Joe Satriani spoke to Albany, NY’s Q103 radio station and one of the topics covered was giving lessons to two of his more famous students, Steve Vai and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett. 

Satriani recalls first meeting them, “Those two guys were great. I mean, (it was) very different how I met them. Steve Vai was 12 years old and could not play guitar at all when I met him. He showed up on my front door with a guitar with no strings in one hand and a pack of strings in the other, and said, 'Hey, you're teaching my friend. Can you teach me how to play too?' So that was my introduction to Steve. Kirk was already a really good guitar player; he was already the lead guitarist in Exodus when I met him. And I already moved to Berkeley, California by then. So he walked into the store where I was teaching looking for lessons, 'cause he knew that I was teaching a bunch of other thrash metal kids in the neighborhood there. So working with Kirk was a lot easier, because he was already a pretty accomplished player, he was already an advanced player. And he was still in Exodus at the time, but then, very quickly, he got the gig with Metallica, so the lessons became extremely important, because he was working and making albums. Those were exciting times, very exciting times. They were both fantastically dedicated musicians, as they are today."

In the video below, Joe Satriani reveals that "Forever and Ever", from his new album What Happens Next, is a straight up love song which started off with an Eddie Van Halen​ tone, but turned into the inspiration for taking the song into more of a Jimi Hendrix​ / Curtis Mayfield​ vibe.

World-renowned guitar virtuoso, Joe Satriani, announces his 16th solo album, What Happens Next, set for release January 12th on Sony/Legacy Recordings. Just a day prior to the album release, Satriani revives his G3 tour entity, inviting Dream Theater’s John Petrucci and Def Leppard lead guitarist, Phil Collen to join him. The G3 tour launches on January 11th in Seattle, WA and continues across the US before winding up on February 25th in Milwaukee, WI. There is a special tour pre-sale promotion giving fans the opportunity to buy concert tickets with the new album as well as VIP packages. Head here for more information.

The new, instrumentally electrifying album features a power trio of legendary status; Satriani on guitar and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple,Black Country Communion) and drummer Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), the latter reuniting with Satriani for the first time since their work in the supergroup Chickenfoot. Satriani is once again joined by producer/engineer/mixer Mike Fraser, his frequent collaborator over the last 20 years, on What Happens Next. Fraser is well-known for recording/mixing every AC/DC album since 1990’s The Razors Edge along with his classic works with Satriani going back to the release of Crystal Planet in 1998.

These new tracks literally vibrate the soul with an energy rarely found these days. From the dynamic opening track, “Energy”, to the majestic crunch of “Thunder High On The Mountain”, and the easy, sensual cords of “Smooth Soul”. This unparalleled rock-rhythm section gives What Happens Next a depth of groove that sets it apart from Satriani’s other work.

Since its debut in 1996, Satriani’s G3 tour has featured the world’s greatest guitarists (everyone from Steve Vai and Eric Johnson to Steve Lukather and Robert Fripp) and has become a consistent concert hall sell-out attraction in the US, South America, Europe, Australia and Japan. “I could say that I’m surprised at the durability of G3 and how much it’s grown, but in a way I’m not,” Satriani says with a laugh, “I think part of its charm and its mojo is in the chemistry of having three top guitarists share what they do on stage. It’s fun, it’s unpredictable, it’s wild – it’s everything you could want in a show.”

In addition to this new album and exciting tour news, a new documentary Beyond The Supernova, shot by Satriani’s filmmaker son, ZZ, makes its debut at the Mill Valley Film Festival this October. The tour documentary chronicles Joe, along with his band and crew, on their last Shockwave Supernova tour throughout Europe and Asia.

What Happens Next tracklisting:

“Energy”
“Catbot”
“Thunder High On The Mountain”
“Cherry Blossoms”
“Righteous”
“Smooth Soul”
“Headrush”
“Looper”
“What Happens Next”
“Super Funky Badass”
“Invisible”
“Forever And Ever”

“Thunder High On The Mountain”:

“Energy”:

2018 G3 Tour featuring Joe Satriani, John Petrucci & Phil Collen:

January
11 - The Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA
12 - Historic Elsinore Theatre - Salem, OR
13 - Grand Sierra Theatre - Reno, NV
14 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA
16 - Delta Hall at Eccles Theater - Salt Lake City, UT 
17 - Brooklyn Bowl - Las Vegas, NV
18 - Mesa Arts Center - Mesa, AZ 
19 - Orpheum Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
20 - Balboa Theatre - San Diego, CA
21 - Fox Tucson Theatre - Tucson, AZ 
24 - Historic Paramount Theatre - Denver, CO
25 - Uptown Theater - Kansas City, MO 
26 - The Pavillion at The Toyota Music Factory - Irving, TX 
27 - Austin City Limits - Moody Theater - Austin, TX
28 - Hobby Center for the Performing Arts - Houston, TX 
30 - Hard Rock Live - Orlando, FL 
31 - Florida Theatre - Jacksonville, FL 

February
1 - Pompano Beach Amphitheatre - Pompano Beach, FL
2 - Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall - Fort Myers, FL 
3 - Mahaffey Theater - St. Petersberg, FL 
6 - Raleigh Memorial Auditorium - Raleigh, NC
8 - Toyota Presents Oakdale - Wallingford, CT 
9 - Landmark Theatre - Syracuse, NY 
10 - Palace Theatre - Albany, NY 
11 - The Palace Theatre - Greensburg, PA 
14 - Warner Theatre - Washington, DC 
15 - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA
16 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY 
17 - Merriam Theater - Philadelphia, PA
18 - New Jersey Performing Arts Center - Newark, NJ 
20 - Auditorium Theatre - Rochester, NY 
21 - Massey Hall - Toronto, ON
22 - Hard Rock Live - Northfield, OH
23 - Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL 
24 - State Theatre - Minneapolis, MN
25 - Riverside Theater - Milwaukee, WI