar shredder recently revealed that he has a part in the film, but one that many fans might not realise without his help.Vai’s hands appear during a scene where he’s shredding a guitar in the film. Previously, he’s appeared in Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey, playing various guitars as the characters in the film.He opened up about his role more in a series of tweets yesterday (February 17).He said: “Last night I attended the premiere screening of the new [Foo Fighters] movie Studio 666. What a hoot! The movie is just off the charts gory and funny.

Kurt Cobain‘s guitar playing, sharing that the Nirvana frontman was a “great” at playing the axe.In an interview with Classic Rock Magazine as part of their January 2025 issue, Satraini – who prior to becoming the guitar icon he has become, served as a guitar instructor and taught the likes of Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Andy Timmons, Charlie Hunter and more – discussed the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ hitmakers, saying that he “was very happy with those Nirvana records”.He then focused on Cobain and added that the legendary frontman “was a great guitar player.”“You go back and look at Nirvana clips, and you realise this guy is playing everything he’s supposed to play. He’s not looking at what he’s playing, so obviously he really knows the instrument,” he told the publication.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Leading U.K.-based distributor DCD Rights has acquired new music title “Life in Six Strings With Kylie Olsson,” which will launch next week at TV market Mipcom. The eight-part series, described as “funny and insightful,” is produced by LISS Films. It sees TV host and music journalist Kylie Olsson take viewers into the homes and at the favorite hangouts of some of the world’s most iconic guitarists, including Motley Crue’s Mick Mars, Def Leppard’s Phil Collen and Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme.

King Crimson announced their ‘BEAT Tour’ celebrating the group’s ’80s output featuring Steve Vai, Adrian Belew and Tool drummer Danny Carey.Then, the Allman-Betts Band — fronted by Devon Allman and Duane Betts (Gregg and Dickey’s sons, respectively) along with Roy Orbison’s youngest son Alex — unveiled plans for their ‘Allman-Betts Family Revival Tour.’Finally, an all-star group made up of icons like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers members Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell revealed they’re paying tribute to Robbie Robertson and The Band on their nationwide ‘Life Is A Carnival: The Last Waltz Tour.’However, you won’t want to forget A.J. Croce’s ‘Croce Plays Croce Tour.’At all shows, the 52-year old son of the late Jim Croce delivers his father’s hits like “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” “Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels),” “Time in a Bottle,” “Walkin’ Back to Georgia” and “I’ve Got A Name.”And, while he won’t come to New York on this run, Croce will get close when he drops into New Brunswick, NJ’s State Theatre on Jan.

BEAT marches on.BEAT, made up of rock icons Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey, have announced they’re extending their 2024 tour where they’ll play reinterpretations of iconic ’80s King Crimson albums “Discipline,” “Beat” and “Three of A Perfect Pair” at venues all over North America from September through November.Previously announced New York and New Jersey-based gigs included concerts at New York City’s Beacon Theatre on Oct. 5, Red Bank, NJ’s Hackensack Meridian Theatre on Oct.

King Crimson was one of the most influential prog rock groups in the world.After disbanding in 1974, guitarist Robert Fripp reformed the band in 1981 with new members Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford and Tony Levin. The quartet took their sound in a wholly new direction with their three African, post-punk and minimalist albums “Discipline,” “Beat” and “Three of a Perfect Pair.”Now, more than 40 years later, King Crimson sans Fripp and Bruford will take that trio of records on the road for their 2024 ‘BEAT Tour’ with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey.Along the way, the legendary outfit will stop into New York City’s Beacon Theatre on Oct.

Jim Beard, a pianist, keyboardist, composer, producer and arranger known for his work with Steely Dan as well as jazz musicians Wayne Shorter and John McLaughlin, died Saturday, March 2, in a New York City hospital from complications due to a sudden illness. He was 63.

Ozzy Osbourne, has shared high praise over T-Pain‘s cover of Black Sabbath‘s ‘War Pigs’.In March, T-Pain covered the iconic Black Sabbath track as part of his covers album, ‘On Top Of The Covers’, which also featured tunes from Journey, Sam Smith and more. Then, in December, a live performance of T-Pain performing ‘War Pigs’ went viral, with many praising the singer-rapper for his soulful rendition of the metal classic.Now, former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne has taken to social media to share his thoughts on T-Pain’s cover.

Ozzy Osbourne, Corey Taylor, Al Jourgensen and more have been enlisted to appear on Billy Morrison’s new album.Yesterday (January 9), Morrison – known for being the rhythm guitarist in Billy Idol’s band – took to Instagram to provide updates on his career. After announcing that he was signing with The Label Group and Virgin Music, he detailed the release of his third solo album, ‘The Morrison Project’, which arrives on April 19.“The album features a ton of guest appearances by my friends and the first single, ‘DROWNING’ will be released February 23rd,” wrote Morrison.A post shared by Billy Morrison (@billymorrisonofficial)The album will reportedly consist of 12 tracks and feature guest appearances from various rock and rap icons, including Ozzy Osbourne, Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen, Steve Vai, DMC of Run-DMC, Billy Idol bandmate Steve Stevens, Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes, Black Sabbath touring drummer Tommy Clufetos, and more.Speaking to Blabbermouth upon the album’s announcement, Morrison highlighted his process working with guest vocalists, in which he allowed them to “do whatever they felt”.

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are embarking on not one, but two (!) major tours.First, the duo will team up with fellow shredder Eric Johnson for their ‘G3 Tour’ in January and February reuniting the trio after they first toured together back in 1996.“Reuniting the original ‘G3’ line up is a dream come true for me,” Satriani said. “I can’t wait to take the stage with Eric and Steve again!”Soon after, the ‘Satch/Vai Tour’ will take off sending the pair — who have played together since Satriani was Vai’s teacher when they were teens — on the road for another three months.While touring together on their first ever duo-headliner bill, Satriani and Vai will swoop into New York City’s Beacon Theatre on Saturday, April 6.They’re also scheduled to hit Red Bank, NJ’s Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre on April 8, Collingswood, NJ’s Scottish Rite Auditorium on April 10 and Rochester, NY’s Kodak Center on April 14.“(Joe) is my favorite guitarist to jam with and now we have another opportunity to take it to the stage,” Vai shared on Instagram.

Steve Vai has revealed that he has enough material recorded with Ozzy Osbourne for a full album.In an interview with eonmusic, the guitarist said that he was “sitting on a whole Ozzy record”, adding that he couldn’t do anything with the material because he didn’t have any rights to it.“We did record some pretty good stuff,” Vai said. “The interesting thing about that stuff we recorded from a guitar perspective is all of my rhythm guitar parts, I use an octave divider, and that record doesn’t sound like anything else.”He continued: “Ozzy had recorded about half of his record for the record company, and Sharon and the label wanted to get him together with some different songwriters to just get some more songs.“So I was one of the ones that they wanted to get together with.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticIn recent times Todd Rundgren has just wanted to hang on the phone all day — or at least call people intermittently, over a period of a few years — asking well-regarded friends in music or even famous strangers and ask them to take part in a musical experiment. The results of this reaching-out, long spoken-of but only officially announced today, arrive in the form of “Space Force,” which has the legendary artist-producer teaming up for collabs with Sparks, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, Neil Finn, the Lemon Twigs, the Roots, Rick Nielsen and more.The lead track, “Puzzle,” with Adrian Belew, premieres today (see below).

Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Eagles and more have donated items to a new online charity auction.The ‘Igniting The Change’ auction is being operated through eBay and is raising money for the LA-based Watts Community Core non-profit, which supports youth and families living in the Nickerson Gardens Housing Project and its surrounding neighbourhood.Radiohead have donated a vinyl and CD box set of their 2007 album ‘In Rainbows’ which has been signed by the whole band, while Red Hot Chili Peppers have given a signed Fender Stratocaster guitar. Bassist Flea has also contributed a customised Fender Jazz bass with his own hand-drawn illustrations.An acoustic guitar signed by The Eagles and used at the 1999 Millennium Concert at Staples Concert is also up for grabs, alongside items from Tony Hawk, Steve Vai, Quincy Jones, George Clinton, Cypress Hill and more.

Steve Vai has discussed his time playing in Frank Zappa‘s band, during which he says he experienced “a complete breakdown.”Vai joined Zappa’s touring band between 1980 and 1983, and is also credited on seven of his albums.Appearing on the Cassius Morris Show, Vai said: “Things came to a head for me when I was touring with Frank Zappa and I was in Montreal in 1980, and I just had a complete, sort of, breakdown, anxiety attack, that lasted a year and a half.”“It was panic, it was all fear, there’s a fear that was in the background that just overcame me. And I didn’t know what it was.