While the boss is busy it's Vai time

By Zakk - Death Metal Correspondent

WITH the owner/Editor was bust reviewing the Steve Vai concert at the Mandella Hall (see his review for Metal Rules here) I was busy scribbling my thoughts down in the strange place in my brain normally reserved for deathly metal sounds.

The first thing to note is that established blogs and zines, like this one and Metal-Rules.com are too often not treated with the respect they deserve; after all a few paragraphs in a print magazine may, or may not be read, but on this blog and on zines like Metal-Rules they are almost certainly to be read and the links spread about on social media.

Such was the frustration on getting the passes that were ordered, but thanks to Mr Vai's people all was well in the end.

And what a show Vai put on - two and a half hours of sheer hard rocking guitar playing.

While I bow to the owner and editor of the sites prose, I shall put it more bluntly. As a sometime twiddler of the six-string the bag of tricks pulled out by Steve Vai was almost unparalleled. Never mind the widdlers on Youtube, this was the real deal.

Suffice to say that Vai is a great guitar god, but watching someone w**k over their guitar for any length of time can be boring; hence Vai made it a real rock show - lights, costume changes and a talented band behind his every move.

One thing that can be  certain: every guitar player there will be vowing to get practicing, to try and emulate even 10% of what Steve can achieve.

So, head off to http://www.metal-rules.com/metalnews/2013/08/31/steve-vai-mandella-hall-belfast/ and read what the boss has to say and I'll try and figure out just how fast I can sweep pick a solo...