Hi Satch Fans!

Yes I know it's over a year since this gig took place but what the hell. This was Satriani show number five for me and I rate it as one of the most memorable concerts I have ever been part of. I thought Galan was a great addition to the band (particulary on 'FIABD') The set-list was a perfect blend of new, classics, fast and slow, a pity there was no 'Rubina' this time. The highlight for me was hearing live for the first time the amazing 'The Headless Horseman' played to perfection-wow! Satch gave a truly blistering performance. A fantastic show!

Thank you Joe, Jeff, Matt and Galan and come back and play the UK soon!

When I listen to music I always have felt deeply connected to the sound in a way which I seem to feel more with ( my heart? soul? or whatever it is) than rather just my ears . I'm sure you know what I mean, It's a personal experience which I could liken more to love than sound. A piece of good music leaves me feeling like I've just discovered a great admirer! Every Joe concert leaves me that way and this one was definately no exception! But the greatest thing about seeing Joe at Manchester was the feeling that one man can make me feel so good, I'm sure it did the same for everyone else who experienced it! A revelation musically ! The playing was so good it is hard to describe but it seems more real cos its visual. Thanks for a slice of your strange beautiful love cake Joe!!!!

Tom Steele U.K

Good show right mix of new and old satch tune's Joe's playing was great, my friends and I were blown away we got home and wanted to set fire to our own guitar's as I/we will never do them justice!!!

seriously though the band was good-sound was excellent, venue was a bit 70's but thats irrelevent, the only negative thing was the rhythm guitarist/tour manager looked a bit un happy/sour faced to be on stage, many of us would have gladly changed places.

look forward to seeing joe again soon.

On Friday we made the trip to the NIA Academy like so many others and then sprinted through the middle of Birmingham to that grotty venue at Dale End. Joe was, as ever, superb but the sound was poor and the venue crap. We stood about 10 feet from the stage and couldn't see a thing for most of the set. It's criminal that an artist of such stature should play at such a rubbish venue.

Saturday was better at the Apollo but it stil doesn't match the NIA Academy where we last saw Satch in 2000.

Joe, we think its great that you and the lads visit these shores as often as you do, but please don't leave it so long until next time, and PLEASE get someone to sort some decent venues. We do have them in the UK, even though you may be wondering where!

This is the forth time that I have seen satch, and once again he shows his class

I was right at the front ten foot away from him and it was amazing. Shame about the two lads jumping on stage at the end of the night. Mike Manning went from being a guitar tech to a bouncer in seconds.

Joe, I know that many people worldwide request you to play in their home towns. I just want to say thanks for coming to manchester . We hope to see you there again soon.

P.s. Thanks for your acknowledgement of my enthusiasm during surfin with the alien

two words SHEER CLASS

What an amazing gig. Joe and the band were truly on form, particularly in the second half - the bit after he sat down to play!

Pitty he isn't a bit taller though, because we couldn't see him at all when he sat down. Great to hear some of the new stuff ans well as the old favourites.

Pity we have to wait a whole year before we get to see him again.

Managed to get one or two quite nice photos's despite the crowds...check 'em out

This is my first Satch gig. What a performance! I was really looking forward to this gig since watching Mr Vai last Xmas..... This blew me away.. Watching Joe play is simply mesmerizing!! I thoroughly enjoyed the night and I wished he'd play even longer but even Joe needs a break!! I really liked those prototype guitars he used on stage.... The 7 String mahogany Ibanez and the Double neck Ibanez. ...Really nice. I want them!!!

Now the only thing I wished for if I was much taller. Being short like me isn't easy when you are standing.. And I was near the front as well!!!!

A good night to remember..

Keep up the good work Joe..

Truly stunning. (won't mention the support act!!!!)

Seen Satch many times and this was his best show by far. In fact it was one of the best gigs I've been to (probably only beaten by Dream Theater performing Scenes from a Memory in 2000).

The main highlight was Crushing Day (been waiting years to see how Joe did that) which was note-for-note perfect but then would you expect anything else? Joe played this with a really warm tone with what sounded like a touch of choras.

All the usual favourites were performed with the new songs working much better live than on the Strange Beautiful Music album and in fact served as a respite for those of us who have seen Summer Song et al at least 5 times!!

Joe also played a prototype 7 string Ibanez on Seven String and Mind Storm. This looked like it had a natural, oiled mahogany body and sounded really meaty, it was in a similar style to the JS series but seemed to have a slightly thicker body - COME ON IBANEZ, GET THIS RELEASED - MONEYs NO OBJECT!!!! On the subject of guitars - one of Joe's ChromeBoy guitars was fitted with Seymour Duncan pickups (he used this on Cool #9 and others), if anyone knows what these pickups are please E-mail me and tell all!

Jeff was his usual ace self behind his drums but Stu Hamm was sorely missed - Stu seems to have this real ability to fill the space where Joe's rythym guitars usually occupy, but with Stu gone and an in-audible rythym guitarist parts of Joe's set sounded a little empty.

Joe really set the stage alight last night..... although previous reviewers have noted the same interplay between Satch and the audience every night - ie he seems to have a script in mind and I can confirm (after watching his webcast) that this is true... but that matters none when the performance was as good as it was - all 2.5hrs of it!!!

Here's waiting until next time.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What an experience. We were on the way to the show it was 7:20 then i looked at my tickets doors open at 7!!! NO!!!!!!! i thought it would start without me being there. I was pleasantly surprised. :-) I was even more happy when we saw the location of the seats second row from the front directly in the middle! :-)

THen it all went dark and joe came on stage. everyone went mad thinking this is the man behind the brilliance! Then he introduced this dude on the freless guitar. he was a bit crazy but he was ok. nothing special. Joe came on 10 minutes later and as soon as he started the front 2 rows jumped up and ran right to the front of the stage which was where we were situated all night. Flying in a blue dream was first. he played all my fav songs and "I believe was amazing!!!!" starry night was good and he played 2 good songs using the prototype ibanez 7 string. i then got a plec thrown right at me and it hit me in the eye and the guy behind flashed his camera on the fllor and picked it up as i was searching for it. i was so gutted :-'( . then there was another thrown really close to it and a friend with me go it. at the end he played friends and the last plec was thrown to the edge of the stage. two massive long haired dudes living in the 80's were fighting really badly over it and i said chill its a piece of plastic even if joe has played with it. but they battled away. But it was such an amazing night that i would have paid £50 instead of £19.75 to see this amazing live ALIEN! the drum and bass solo was alos very cool and i like matt bissonette not as much as stu hamm but he's good. the only person i didn't like was Galen Hanson. in songs he was doing exactly the same lead as JOE? and he was strumming a lot through songs and it could not be hurd at all. the end to Always With Me Always With You was amazing must have been 3 minutes long. after joe said thanx for lettin us jam.

he did something where he played a riff and got the crowd to copy it alos that was really cool. this was my first time seeing stach and i was not dissapointed. it was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 my parents went (not with me i hasten to add ) and mum said it compares quite highly to santana when she saw him live. so all these ppl wqho are saying joe was crap compared to santana and clapton (r2c - GRAHAM KING!!!!!) need to shut up cos if they could play half as good i would eat my HAT!!!!!!

anyway sorry for boring u bye!!!!!!!!

AMAZING... it is so much better live.

support guy was great too.... cool hair.

SATCH RULES!

Hi. still completely blown away from last night. I've always thought Joe to be the greatest guitarist ever and this certainly made be certain on that fact. This was one of the best nights of my life! I had heard that he wouldn’t be playing many songs off the Crystal Pant album, which I was quite disappointed with because I really wanted to hear ceremony live. But the tracks he played were played so well and sounded so good I forgot about that. This was the first time for me seeing Joe so I didn’t really know what to expect in a live show off him. But it surpassed anything like I would thought it would be. Belly Dancer, Summer Song, Surfing With The Alien and I Believe were the stand out tracks for me.

Thank you so so much Joe for the great gig. See you next time you come to Manchester.

The show was just about to beggin, but i needed to ,you know go, buti couldnt because i was too nervous about seeing joe. Then i got back and the support was about to start,when i find out i have lost my satch shades, Calamity. I managed to find them ,and the support act was great, ned playing a frettless!! accoustic, it was awsome, then out comes joe and everybody runs to the stage,so naturally i wasnt going to just sit there. First song was flying in a blue dream, it was great even better than straight off the cd, next was CRUSHING DAY!! wow i couldnt believe this. He also played ice 9, some from his new albumn,belly oriental melody,mind storm,new last jam and 7 string.Also cooll no 9 was played with a really coool beginnig.I loved the mystical potato hed groove thing,rasberry delta V was cool with lots of effects,I couldnt believe it Joe sang i believe. i was just soo in my own world by this time,just gawping at the hands of god, joe sang really well and i joined in, the audience love him! Headless horseman then followed by midnight,both tapping songs,and awsome at that, the played surfing(of course) that ruled too. They all took a bow then went off stage, then came back on and gave us a little satch boogie, and last but not least friends. Some guy next to me in the audience just got up on stage and joe shook him by the hand, WOW lucky guy, joe threw picks after most songs but unfourtunately i couldnt get any(boo hoo), oh my golly gosh when i finally managed to get to the front of the stage(right at the front) joe looked at my and pointed to me and smiled, probably because i had a totally bald head and sun glasses on. Overall it was the best concert i have ever been to and will be looking forward to seeing him again SOON hopefully, thanks to the rest of the band,jeff ruled on the drums, and matt on the bass was cool, also to the rhythm guitarist, and the crew

ollie P.s i am sorry but santana doesnt cmpare to satch

Great venue, the hall had a nice large roof inside and this really helped the sound to travel! Pretty much spot on from Joe all the way and of course Jeff and Matt keeping the rhythm tight! Well done! I'll definately be on the lookout for more of Joe's shows in the future. Please come back! I'd recommend anyone going to see him, he absolutely got the sound spot on and you couldn't ask for a more value for money experience in terms of how many songs they played!

Final word......OUTSTANDING!