Hellfest 2025, Clisson, France. The SatchVai band starts with Marco Mendoza convincingly singing a part that is sung on the original by someone we have seen a couple of hours prior. It is I Wanna Play My Guitar, and, of course, the original has Glenn Hughes on it.
These bass players cover for each other, right?
This starts in blistering fashion and continues in much the same way. SatchVai is a band fronted by two of the best axemen of the last Hell-knows-how-many-years. This can only make fans of the genre very happy.
And when they are joined by more musicians of their calibre, it becomes even harder to fault. The second song, The Sea Of Emotion Pt. 1, is another track from this project and even has visuals of hippie Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.
The show continues with occasional individual performances, where one or the other plays a solo track with the band. Aside from bass player Marco Mendoza, SatchVai features one-time Satriani Chickenfoot colleague Kenny Aronoff on drums, as well as Pete Thorn, himself a great guitar player in his own right.
However, a lot of the SatchVai set includes versions of songs from the two axemen’s careers, played by both with the band.
This is interesting and, at the same time, fun. I mean, who does not love Satriani’s Surfing With The Alien? And what a version of Vai’s For The Love of God by both together. It also manages to definitely satisfy shredding fans.
Hell, even Vai’s triple-necked Hydra monster guitar makes an appearance.
The decades-long friendship between our two heroes is there to see in the way they gel together to perfection. Vai and Satriani never look like stepping on each other’s toes. They add to the songs in a respectful fashion.
I know they collaborated on G3 a lot in the past, but it makes one wonder why they had not already started a band together. It makes perfect sense.
They finish with an explosive rendition of Born To Be Wild, sung by Mendoza with the crowd.
HELLFEST 2025
Prepare to be consumed by the relentless energy of the most influential bands in Heavy Metal as they ignite the Hellfest stages with blistering performances. The immersive atmosphere of Clisson will immerse you in a dark, captivating experience like no other.
With its unparalleled lineup and unwavering commitment to the spirit of metal, Hellfest 2025 promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of sonic mayhem. Read all the Heavy Metal News at MetalTalk.
MetalTalk Hellfest 2025 coverage can be found at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2025.
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For Hellfest 2023, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2023.
For Hellfest 2022, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2022.
