show review
loll Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 8 Posted: Mon Jun 26, '06 7:31 am

Firstly, thanks to Joe, Matt, Galen and Jeff for a really cracking show! Nice one guys.

After Ned Evett had done his thing (not a new fan here I'm afraid but I did have a chat with him afterwards and discovered that the fingerboard on his fretless is actually glass - wacky but true!) Joe and the gang hit the stage and dived into FIABD. Awesome sound. Joe had on his funky red pants plus a sparkly t-shirt. (Two Marshall cabs were miked up at the back of the stage but couldn't see the heads Joe was using. Were they the Cornfords he's been using recently or perhaps Marshalls or Boogies? If any of you guys know I'd love to hear. Ta.)

FIABD was followed by Crushing Day expertly executed. Wow! Learnt a lot of finger positions. (I had always thought the solo started on the open D and G strings but Joe used the D and G at the 10th fret on the low E and A strings. Cool.)

Next up Devil's Slide, bluesy intro to Cool No 9. My memory is a bit of a blur but I think the rest of the set went something like this: Ice 9 with great Hordes of Locusts bit at end, Extremist, Crush of Love, Oriental Melody, Belly Dancer, Mind Storm, Seven String, New Last Jam. Then a sitting down section comprising Headless Horseman and Midnight (extended version) with Joe on his own followed by I Believe (with electric) and Starry Night with the Jeff and Matt. Then back to normal for Summer Song, Rasberry Jam Delta V, Why (amazing!), Bass solo, Always, Surfing + 'singalonga Joe'. For an encore they played Satch Boogie followed by Friends + a great extra end jam. As usual, Joe sprinkled the entire show with extra little improvs. One of them was totally flooring after which Joe said, "Sometimes you've just gotta do that!"

As on the previous night, no breaks in the set. Bit of a shame cos I really needed to get a drink. Had to miss seeing some of the show whilst trying to find one and invariably losing my place in the crowd. :( Everything sounded awesome to me, except for a very strange bit in Always. Could that have been on purpose?? I don't reckon so, but as I was getting a drink at the time and couldn't see the stage, I don't know exactly what happened. If it was a fluff up then at least I know Joe is human after all! Thanks for that Joe ;)

Re the venue: Definitely, a more intimate venue than the NIA but it was SERIOUSLY flawed for Joe's show. Due to the level (ie. non-sloping) floor and a fairly low stage (plus a pointless barrier keeping the crowd a further 7ft or so away) it was very difficult to get a good view. The balcony was great if you were able to squeeze in somewhere. However, I noticed a lot of folks that were, shall we say, a little vertically challenged just staring at the backs of people. That's not right. If you pay good money to see a band you should be able to actually 'see' them! When Joe sat down for his Headless, Midnight, I Believe and Starry Night section (all sounded awesome) it was only just possible to see his head (down on the main floor) if you were lucky. Spoilt that whole section for me. This is certainly not Joe's fault but just a criticism of the venue which otherwise would have been really good (IMHO).

As ever, a Satch gig is always too short. I could watch him play his entire discography (well, maybe barring Woodstock Jam ;) ) and still not have had enough! Can't wait for next time already. Joe and the band looked as if they were really enjoying themselves. The sound was great in front of the stage. Oh yeah, Galen, that's probably the worst haircut I've ever seen in a rock band! :)

extrasolar Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon Jun 28, '04 12:29 pm
Wow!! The last time I saw Joe was I think in '98 at the NEC during the G3 days. This 2002 concert was at least 100 times better, although the Academy didn't offer a top quality sound as the NEC and was a bloody nightmare to find. I couldn't see very much on the floor but when I looked at the stage I still couldn't see much. lol. The stage was too low for such a top star performer. Upstairs on the balcony though I could see a lot more and if it wasn't for that I would have given this review a 9. Apart from the crap venue, Joe gave a fantastic 2 1/2 hours of non stop perfect performance. I can't wait until the next time to see you again Joe and am looking forward to it already. Please don't leave it too long to come back to the UK Joe. Enjoy the rest of your tour! :)

guitar_devil Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 7 Posted: Mon Aug 04, '03 5:58 am
Joe was amazing, it was really cool to see him in concert, didnt think much to backing tho, especially second guitar (no offence intended)

surferking Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 1 Posted: Fri Dec 13, '02 2:22 pm

This was the second gig that I have been to. Joe"s performance was absolutely first class as ever and the songs that he played were excellent even the new songs from Strange B Music.

The only thing that spoilt the night for me was the choice of venue. Didn"t see a thing all night and spent the whole show with my six year old son perched on my shoulders. He had the best view and reaaly enjoyed it.

Joe when you come back next year do not choose the Academy as this is a very poor venue. I saw you the previous year at the NIA and this is a much better venue to play at, please choose this place if you can. Good luck with the tour and will definitely be at your next show in 2003 in the UK.

beaver Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Tue Nov 05, '02 4:02 pm
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome. Again Mr Satriani shows his true style and quality. It Justifies the trip from Glastonbury. As many people have mentioned, the sound in the venue was fantastic, the atmosphere incredible, but the view pretty much sucked. (except from the bar which some little Hitler told us to get down). The 10 ranking still stays as the song selection was spot on and the little variations went down well. Come back soon Joe and enjoy the rest of the tour. (And to the lads I met at the first service heading south out of Birmingham (you had a Crystal Planet tour T-shirt I had a new T-shirt and and engines tour T-shirt, Hope you got home safetly!!)

orion1985 Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Tue Oct 15, '02 3:55 am
Well what can I say, this was my first ever gig and how pleased I was. I Queued for two hours and got front row right infront of the man himself. What an inspiration, the way that he plays just gives you insentive to want to learn more and more on the guitar. The gig was brilliant however sometimes it was hard to here joe cos the rythym guitar was to loud. Always with me and always with you, the extremist and seven string were definately the best songs played that night. Disappointed that a plectrum fell right infront of me and the security guard would not pick it up for me so I didnt get one in the end but Ill definately see Joe again when he is in the uk next.

jaspriani2003 Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Tue Aug 20, '02 12:28 pm
An absolute genuis, what a quality artist! What more can i say front row the lot awesome!

ice81 Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Aug 17, '02 7:04 am

I give this gig a 10 as it was my first Satriani concert. Due to the fact that I live in Wales (UK) Joe is not well known over here but I think he's great. The Brits don't know what their missing. In the gig he was amazing and I rate him as the best guitarist ever. He's class.

Chris K

cgh2112 Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Tue Aug 13, '02 3:07 am
Thanks Joe for a great show only let down by the venue.Couldnt see a thing. Hope to see you again in the U.K. soon.

daveyboy1971 Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 27, '02 1:34 pm

There should be an 11 in the score for this gig. The gig was superb with the aditions of the new 7 string and double necked guitars complemented with the perfect execution of New Last Jam Starry Night and Mindstorm. What a show, and to finish the night off I was lucky enough to meet the man himself and am now the proud owner of a beautifully autographed guitar (for those people who made fun of me in the queue before the show for having my guitar with me). I thought i'd never get the chance to thank him for 12 years of inspiration in playing the guitar and my chance came - lucky eh.

The Venue wasn't as good as the NIA Academy but the atmosphere was wicked and show more than made up for it. The main problem seemed to be that no matter where you stood you couldn't really see very well but as i said the show was awesome.

Keep Rockin Joe and see you on your next tour.

hashton Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Tue Jul 23, '02 3:23 am
Great gig! Would've got a ten but the venue was overcrowded and stuffy.Never mind-especially enjoyed satch boogie and surfing with the alien. What was with that support guy anyway? Fretless guitars, millions of strange fx but could he actually play?Pity i didnt get a pick though. See you next time joe!

jedda8181 Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon Jul 22, '02 10:09 am
Truly Amazing gig!! Joe at his best, and the band were incredibly tight! Even managed to play a stack of my favourite Satch tunes; started with Flying in a Blue Dream, ending with Satch Boogie and Friends!! Played some of the more obscure early stuff like 'Midnight' too which was cool and unexpected! Can't wait till Joe tours again even if it comes without a new album!! Oh yeah, and the guy who spotted the last plectrum to be found over the barrier was stood right next to me, DAMN! Hopefully better luck next time!!

karlranday Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 5 Posted: Mon Jul 22, '02 3:55 am

While Joe Satriani continues to pioneer his genre of guitar dynamics, you can only wonder at what process led to this gig being held at the Academy. As usual, Joe was on top form, never dropping a note and blazing through some absolute classics, as well as an impromptu quiet moment, a nice rarity between the blisteringly fast solo's and fast paced action.

This gig would normally get a 9 or a 10 rank, except for the fact that it was held at one of the crappiest, uncomfortable hell holes around. I feel ashamed that my city offers this location up to international acts that do not know the wiser. It was hot, stuffy, standing only, overcrowded (partitioning closing off much of the balcony) and the view was terrible from anywhere but the front row. Joe has previously played the NIA academy, a much more intimate and seated venue.

I cannot re-iterate more how utterly terrible this venue was, marring an otherwise brilliant performance. I took along my 'classical music loving' girlfriend, and despite her reservations about the venue she enjoyed the performance of a true master. But she also mentioned how she could have enjoyed it so much more if it was held in a decent venue.

Whover you use to book your UK gigs - fire them. We don't see enough decent acts as it is in Birmingham, and we have some fantastic venues. How about playing with an orchestra at symphony hall?

kevb Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon Jul 22, '02 1:06 am
Fantastic show. The venue was fine, I'd much rather jump up and down in front of Satch in a dodgy night club type venue than in some stuffy seated soulless arena. Next time try harder to get your picks in my Guinness Joe, your aim was way off!! 8)

gilesy Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Mon Jul 22, '02 12:09 pm
Finally I managed to get front and centre for one of Joe's gigs ! Nearly caught a drumstick off Jeff and the photographer got my pick !!! No fair !!!! Joe and the guys cooked all night (so did we, quite literally!) One of the best live performances from Joe I've seen and I've followed his music for years- I last saw him at the G3 with Schenker at the B'ham NEC a few years ago (Crystal Planet tour), got all the albums, vids etc. The best for me was "Rasberry Jam Delta-V" a cool tune, with cool technique. I've just learn't "Apache" on my guitar - now I know how far I've got to go before I'll be able to tour with Joe !!! One tune I did miss was "Love Thing" - I heard the live version on San Fran and thought it was played with great feel, but to see Headless Horseman played live made up for that !! I'll be back - Joe rules the earth - and I've got lots more practice to do !!! Maybe you could include me on the line-up for 2010 ?!

utterbilge Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sun Jul 21, '02 3:03 pm
There are no words to describe the feeling after the show. I couldnt believe I was only 10 yards away from him, although had to move around a bit to see, it was better than the NEC several years ago. No-one will ever come close to what he does, we all want him to do for ever.

fixxer Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sun Jul 21, '02 2:53 pm
Having seen Joe and Brian May at the NIA 'Acadamy' we went to the NIA which seemed pretty quiet for gig night. This might have been because the gig was acroos town at the 'Acadamy'. Fortunately we grabbed a taxi, and a guy from Wolverhampton, and made it to the gig about 10 mins before the set started. Along with everyone else, we found the venue to be poor - Worst of the 6 I have seen Joe at. The performance more than made up for this, amazing stuff! The setlist was superb with highlights including 'Friends', 'The Extremist', 'Raspberry Jam', 'Surfing with the Alien'. 'Always With Me, Always With You' wasn't the best. One mistake led to the rest of the song sounding a bit loose. Stu Hamm wasn't really missed, but Matt's bass solo wasn't up to it. Fantastic atmosphere and overall an amazing, and long, performance. Thanks.

drrob Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: Posted: Sun Jul 21, '02 12:05 pm
Fantastic - the man was on one no doubt!.

law8 Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sun Jul 21, '02 10:43 am
Couldn't believe it when Joe played Crushing day 2nd up...and the way he did it!!!!!- my oh my - what a performance! The new songs were spot on! Ohh...One last thing...Joe, please visit Wales sometime in the future!!

mrnick Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sun Jul 21, '02 8:08 am
what a concert....i couldn't see some stuff..like the sitting down bit...i couldn't even se their heads and i was near the front!!...the stage should really be higher by a foot or two..apart from that..it was cool and all the band was on top form and it was more lively than the gig in june 2000.....any chance of going back to the nia?..and Ned Evett...he's a cool guy,,i met him after the show...shame about the weather cosif it wasn't raining then i could have caught Joe after the show..and the high prices of merchandise..i managed to splash out £18 for a t-shirt but £4 for a key-ring??? Thats a bit too much..anyway...come back soon Joe...bye........

johnnyshredfreak Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 7 Posted: Sun Jul 21, '02 7:01 am

Another brilliant set from Joe and the lads! Thanks for continuing to tour abroad, Joe - we appreciate it!

Nice to hear Joe play a selection of different styles on different instruments (the 7 string, acoustic and twinned neck, plus his new Ibanez signature guitar).

I agree with the other audience members that the atmosphere was great and the sound quality was very good, but the sightlines were poor. (If you play the Birmingham Academy again Joe, maybe you could stipulate that the stage be raised a couple of feet?)

Re planning future tours, I would rank the sound quality of Midlands venues I've seen Joe at as 1) Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham 2) Birmingham Academy 3) Birmingham NIA 4) Birmingham NEC.

dantheslag Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sun Jul 21, '02 5:47 am
This was my first Satch concert and it was fantastic. Had a great view from the front, one friend said we were that close we could have licked him! Sound was great and Joe, keep wearing those pants, SUPERB! Jeff and Matt were fantastic also. Great Night!, Cheers!

joby Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 7 Posted: Sun Jul 21, '02 5:39 am

for a small venue, the atmosphere to me was great, i was just behind the mixing desk in the centre of the floor which was a great view of the stage. when joe played "MIND STORM" from his new album, a bust of sound exploded and createda mind blowing feeling. shame the stage was a bit low though, which didn't help shorter people to see from below the balcony. especially when he sat down for a section of the songs. But i loved every minute of it! Cheers Joe!

Joby

njbeast Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sun Jul 21, '02 4:34 am
once again it is the second show of the uk tour and i was there like the night befour an amazing gig and i was there, travaling from london back to manchester home for a quick shower and off in the car up sdown to birmingham, trafic was bad but wee mad it and agian after the show i had my pic taken with joe and we had a good chat with jeff i think he liket us he always came to us to chat and at london i had my pic taken with him, JOE and JEFF are the coolist and kindest people in the world i wish i could hang around eith them for a day, JOE SATRIANI is the greatist guitarist on this planet or any other planet, THANK YOU JOE SATRIANI, Dave

scottytoohottyt Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 8 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 6:21 pm

Joe, you ARE the best. Pity the venue and sound was crap. Come back soon. I'll pay more to go back to the NIA. Jeff, we love you as much as you obviously like playing. Come back Stu. Mr Fretless you were cool.

Steve and Scott (the next JS)

wolvesuk Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 2:36 pm
Third time I have seen Joe and this has been the best! his middle interlude with Headless horseman,Midnight,Starry Night and I believe was fantastic and the band sounded great allround!

drhbanger Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 12:50 pm
What a show! I would tend to agree with others about the sound quality, but it was acceptable. The NIA on the Engines of Creation tour had far better acoustics. Saying all that, Joe and the band put on a superb show, best gig ive been to since the last Satch concert in Birmingham! The opening song, Flying In A Blue dream was played to perfection and i loved hearing and seeing the finger-tapping on Midnight and The Headless Horseman! :o) The gig was getting better throughout the night and there was an excellent variety of tracks, old and new! The atmosphere was also excellent, Joe got the whole crowd going and all of the band were really enjoying themselves. I've seen Joe a few times now and he never fails to deliver. The bass and drum solos by Matt and Jeff were great too! The only thing that could've topped it would've been Stu on bass and a better venue (NIA was great in 2000!). I managed to get a great view too, could see those fingers in a magnificent blur!! What can i say, excellent show, excellent musicians, excellent atmosphere. Can't wait 'til the next time you visit Birmingham! In a word, FANTASTIC! I originally gave this 9/10, but i just have to give the whole 10! Thanx to Joe, Jeff, Matt and Galen for such a quality show. PS. Oh yeah, nearly forgot.. love the trousers Joe!!

thechromeboy Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 12:46 pm
What can I say? A truly amazing night. The songs were fantstic. Shame about the venue. Why not the NIA? Thanks for the backstage passes too. The bands performance was fantastic. Im quite speechless. Come back soon!

jimmygriff Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 11:58 am
My first gig, and what a start!!! Absalutely mindblowing, Crushing Day was amazing, Ice 9 brilliant, and everything else superb!!! The band were amazing, the crowd was amazing, the sound was amazing, the set list was amazing, the support was amazing, it was AMAZING!!! Can't wait for him to come back!!

adammorgan Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 10:40 am

Well, well, well what can i say...the guy is never human. He was absolutely awsome. MINDSTORM was just too much to take in...SUPERB!! This was the first time i've seen Satch in action and he was everything and more than what i expected. To finish on 'Friends' was the icing on the cake. The Sound in the Academy was spot on. Jeff Campitelli...What a bloke - Drum solo was awsome. Shame there was no Stu but the guy who filled his boots was certainly the man for the job - bass solo rocked.

Overall I wouldn't change a thing, the gig was spot on!

psychoguitarfrenzy Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 7 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 10:23 am
Well what can I say about last nights gig that would be constructive criticism? Firstly the venue wasn't realy suited to that type of concert, I mean that everybody wants to see Joe play and the vast majority of people had obstucted views of the stage, especially when the band sat down all I could see was the bands heads. I want to see Joe playing his guitar !!!!!! Secondly whats all this criticism about the sound? I have been to see Joe several times and I can honestly say that last nights sound was one of the best he has ever had. The last time I saw him at the B'ham NIA the sound was utter bollocks. The best venue I can think of that would realy have suited Joe down to the ground was the old B'ham Odeon. Thirdly I can say with all honesty that last night Joe seemed to come across more to me as a solo performer with a backing band, rather than everybody working as a unit. That is not knocking any of the other performers musical abilities but i think the classic line up of Joe, Stu & Jeff realy gets my musical juices flowing. All in all it was a good gig, not the best, certainly not the worst. It was great to hear him play some of the realy old obscure stuff & the new tunes came across realy well. It is always a pleasure to see Joe play & as usual I wiil be there to see him.

andyofuk Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 8:33 am
ohhh.. .. the back of my neck aches. Excellent stuff though.

sedge Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 8:24 am
What a night it was,without a shadow of a doubt the best gig ive ever been to-and i have been to alot.An excellent start with Flying In a Blue Dream got the place rockin' and it just got better and better from there.All my favourite songs were played-Raspberry Jam,Friends,The Extremist to name but a few.It was just like the Live in San Fransico DVD with the added bonus of being there to experience it.Joe dont leave it too long before you come back and visit the UK again-if the response you got from the crowd last night is anything to go by,the trip from the US will be well worth it!!!!!! Wish I was going to be in Manchester tonight to see it all over again-guess the DVD will just have to do instead.Keep rockin Satch!!

popefridge Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 7:35 am
Omg, sweet gig or what! Band on top form, wanna see it all over again! P.S I want that double neck guitar!! :)

gregstrut Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 6:45 am

Third time I have seen Satch live, and he's never failed to deliver. Great performance considering the small venue size and not so hot sound. The overall atmosphere was great as well, even if 90% of the crowd couldn’t see what was going on. I travelled up from Oxford so got in as Joe was playing Crush of Love. Can anyone let me know what I missed, hope it wasn’t much.

Thanks for a great show Joe, Jeff, Matt, and Galen and see you next time round.

Greg

mattthew Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 6:16 am

This was the first Satriani concert i've seen dispite being a fan for a few years (i'm only 18! so don't knock me for not liking him for 20.) In fact... this was the first ever concert i've ever been to (they cancelled the damn Guns 'n' Roses tour i was meant to go to last year.)

Anyways...

The venue wasn't as good as it should have been... it should have had a projection screen at least, as whilst i was downstairs i could not see at all! So i went upstairs and managed to cram my way to the front of the balcony. It was standing right in the centre of that, with no one in front of me. I had a great view. But many did not. (And Joe was unable to throw picks up to where i was :-(.

It was a really good concert. I was up on the balcony and managed to push my way to the front so i had a great view. Joe played a load of stuff off the new album as well as some classic (Flying in a blue dream, Surfin', Summer song, The extremist, I believe, Friends etcetc).

The new stuff was really good... it was nice to see Joe with his new 7-string for songs like 'Mind storm' and '7-string'. Not to mention his double neck tuned to E... any chance of sending me one of those Joe ;-).

The older stuff was really good too. Really got the crowd going. There was also a huge applause for the Bass and Drum solos that were really cool.

After much cheering, Joe and the band came back for an encore to play a couple of tracks.

He did/is doing (last one today *20th*) 3 concerts in the UK this tour. Which is really good... us british fans really appreciate it. Hope we see him here again!

PS:- I'm from Wales... i had to travel to England. Get Joe here in Wales to the Cardiff international arena... that would be amazing! Huge venue.

stevier Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 4:33 am
Totally awesome and an great performance by the man himself Only gripe -Next time - please play a bigger venue - trying to watch the stage from the bleachers was a difficult experience

dorsyboy Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 4:01 am
AN AWESOME EVENT,STARTED WITH FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM AND IT JUS GOT BETTER.WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE STU HAMM ON BASS BUT MATT BISONETTE FILLED IN SUITABLY.STARRY NIGHT WAS SPECTACULAR LIVE.JOE HIMSELF WAS THE EPITOME OF A GUITAR GOD AND AND IS CERTAINLY NUMBER 1.THE ACOUSTIC SET STARTED WITH TEARS IN THE RAIN FOLLOWED BY I BELIEVE WHICH DROVE THE FANS WILDBY ALL ACCOUNTS IT WAS A TRULY SPECTACULAR GIG AND I CANNOT WAIT FOR HIS NEXT VISIT TO BIRMINGHAM.

langrenus Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 8 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 3:50 am
My first Satriani gig, so obviously I was blown away...it definitely puts the live stuff off Time Machine into perspective. The venue wasn't the best around...I could barely walk out of the place because I'd been perched on my toes for most of the gig. But the quality of the performance made it more than worthwhile - thanks!! (and visit Wales next time)

robinpetrucci Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 3:15 am

WWOOOOWWWWWWWWW ! What a night. Fantastic show and a great crowd. Shame that the venue wasn't up to it. The acoustics were poor and it wasn't easy to get a decent view. Great atmosphere though.

JS played like the genius that he is, and Jeff was simply superb.

And how nice to see the headliner come on stage to introduce his support act - that was a SUPER COOL thing to do. JS may have his head in the stars but his feet are firmly on the ground. Thanks Joe for another superb evenings entertainement. You are simply THE BEST. Have a good tour and please, come back soon. Thanks again.

gudge Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 3:02 am
First time I've seen Joe, so that boosted the score up a little. As others have said, venue a bit duff, had a crap view, got neck ache from craning to see. Couldn't see anything when he sat down. Joe, why didn't you have a projection screen, especially when the stage is so low down. If not then get some higher chairs. I didn't think the sound was too bad. Having had a moan about the venue, can't complain at any of the band. Joe, well superb as you'd expect, Jeff - solid, Matt - held a great drive, and the solo with Jeff was excellent. Great set list, good to hear a variety of old stuff too. Can't wait til next time. What a cool night! and wet outside afterwards too. Wow!!!!!!

mattsmith82 Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 2:57 am

Joe,

My expectations were so high that i thought you could only disappoint. But no. It was the most amazing concert i had ever attended - over 2 and a half hours of pure genius (I especially enjoyed the 7-string), and the standing ovation you received at the end was rightly deserved. The sound quality was fantastic and balance perfect. And no breaks for a rest - how on earth do you do it?! What an experience! See you next time you tour UK,

Matt.

bilbo__baggins Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 8 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 1:57 am

Excellent show, played brilliantly, amazed by Jeff, hearing the songs from the new album made me realise just how good it is.

However, I too was very disappointed by the venue. Great atmosphere, but I think most people got a crap view (I heard lots of people grumbling) and the sound wasn't great.

vinchente Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 10 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 1:50 am
Incredible! Have seen Joe 11 times and this was the best. He was totally on mind-blowing form.....I can't express how brilliant he was, so I am not even going to try! Without a doubt the most talented guitarist of all time! And I got another plectrum! What a night........wow!

richo Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 7 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 12:19 pm
Oh no i never thought i would say this but i was so disappointed the Academy is total crap i mean this place did Joe no favours the sound was absolute rubbish i spoke to a few guys who had come up from Wales and they all said how bad the sound was, Joe should have played the NIA. sorry Joe but its true. The set was pretty much the same as Sheperds Bush, the crowd responded to Joe very well they where up for it as we say over here?. the atmosphere was great once again the master moved the crowd, as always its great to see the master at work but the sound oh no it was crap sorry Joe. Anyway Joe commented about the photographer pinching his pick while playing Joe could not believe it he said it was a first. I BELIEVE WAS BANG ON THIS TIME JOE, YOU SEEMED TOTALLY RELAXED NICE ONE. Jeff you have my full admiration you are solid as a rock as always never faulter never waver allways spot on. Nice to see you Matt long time no see still as good as when i first saw you with your kid brother Gregg on drums Extremists tour. Galen what can i say you keep the rhythm section tight keep up the good work. Overall apart from the sound i enjoyed the gig. Well must get some sleep manchester tonight.......Richo ps Joe the Alien guitar strap i missed it.

sparrow Fri Jul 19 '02
105
Academy, Birmingham,
Rank: 9 Posted: Sat Jul 20, '02 12:17 pm
Great show @ Birmingham Academy- Joe did some extra jamming/improvisation on all tracks. He spoke more this time, regarding his guitars and gave name of person who made "Snake". The sound quality was not as good here compared to Shepherds Bush Empire yesterday. Matt did a altered bass solo. Joe two things to say - 1) Thanks for coming back to the UK, 2) You will be lost without Jeff's talent on drums.