Live Review: Joe Satriani, Sit Down, Servant

As mixed bag opening act Sit Down, Servant were heckled from stage left by a mischievous looking Kelly Gang, the tone of the night was already set in stone; outstanding musicianship and musical soundscapes to blow the mind of the conscious listener.

Joe Satriani, the virtuoso guitar lord himself cranked out the opening bluesy-rock riffs to Jumpin’ In from 2013’s Unstoppable Momentum and got the show underway. The major point of separation between Satriani and his contemporaries has always been his ability to weave the tendrils of his noodling around solid riff and song structure, the ability to build into a groove, and throughout his career this has remained a constant value. From 1986’s The Crush Of Love, possibly the catchiest Satch tune, to 1989’s Flying In A Blue Dream, to the title track off the new album Satriani has remained faithful to his songwriting.

The syncopation and twin guitar harmonies of Lies And Truths got heads nodding, and cheers erupted for the jaunty Satch Boogie. After a blistering drum solo from Marco Minnemann, the Satchman closed the main set with the crescendo-ascending Time Machine and the title track from arguably his most famous release, Surfing With The Alien. The crowd wasted no time cheering the band back on and Satriani was happy to oblige. Seizing the opportunity to build upon the involvement of the now standing crowd the band launched into Crowd Chant, struggling to match the Satch and his ferocious whammy attack.