JM on Closer to the Sun

[H3WMW]

The G3 with Satch, Vai and Fripp was bizarre - I saw it in Glasgow.  It opened with Fripp's solo set but all he did was create one of his electronic soundscapes (with him just sitting there) - a lot of people who'd come to hear shredding just went to the bar.    Then when the 3 of them played together at the end, Fripp took a guitar solo on Satch's Ice 9 and totally out-shredded Vai and Satch! 

I was at that gig as well.  It could've easily just been called G2. After the show I had a meet and greet with Satch and Vai and their session players including the fantastic Billy Sheehan who I chatted to with great interest.  There was no sign of Fripp anywhere.  Out of sight, out of mind.  haha

[MikeEvs]

I saw that G3 tour in London, it wasn't long after I'd been to see Vai with the Metropole orchestra in Amsterdam and had got to meet him.

So before the gig I was standing outside the Albert Hall chatting up the URAQT girl from the live at the Astoria DVD (she was a friend of Dave Weiner) and chatting with other fans when Vai turned up in a car with Pia.  He'd just come from the doctors as he was having trouble with his voice (much like Jem in Edinburgh recently).  Steve headed right inside but Pia hung around outside and spotted me, remembering meeting me in Amsterdam she came over for a chat. She asked me if I wanted to come to the after show meet and greet and I said yes so she called Dave Weiner over introduced us and told Dave to go get me a couple of passes.  So Dave headed back into the Albert Hall and came back with two after show passes for me.

During Fripp's set there was a section of fans that obviously wasn't enjoying it but rather than get up and go to the bar they stayed and proceeded to boo and heckle Fripp.  I wanted no part of that so I got up and headed to the bar instead.  At the after show I met up with this Canadian guy AJ who I'd met at the Amsterdam gigs and he took a photo of me with Satriani and I think he took a photo of me with Vai as well.  I chatted to Dave Weiner who took photos of me with Billy Sheehan and Tony MacAlpine.  I think it was Tony who took a photo of me and Dave.  I also chatted with the guys from Satriani's band which I think included Matt Bissonette and Jeff Campitelli.

I sat down at an empty table to text my made John from Ireland who I'd also met at the Amsterdam gig. When I looked up from sending the text Vai was sitting at the table and then Satch sat down and a few other people joined us and we chatted for a bit.  Fripp was there at the meet and greet as was Toyah she was a lot more chatty than he was!

Some cringeworthy photos:

[rogerg]

that's great, Mike!  Pretty cool!

[Mikey]

that's great, Mike!  Pretty cool!

Pretty cool?
Very cool