# Generation Axe Supergroup & Tour - Vai, Malmsteen, Wylde, Nuno & Tosin



## OmegaSlayer (Feb 17, 2016)

*HOLY FVCK'N SH!T*


www.generationaxe.com


February 16, 2016  The term supergroup gets thrown around on a regular basis these days, however, a new tour featuring some of the greatest guitarists of all time is about to truly give the term a whole new meaning.



Introducing: Generation Axe, featuring Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi.



Beginning on April 5th in Seattle, Generation Axe  A Night Of Guitars is hitting the road for 26 performances in North America. Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, February 19th.



The Generation Axe show is a unique performance of five fiercely talented guitar players coming together to create a 6-string extravaganza that is sure to amaze and delight, commented Steve Vai.



The Generation Axe fan experience will go way beyond simply gathering five guitar greats on one stage to jam. Each tour stop will include a variety of collaborations by the five players, including everyone performing together as one cohesive band with a rhythm section including Pete Griffin (Dweezil Zappa, Stanley Clarke, Edgar Winter) on bass and Nick Marinovich (Yngwie Malmsteen) on keys. Vai, Wylde, Malmsteen, Bettencourt and Abasi will perform songs from their various catalogs and join forces on some well-known songs (as well as probably a few unexpected, unearthed gems). 



Making this rare tour experience even more special, Generation Axe VIP packages will be offered, giving fans access to these guitars masters and exclusive one-of-a-kind memorabilia. A front row package (including a meet & greet), a meet & greet package, and a VIP tour package will be available. For more information, visit www.generationaxe.com. 



About the Generation Axe Members



While many artists fit easily into a single category, Steve Vai remains unclassifiable. Vai is a virtuoso guitarist, visionary composer, and consummate audio producer who sculpts musical sound with infinite creativity and technical mastery. He is one of the most in-demand, versatile, eloquent and soulful guitarists in the business. The GRAMMY Award-winner has sold over 15 million albums and toured the world as a solo artist, a member of G3, and with Frank Zappa, Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake. Vai launched his successful solo career with the release of Flex-Able in 1984 and has written, produced, and engineered all of his solo albums. He has appeared as a guest artist on more than 40 albums and created music for blockbuster films, best-selling video games, national sports franchises, and corporate brand initiatives. Vai has earned honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and Musicians Institute. For more info, visit: - vai.com  The Official Steve Vai Website



GRAMMY Award-winner Zakk Wyldes legendary career includes a lengthy tenure with Ozzy Osbourne in which Wylde co-wrote and recorded several albums, including the multi-platinum No More Tears, Osbournes largest selling solo album featuring the classic hit single, Mama, Im Coming Home and the bulk of the double platinum 2002 set, Ozzmosis. With Osbourne, Wylde has played on countless world tours and television appearances, with his signature bullseye Les Paul in tow. Wylde has his mitts imprinted on Hollywoods Rock Walk of Fame; guest-starred alongside Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston in the movie Rockstar; and even momentarily joined Axl, Slash and Duff in Guns N Roses. But nothing offers the pure expression of Zakk Wyldes animalistic id like Black Label Society, the stomping, heavy, bluesy, recklessly unhinged hard-rock-metal quartet who are quick to rip up a solo as to dip into a piano-fueled anthemic ballad. For more info, visit: The Official Website For Zakk Wylde

When Yngwie J. Malmsteen hit the scene in the early 80s, he turned the entire guitar world upside down; never before was guitar playing like his ever heard. Drawing inspiration from his love for Baroque and Romantic classical music, Malmsteen employs classical violin techniques such as four and five octave arpeggios, pedal notes, and harmonic minor, diminished and Phrygian scales, flawlessly delivered at mind-boggling levels of speed and clarity. In doing so, he has singlehandedly created a brand new style of guitar playing and composing that is still derived from today. In addition to having written and produced 35+ neoclassical rock albums, Malmsteen composed and orchestrated the Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra, which he recorded with the prestigious Czech Philharmonic in Prague, conducted by Yoel Levy of Atlanta Symphony fame. Malmsteen subsequently performed the piece live with the the New Japan Philharmonic and the Taipei Symphony, among others. Malmsteen has received numerous Grammy nominations, hundreds of magazine covers, dozens of Readers Poll and Composer of the Year Awards, a plaque on the Rock Walk of Fame, signature model guitars, amps, pickups, strings, picks, pedals, microphones, and more. TIME Magazine placed him as one of the top ten guitarists of all time. Some 35 years and 25 million+ album sales later, Yngwie shows no signs of slowing down, with his brand new record World on Fire due for release in April 2016. For more info, visit: Yngwie Malmsteen's official website



Guitar virtuoso, singer-songwriter, and record producer, Nuno Bettencourt rose to international prominence as a guitar player with the GRAMMY-nominated, Boston-area band EXTREME, one of the most successful rock acts of the early to mid 1990s selling over 10 million records worldwide. Musically, EXTREME is dominated by Bettencourts blistering guitar riffs, often with funky, syncopated timing, and incendiary, high-speed rock/metal solos. Bettencourt penned the acoustic ballad More Than Words that went to #1 on the Billboard charts and Hole Hearted that reached #4. He has released multiple solo albums as well as with bands he founded including Mourning Widows Population 1, Dramagods and Satellite Party. Bettencourt has written, produced and performed with many legendary artists including Rihanna, Steven Tyler, Paul McCartney, Janet Jackson and many others. For more info, visit: www.nunobettencourt.com 



Oluwatosin Ayoyinka Olumide Abasi, better known as Tosin Abasi, is a Nigerian American guitarist known as the guitar player and founder of the instrumental progressive metal band, Animals as Leaders. Abasis compositions of intricate music have garnered critical acclaim in a few short years. Abasi is part of the breed of new contemporary players who are raising the bar on the concept of electric guitar virtuosity. His approach to the guitar stems from a passion for advanced techniques and harmony. Using 7-, 8-, and 9-string guitars have allowed Abasi to create a highly unique and individual sound. For more info, visit: www.facebook.com/animalsasleaders 



> GENERATION AXE TOUR DATES
> 
> April 5, 2016  Seattle, WA  Paramount Theatre
> 
> ...


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## Louis Cypher (Feb 17, 2016)

Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde and More Announce Generation Axe Supergroup and Tour | GuitarWorld



GuitarWorld said:


> The term supergroup gets thrown around on a regular basis these days, however, a new tour featuring some of the greatest guitarists of all time is about to truly give the term a whole new meaning.
> 
> Introducing: Generation Axe, featuring Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi. Beginning April 5 in Seattle, Generation Axe: A Night of Guitars is hitting the road for 26 performances in North America. Tickets for all shows go on sale February 19. That's this Friday, folks.
> 
> ...


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## Ordacleaphobia (Feb 17, 2016)

OmegaSlayer said:


> The Generation Axe show is a unique performance of five fiercely talented guitar players coming together to create a _*6-string extravaganza*_ that is sure to amaze and delight, commented Steve Vai.



I hope Tosin got the memo.


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## Mvotre (Feb 17, 2016)

I love how they always use pre fat Malmsteen pics in ads


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## OmegaSlayer (Feb 17, 2016)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ge...n/307474-generation-axe-gig-humiliated-d.html
I opened the thread 2 hours ago


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## Louis Cypher (Feb 17, 2016)

OmegaSlayer said:


> http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ge...n/307474-generation-axe-gig-humiliated-d.html
> I opened the thread 2 hours ago



My bad mate I didn't see it 

Mods: Can you remove please


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## CaptainD00M (Feb 17, 2016)

Mvotre said:


> I love how they always use pre fat Malmsteen pics in ads



To be fair to Yngvie J Malmsteen, the guy has lost a fair bit of weight since he got super fat. I mean he's not the skinny shred kid he used to be in the 80's, but then none of the older guys in there are looking amazing though.

Vai looks like someone pulled skin over a skeleton these days and Wylde looks like a giant hung over Billy Gibbons, which is impressive as he stopped drinking about five years ago.

If they do a G3 style jam I'd be most interested to see how Tosin fits in, and how many times Vai steps over everyone else to get his melodic thing in XD

As an aside anyone think Malmsteen looks like Lars Ulrich in this picture?


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## xCaptainx (Feb 18, 2016)

It's nice that they've given Zakk a few months to practise for this.


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## SubConArtist (Feb 18, 2016)

marshville, tarnassar

might be goin to dis duddy


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## Alex Kenivel (Feb 18, 2016)

"... and last but not least, on Bass guitar, Tosin Abasi!" 

But for reals, my reaction:


They're coming to Oakland the day after my sons birthday. It's gonna be a Happy birthday for Chris! (and I)


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## Wildebeest (Feb 18, 2016)

Is that not a fairly recent picture of Malmsteen? That looks like post-fat Malmsteen.

Edit: Nevermind, can't be too recent, he doesn't have the neoclassical sideburns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x39RfwMXrMs


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## Veldar (Feb 18, 2016)

I'm sure it will be, ummm, interesting to hear live...


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## Unleash The Fury (Feb 19, 2016)

that pic of yngwie is during the Steeler/Alcatraz Era 1983-1984

Honestly I'm a huge Yngwie fan but I am no a fanboy. I know he tends to overplay and over-shred everything, but I just hope for some miracle that he decides not to over-play everything during this collaboration tour. It's kind of embarrassing really when he does. Like on the G3 tour DVD with Vai and Satch where he just played as fast as he could the entire time during the trade-offs between the 3. Learn to jam and fit in with the other guys when your all on stage at the same time!


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## AliceLG (Feb 19, 2016)

Having seen Zakk live last year, I have no idea what the hell he's doing in that line-up. He's an accomplished musician and has done way more than most, there's no doubt about that. Is he at a comparable level to the other 4 guys though? I think not.


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## Rolanthas (Feb 19, 2016)

CaptainD00M said:


> but then none of the older guys in there are looking amazing though.



Except for Nuno, who refuses the very concept of aging it seems.

Very interesting lineup, and optimistic side of me kinda hopes Zakk goes out of his comfort zone during these a bit.


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## CaptainD00M (Feb 19, 2016)

Rolanthas said:


> Except for Nuno, who refuses the very concept of aging it seems.



Yeah he's a bit like Chris Cornell in that respect, my boss is also like that. ............ is 50 and has a girlfriend whose barely 4 years older than me and looks like he's just about to leave his 30's.


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## The Mirror (Feb 19, 2016)

So. It's basically Satriani's G3 + 2?


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## Andromalia (Feb 19, 2016)

Who cares if Malmsteen is fat or not, BB King wasn't exactly slim either and nobody cared.


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## asher (Feb 19, 2016)

That's a ridiculous lineup. Might try to get up to DC for this!


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## technomancer (Feb 19, 2016)

Andromalia said:


> Who cares if Malmsteen is fat or not, BB King wasn't exactly slim either and nobody cared.



It's the internet, some people actively search for things to be douche bags about


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## thrsher (Feb 19, 2016)

i got tickets for the Long Island performance, should be interesting


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## Rosal76 (Feb 19, 2016)

Just purchased tickets. Curious to see Nuno Bettencourt. Wasn't aware that he released solo albums. Dying to see Tosin Abasi play his 8 string Ibanez. This will be the first time, other than on Youtube, that I've seen anyone play a 8 string live.


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## vilk (Feb 19, 2016)

Am I the only one that finds Zakk stands out as being significantly less impressive a guitarist than the rest of these shred-masters?


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## AxeHappy (Feb 19, 2016)

Scored my tickets. Aside from the VIP packages the prices for this are really reasonable.


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## Michael_Ten (Feb 19, 2016)

Seems they've made an attempt to appeal to every demographic of rock/metal guitarist.

Modern gear nerd/tech wanker: Tosin Abasi
ShRed neck: Zakk Wylde
Progressive guitarist elitist: Steve Vai
Neo-Classical bedroom shredder: Yngwie Malmsteen
"tru rocker, the 80s were the glory days" hair-metal guy: Nuno Battencourt

All so different in style in order to cast the widest net, but so little crossover in actual musical content. Battencourt, Malmsteen and Vai have a small chance of making it work between the three of them, provided Battencourt decides to be the bigger man and stick with rhythm, Vai can keep his ego in check and Malmsteen decides to play some tasteful stuff for once in his life. But throw Wylde in the mix and everything gets messed up as soon as you leave E minor blues. Then you'd have Abasi sitting on the back going like "when can I play my polyrhythms?"


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## AxeHappy (Feb 19, 2016)

I am reasonable sure that every musician here, even Zakky, is talented enough to make it work together. I am sure they have rehearsed together. 

People love to bitch.


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## CapnForsaggio (Feb 19, 2016)

To be honest, aside from the melodic intervals (Zakk being blues and Yngwvie being claissical), I don't find Zakk and Yng to have that different of a playing style.... Basically, they can play *this* fast, so they do.

Yes, Yng prob knows more scales, but is he really contributing to his MUSIC any more than Zakk? I think not.

Mindlessly vampling Vivaldi is akin to and equal to mindlessly vamping Rhoads (may his soul rest in peace).


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## Riffer (Feb 19, 2016)

I'm actually really excited to see Zakk. I've always loved his tone and his style. It sounds like that at any moment he's just going to break a string or blow something up. Also really looking forward to Nuno. Tosin I've seen a few times but it will be interesting to see what he does on this tour.


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## tedtan (Feb 19, 2016)

Michael_Ten said:


> "tru rocker, the 80s were the glory days" hair-metal guy: Nuno Battencourt



While your post was funny overall, this isn't fair to Nuno at all. 

He's got a lot more going on than hair metal, and Extreme weren't really typical hair metal, anyway. They were more funky hard rock that got forced into a hair metal image due to the time period they came out.


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## NoodleFace (Feb 19, 2016)

Nuno had some of the best tone to come from the 80's, very woody and strong. His play style was insane too.


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## Andromalia (Feb 19, 2016)

I really, really, really loved ZW in the 90es. Now he's sort of caricaturing himself.
He's the only one of those whose music I digged, althtough he didn't write everything by himself. The others are moire on the "interesting" side but I'm not really a fan. 
I almost purchased an ESP replica of ZW burnt LP with the beer capsules in 1995 in Japan.


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## Michael_Ten (Feb 19, 2016)

tedtan said:


> While your post was funny overall, this isn't fair to Nuno at all.
> 
> He's got a lot more going on than hair metal, and Extreme weren't really typical hair metal, anyway. They were more funky hard rock that got forced into a hair metal image due to the time period they came out.



I wasn't aware my post was fair to any of the 5 guitarists featured in this thread.


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## Wildebeest (Feb 19, 2016)

AxeHappy said:


> I am reasonable sure that every musician here, even Zakky, is talented enough to make it work together. I am sure they have rehearsed together.
> 
> People love to bitch.


Yeah Wylde can really let it rip. I think this tour is going to be great, I would have bought tickets if they weren't $125 at the lowest cost in my area. I've seen Steve and Tosin live, I just really want to see Yngwie at least once. He was my idol in 8th grade.


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## Veldar (Feb 19, 2016)

Tosin for sure & properly Vai have enough theory to play under the others soloing, but will they???


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## Slunk Dragon (Feb 21, 2016)

I'm super geeked for this, I really hope I don't miss out on it!


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## CaptainD00M (Feb 22, 2016)

Veldar said:


> Tosin for sure & properly Vai have enough theory to play under the others soloing, but will they???



Vai will definitely play OVER others solos, just watch any G3 jam, if you're not Satriani then he will step on you.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Feb 22, 2016)

CaptainD00M said:


> Vai will definitely play OVER others solos, just watch any G3 jam, if you're not Satriani then he will step on you.



Odd, on the contrary, I thought Yngwie was doing just that during the Satch/Vai/Yngwie G3 jams. 



Still awesome either way though. 

And I the only time I ever saw Vai play over a solo was when G3 played in Melbourne. Satch was doing the outro solo jam during Always and suddenly a bunch of long sustaining notes were going on in the background for Vai to introduce himself. Petrucci did something similar right afterwards.


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## OmegaSlayer (Feb 22, 2016)

I'm not a fan of Zakk but I respect him.
Zakk is a great guitarist.
He rips, he's different than the others, and you know it's him from 2 notes.
And HE can play better than 99% of us in this forum, he just has his style, it's only a pentatonic? Yes but few can play a pentatonic and give it an aggressive meaning like him.


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## Louis Cypher (Feb 22, 2016)

This is an awesome line up, sucks thats its only in the US and not coming to the UK, only one I am not a fan of (personally) is Tosin

Think its pretty fair to say based on all the other G3 tours and the Guitar Wars tours etc etc that all of them will be giving each other a huge amount of respect and space to allow each other to let rip.

If I was goign to see this then tbh the one I would be most excited bout seeing would be Nuno.


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## CaptainD00M (Feb 22, 2016)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> Odd, on the contrary, I thought Yngwie was doing just that during the Satch/Vai/Yngwie G3 jams.



Also a legit observation, it seems to me the equation runs: Planet size ego + Skill + Guitar Jam = Poor Guitar Etiquette.

If you watch G3 in Tokyo Vai does step on Petrucci quite some too. Maybe he realised that he couldn't battle the mass of Yngwie 's ego 

But in all seriousness, while this kind of thing does make me cynical I am kinda fuzzy over Zakk being there. Sure he's been stuck in a mad rut for probably about 15 years now but he is the reason I picked up guitar and he is probably the only one out of all those guys who still influences me today.


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## GraemeH (Feb 22, 2016)

I'm not sure how the jams are going to go - I've only heard Zakk spam pentatonics, and despite having a great respect for Tosin's ability and his music, every time I've heard him try to improvise I've wanted to turn it off right now. He's terrible at it. People give the "oh it's just jazzy that's why you don't get it" excuse but it's just nonsense meandering all over the fretboard.

Great to see Nuno in there though, obviously Rhianna is a big gig but it's not like he gets to go wild with his chops there.


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## Mangle (Feb 22, 2016)

Got my tix for opening night.... which is going to be interesting for sure. Can't wait to see all the blunders, tech nightmares and glitch wundebar the first night of the tour brings! I have faith it won't turn the gig into an unwatchable horror. Although I would've rather seen the show a few nights into the run, there's no way I'm missing this!


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## Mvotre (Feb 22, 2016)

waiting for the videos 

I believe Zakk will stand out in this gig. When out of his confort zone, he will play some cool things


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## CapnForsaggio (Feb 22, 2016)

I have a prediction:

Three gigs into the tour, Sober-caveman-Zakk will not like Drunk-puffyshirt-Yngwie, and will use his guitar solo time to punch him off the stage, much to everyone's mixed-emotions.


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## leftyguitarjoe (Feb 22, 2016)

OmegaSlayer said:


> I'm not a fan of Zakk but I respect him.
> Zakk is a great guitarist.
> He rips, he's different than the others, and you know it's him from 2 notes.
> And HE can play better than 99% of us in this forum, he just has his style, it's only a pentatonic? Yes but few can play a pentatonic and give it an aggressive meaning like him.



What I like about his style is how you can hear him pick the ever living sh!t out of notes. Like, yeah, its just a super fast pentatonic run, but he is nailing every note so it sounds like a triggered keyboard, like real staccato or something. I'm having a hard time explaining it


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## Michael_Ten (Feb 22, 2016)

CapnForsaggio said:


> I have a prediction:
> 
> Three gigs into the tour, Sober-caveman-Zakk will not like Drunk-puffyshirt-Yngwie, and will use his guitar solo time to punch him off the stage, much to everyone's mixed-emotions.



I so hope that happens. It would make the ticket worth it.


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## Unleash The Fury (Feb 22, 2016)

fwiw yngwie has been sober for over 10 years now


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## M3CHK1LLA (Feb 23, 2016)

interesting line up indeed.

im trying to imagine 1 song from each artist that could be put together for one awesome medley...

...any ideas?


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## Louis Cypher (Feb 23, 2016)

^
prob be some of the same staples form the extended G3 jams, Little Wing or Voodoo Chilie, Smoke on the Water stuff like that


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## Unleash The Fury (Feb 24, 2016)

I guess that depends on who's going to be the ringleader of the whole thing


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## Bloody_Inferno (Feb 24, 2016)

Meanwhile...







Makes sense since 2/3rds of The Aristocrats are Satch's backing band. Really stoked for this.


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## Alex Kenivel (Feb 26, 2016)

Fox Theater here I come!


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## Pikka Bird (Feb 26, 2016)

Andromalia said:


> Who cares if Malmsteen is fat or not, BB King wasn't exactly slim either and nobody cared.



It's because they're using old pictures where he's slim instead of something current like the others. Probably Yngwie's own demand.


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## ihunda (Apr 8, 2016)

At fox right now, seat r29, anybody else from sso?
So many marshals...


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## Emperor Guillotine (Apr 9, 2016)

$65 for me to go to the Generation Axe tour date here in my city.

Ehhh...think I'll pass. Something tells me that I'll be kicking myself for missing this once-in-a-lifetime show though.


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## Alex Kenivel (Apr 9, 2016)

ihunda said:


> At fox right now, seat r29, anybody else from sso?
> So many marshals...



I was over in V4. ZW made my ears bleed  that guy can definitely widdly-widdly himself out of anything. When he walked into the crowd the first time he was right in front of me with one of his pointy Wylde Audio guitars, weedly-weedling away. It was a little much, just quadruplets the whole time. 

Tosin killed it, especially since Matt Garstka was the drummer for like the entire show. Grooves like a mawfvckah. I loved how there were soooo many Marshalls and a bunch of Vai's amps with Tosins little Axe FX hiding in between, and his tone was HUGE. 

Nuno played on Physical Ed and seemed like the emcee of the night. Zakk Wylde kept insinuating that the backup band was on steroids. 

And in case anyone was wondering, there was no PRS 8 string, but he did play his new wonky Ibby and his Rick Toone


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## ramses (Apr 9, 2016)

Alex Kenivel said:


> And in case anyone was wondering, there was no PRS 8 string, but he did play his new wonky Ibby and his Rick Toone




I loved how the audience reacted to Tosin's Rick Toone


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## ihunda (Apr 9, 2016)

Indeed, some of guys had cranked marshall without mic'ing and they sounded terrible! Zakk & Ygnwe for example. Tosin had the best tone with the Axe FX for sure! It looked like Vai and Nuno were mic'ed and they sounded good as well.


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## Emperor Guillotine (Apr 9, 2016)

Alex Kenivel said:


> And in case anyone was wondering, there was no PRS 8 string, but he did play his new wonky Ibby and his Rick Toone


That is because he probably can't play the PRS live. (Again, endorsement contract probably prohibits it.)

Wish I could've seen the audience's reaction to his Toone build though. Seems like it goes over well at any AAL show, but at a show like this with a bunch of older folks and people who aren't players, I can only imagine the audience's initial reaction.


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## extendedsolo (Apr 9, 2016)

Got my tickets the day they came out. I was really interested to see how much the VIP packages were, but there is no way I'm spending that much. 

I've seen Vai before and thought he put on an incredible show for a band that doesn't have a vocalist/cheerleader. Hopefully they have some of the kinks worked out from the first month of dates.

I'm just curious how the whole thing works. Also were there any females in attendance at any of these shows?


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## Emperor Guillotine (Apr 9, 2016)

extendedsolo said:


> Also were there any females in attendance at any of these shows?


Yeah........all with their husbands.


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## asher (Apr 9, 2016)

Didn't know Garska was doing the entire show, awesome.

So, would it be worth paying 35 bucks for quasi-nosebleeds and hoofing it up to DC for?


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## ramses (Apr 9, 2016)

Emperor Guillotine said:


> Yeah........all with their husbands.




Haha ... no, dude.

I saw a bunch of lady fans. Some went alone. And a couple of ladies took their guitars to be signed; one had an N7.

Maybe in that last case it was a guy taken to the show by his wife


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## extendedsolo (Apr 9, 2016)

asher said:


> Didn't know Garska was doing the entire show, awesome.
> 
> So, would it be worth paying 35 bucks for quasi-nosebleeds and hoofing it up to DC for?



Let me tell you a piece of advice I got from someone that had the chance to see Nirvana, but passed because "I'll see them next time through", and then Kurt died.

He always recommends seeing a band if you have the opportunity and want. Seriously, Vai doesn't tour a ton, Tosin could lose his hand in a freak accident (I hope not). This tour is most definitely a one time thing. Go see the show and decide for yourself.


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## ihunda (Apr 9, 2016)

A video frome last night show in Oakland:


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## Unleash The Fury (Apr 10, 2016)

Disclaimer : Yngwie is my favorite guitarist.

But I'm not a fanboy. I realize his faults, and feel embarrassed for him. He NEVER plays out of his comfort zone. And Steve knows this. Since Steve is at the helm of this show, I'm sure he makes the final decisions. I notice how during highway star, when everyone has their own solo spot, the song structure and tempos change, all the guys are able to tailor and adjust to it. It's so cool how it's like many different songs in one.......but when it's Yngwies turn to solo, it's just a standard drum beat "dooka dokka dooka dokka dooka dokka", that type of beat. And that is what is within Yngwies comfort zone, and Steve knows this, that's why he had Yngwie solo over those parts, yet changed it up for everybody else; because everybody else is able to adapt and tailor their solo around the structure. But not Yngwie, he's gotta blaze as fast as he can with no regard to the tempo or mood of the song at hand. 

I have a new respect for Tosin, he's very chill and cool. I don't care for every song having a 9.5/26.4 time signature, but hes a very great player nonetheless, and proved worthy to hang with the big boys.


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## ramses (Apr 10, 2016)

Unleash The Fury said:


> Disclaimer : Yngwie is my favorite guitarist.
> 
> But I'm not a fanboy. I realize his faults [...] he's gotta blaze as fast as he can with no regard to the tempo or mood of the song at hand.



Yngwie was my first favorite guitarist when I started playing as a kid. I worked hard to learn my favorite songs of his.

Gladly, I grew out of it; but, I still have a soft spot for him. So ... it hurts to see that he's become a parody of himself.

It was also sad to see that Zakk Wylde has lost his once amazing chops ... or his desire to play an interesting solo.


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## slapnutz (Apr 10, 2016)

Been loving the Tosin and Nuno vids posted online and whilst this is not my favourite, its still too awesome not to post.

Never thought there would be a day where I'd see Vai playing Blackstar riffs in unison with Yngwie.


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## extendedsolo (Apr 10, 2016)

slapnutz said:


> Been loving the Tosin and Nuno vids posted online and whilst this is not my favourite, its still too awesome not to post.
> 
> Never thought there would be a day where I'd see Vai playing Blackstar riffs in unison with Yngwie.




Man, Yngwie's tone, picking, and vibrato are all just INCREDIBLE in this video. I find it impressive that he has probably improved in those regards. 

Is he using Axe FX or a Kemper? /s

Also I find it interesting the differences in voices here between Vai and Malmsteen. They really really complement one another in a way that keeps the jam interesting. That's my problem with the first iteration of G3 where it's Vai/Satriani. I find them a little too similar. That's what's nice about this tour is that each player has a very very defined yet unique voice on the instrument, keeps things fresh. Well, maybe not Zakk Wylde.

What's more is that all of that technical proficiency Yngwie has, he still doesn't write the best or most engrossing songs. He has a few I really enjoy, but Vai has WAAAAY more. While Vai is a very accomplished technical player, he's nowhere near the best on this tour in todays music. I feel like he has a better grasp on making the song better and the music more enjoyable. I always try to remember that when playing. No one cares how fast your fingers move or how difficult a part is. Which is not to say no one should ever play fast.


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## Andromalia (Apr 10, 2016)

slapnutz said:


> ...



I so want to go to shows with a pea shooter and blow the phones out of existence...


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## CaptainD00M (Apr 10, 2016)

extendedsolo said:


> Is he using Axe FX or a Kemper? /s





You're kidding right?!


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## extendedsolo (Apr 10, 2016)

CaptainD00M said:


> You're kidding right?!



Of course I'm kidding. Not to say those don't have their place but an actual amp still sounds the best to me.


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## CaptainD00M (Apr 10, 2016)

extendedsolo said:


> Of course I'm kidding.



Dude its not even about what we think sounds better (amp/modelling use what sounds good) . Its about the fact that if Malmsteen SUDDENLY changed his guitar or amp choice this late in the game, I'd probably have to start questioning other assumptions about reality I take for granted


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## Unleash The Fury (Apr 10, 2016)

......yeah Yngwie is not switching to amp modeling, like ever. Why tweak around with a modeler just to try to get the sound he already has? plus theres no comparison of nostalgia between his wall of Marshalls on stage and just one small axe fx, lol. It's not like he has to lug his own gear around anyway.

I know you guys were just joking but no, he's never going to amp modeling. There's a better chance of seeing a black president.........oh wait

theres a better chance of seeing a female president.....oh wait that actually could....... nevermind.


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## extendedsolo (Apr 10, 2016)

Unleash The Fury said:


> ......yeah Yngwie is not switching to amp modeling, like ever. Why tweak around with a modeler just to try to get the sound he already has? plus theres no comparison of nostalgia between his wall of Marshalls on stage and just one small axe fx, lol. It's not like he has to lug his own gear around anyway.
> 
> I know you guys were just joking but no, he's never going to amp modeling. There's a better chance of seeing a black president.........oh wait
> 
> theres a better chance of seeing a female president.....oh wait that actually could....... nevermind.



My joke has more to do with my thoughts on the current state of a lot of metal guitar tones that come from Axe Fx.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Apr 10, 2016)




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## Alex Kenivel (Apr 10, 2016)

Nuno explained (about the medley) that a fan made a compilation of Nuno's "best" riffs and solos and put it on YouTube.. 

So he covered a fan-made compilation


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## Louis Cypher (Apr 11, 2016)

Nuno is a fcuking monster! He is an insanely creative player & song writer. 
Hope this tour brings him to a far wider audience or just reminds peopel how amazing he is

Comment from that Nuno Medley sums him up really well:


youtube said:


> Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Tosin Abasi...they're all guitar virtuosos...no doubt about it, but there's something about Nuno that cant be put into words, that swing, soul, blood, funk, aside from talent....he's one of a kind, a completely different guitar player&#65279;


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## Louis Cypher (Apr 11, 2016)

Sorry for the double post but just watching some of the other videos of Nuno with Zakk and with Tosin....... is there anything that Nuno CAN'T play and play like a freeking god??!!


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## OmegaSlayer (Apr 11, 2016)

From the videos I've seen Tosin really seems out of place.
Nuno, Zakk, Yngwie and Steve are great showmen, besides being monsters, Tosin is the biggest monster there but he disappears between the others because he lacks ego.
I'm not stating if it's good or bad, as I haven't made my mind on the issue yet, or maybe I don't even care to make up my mind about that, just a simple consideration.


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## Louis Cypher (Apr 11, 2016)

OmegaSlayer said:


> From the videos I've seen Tosin really seems out of place.
> Nuno, Zakk, Yngwie and Steve are great showmen, besides being monsters, Tosin is the biggest monster there but he disappears between the others because he lacks ego.
> I'm not stating if it's good or bad, as I haven't made my mind on the issue yet, or maybe I don't even care to make up my mind about that, just a simple consideration.



I agree with you based on the videos I have watched so far, he is a little out of place as all the others have that BIG stage prescence and stage persona that he doesn't have. Thats not in anyway a criticism of him but his style of stage prescence and playing is much more introverted, and seems to me more about bring the audience in to his musical world where as everyone else on the bill is a classic extroverted rock guitar showman.....


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## CaptainD00M (Apr 11, 2016)

^^

I was wondering that when I saw the lineup. Wylde, Vai, Bettencourt and Malmsteen all cut their teeth in the 80's and in their own particular ways they each have a classic rock and roll guitarist stage presence thats both synonymous and a guilty pleasure cliche with guitarists.

Zakks the big burly biker
Vai is the flamboyant stunt man
Bettencourt is the smooth operator (so smooth and I'm not even a fan)
Malmsteen is practically a genre of rock star unto himself

But Abasi in many ways is the bedroom* prog genius who is more head than lulz and striding around the stage playing guitar one handed while make the audience feel like teenagers again.




*By that I don't mean a boring bedroom shredder, but more that he comes from the school of gutarist that do spend a lot of their time coming up with proggy stuff in their bedrooms, and messing around with all the computer recording tech wizardry that makes their production sound super clear etc...


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## Louis Cypher (Apr 11, 2016)

CaptainD00M said:


> Malmsteen is practically a genre of rock star unto himself


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## OmegaSlayer (Apr 11, 2016)

I know that if I were to be on stage flurring gazillions of notes I'll be more like Tosin than the others, but at the same time I know that I'd have to do a bit more to engage the people and not bore them only with infinity of notes.
It seems like the latest gen is quite the oddball, because if you think any guitarist of the previous gen that could have been in the line up (Petrucci, Friedman, Gilbert, Govan), they all can steal the stage with a thing or another, like Govan with his dumbey speeches.
So...in a certain way...guitarism has changed to a more intimate and less flashy way to be, more brain less heart if you want.
And even if I'm a bedroom warrior craving to be more technical and fast I can, I can't deny that a single note of Zakk manages to hit my guts much more than Tosin "Betchayoullneverbeabletoplaythisinathousandyear".


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## CaptainD00M (Apr 11, 2016)

OmegaSlayer said:


> I can't deny that a single note of Zakk manages to hit my guts much more than Tosin "Betchayoullneverbeabletoplaythisinathousandyear".



I think you raise some good points there Omega. I think about gigs now days and I feel like somehow (at least for me) the key is to somehow create intimacy and bring the audience in with you, but at the same time have a bit of necessary flamboyant stage presence.

Too my mind Abbath was the last guy I saw do that. He has bags of stage persona, but we were all along there with him singing along feeling like we were part of the marauding band of barbarians that were about to lay waste to a village.

I think the difference between that and perhaps the 80's brand of rock goddom is that you felt like you could have a beer with Abbath and talk BS after the show, where as some of the Generation AXE guys that might be a little tough *cough* Malmsteen *cough* 

I think in relation to your last comment I'm of a similar view about Abasi. He impresses me with his rather staggering technical ability, his tech fu and his business savvy approach toward the current music industry, but musically (or emotionally) someone like Wylde will always grab my attention more because of the visceral nature of his playing and just how recognisable it is. I mean you just have to hear one pinch harmonic (yes I know he over does them) and you're like 'ah thats Zakk'.

But I have to balance that against the fact that I did grow up listing to Blues, Groove metal and 70's rock so thats my preferred aesthetic.


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## extendedsolo (Apr 11, 2016)

OmegaSlayer said:


> And even if I'm a bedroom warrior craving to be more technical and fast I can, I can't deny that a single note of Zakk manages to hit my guts much more than Tosin "Betchayoullneverbeabletoplaythisinathousandyear".



I think that Zakk taps into what many of his fans grew up listening to. Classic rock stations, blues based songs, etc. When he plays in a way it's a call back to your childhood and the types of players that made you initially want to pick up the guitar. I have a friend who is a drummer that swears by Zakk Wylde. The pentatonic/all note groupings the same really resonates with non guitar players since it's easier to follow. Yeah for ME at this point it's boring and someone like Tosin is more interesting. I think that many of the players on this board, since we do tend to lean towards technical music, just notice different things that non guitar players don't.


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## Alex Kenivel (Apr 11, 2016)

Forgot to mention the technical mishaps that happened. Right when the show started there was a lighting malfunction as they were supposed to shine light on each player one by one as they play, and the lights got stuck on Tosin, and he pointed next to him and mouthed "not me". 

And when Malmsteen came out there was so much fog pouring onto the stage he had a hard time escaping it


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## tedtan (Apr 11, 2016)

OmegaSlayer said:


> It seems like the latest gen is quite the oddball, because if you think any guitarist of the previous gen that could have been in the line up (Petrucci, Friedman, Gilbert, Govan), they all can steal the stage with a thing or another, like Govan with his dumbey speeches.
> So...in a certain way...guitarism has changed to a more intimate and less flashy way to be, more brain less heart if you want.



I'm not so sure it's guitar playing that has changed so much as its the state of live music that has changed. If you think about it, Tosin and other modern players are coming up in the bedroom and the studio, and when they play live, its for a small group of guitarists.

Contrast that with Vai who came up playing auditoriums with Zappa and sold out 20,000+ seat arenas with David Lee Roth and Whitesnake. And Zakk played those same big arenas with Ozzy. Nuno played them with Extreme and Rihanna. They've had the opportunity to be coached on stage presence by theatrical showmen and have had the opportunity to work that knowledge their own style in front of tens of thousands of people a night, night after night after night. Tosin hasn't had that opportunity yet, and I think that's what you're noticing.


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## Unleash The Fury (Apr 11, 2016)

Tosin should have probably worked on his stage presence a little, at least to fit it with this particular bill.

you can be as technical as Tosin and still not be as boring as Tosin to watch.

Shawn Lane sat in a chair when he played shows in the latter half of his career and was still more fun to watch than Tosin.


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## ThePIGI King (Apr 11, 2016)

Unleash The Fury said:


> Tosin should have probably worked on his stage presence a little, at least to fit it with this particular bill.
> 
> you can be as technical as Tosin and still not be as boring as Tosin to watch.
> 
> Shawn Lane sat in a chair when he played shows in the latter half of his career and was still more fun to watch than Tosin.



I dunno if I agree with this. I haven't seen him on this tour, but I caught him when he toured with BTBAM, and he was still interesting to watch. I doubt he changed his stage presence, so either you have higher expectations of stage presence, or I have low standards.


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## asher (Apr 11, 2016)

ThePIGI King said:


> I dunno if I agree with this. I haven't seen him on this tour, but I caught him when he toured with BTBAM, and he was still interesting to watch. I doubt he changed his stage presence, so either you have higher expectations of stage presence, or I have low standards.



Maybe it's a show size thing. When I saw them in a small club, everyone was going nuts and he totally fed off it.


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## pott (Apr 11, 2016)

I saw them during the very first show of the tour. It was a little scrappy, but it was fun.

Tosin: great player, suffered from a poor mix and an audience that probably didn't come to hear what he had to say... Not much stage presence; then again, if you're playing alongside Nuno, Yngwie, Vai, Wylde... you either have to be louder than they, or be in the background. Tosin seems like a modest fellow, and didn't push to have himself out there. I think it's a shame given the extra dimension he brings to such a group

Nuno: monster player, good singer, but seriously, every other word is '....' or a '....'. You CAN be 'cool' and eloquent. Otherwise, flawless set, and a very welcome surprise to the line-up

Zakk Wylde: boring as hell. I genuinely was falling asleep until Yngwie woke me up. Pentatonics widdly-widdly bits. Always the same notes. Always the same picking patterns. Not time signature or or indeed timing variety. Everyone kept talking about how nice and badass he is. Cool. But he seemed very out of place with such creative players around him

Yngwie: faster, louder, but also boring. I like his work because he always seem to have a lot of melody to it. I didn't hear as much on Tuesday  Would have been a great opportunity to have a much more neo-classically inspired set to set himself aside, but instead it was note after note after note... He's fun to watch, and, well, he's the friggin' fury, isn't he, but nonetheless, this felt like a missed opportunity. Until he started Black Star and Vai joined in... now THAT was good

Vai: flawless. Funny. Had the room in his palms. What can anyone say that's not been said already? Not everyone likes it, but few deny he looks like he enjoys himself and puts in the effort. Very enjoyable to watch

So voila. It was fun, sure. Worth $80? If you dig these players, yes. But I feel more work is required of their individual performances and the end-jame to make it more worth it. For what it's worth (not much), I saw Angel Vivaldi, Plini and Intervals the day after in a MUCH tinier room and I had a hell of a better time there! Not to say I didn't enjoy generation axe; but I did so with the specter of a potentially much better show looming that I did not get to enjoy.


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## Louis Cypher (Apr 12, 2016)

Some has posted the entire Vancouver show on youtube

Part1 - Intro/Tosin/Nuno/Zakk Solo sets


Part2 - Yngwie/Vai Solo Sets then Jams


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## zerofocus (Apr 12, 2016)

dunno if this has been shared (I guess it has in the 3 hours someone filmed)

but this is worth checking out



not gonna lie I am not familiar with Nuno at all but wow, that guy plays with feel,

Also its nice to see Tosin as "Rhythm" guitarist in a band, but yeah this combo of people is pretty awesome in my books

anyone got any suggestions on where to start with Nuno?


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## Andromalia (Apr 12, 2016)

OmegaSlayer said:


> From the videos I've seen Tosin really seems out of place.
> Nuno, Zakk, Yngwie and Steve are great showmen, besides being monsters, Tosin is the biggest monster there but he disappears between the others because he lacks ego.
> I'm not stating if it's good or bad, as I haven't made my mind on the issue yet, or maybe I don't even care to make up my mind about that, just a simple consideration.



I don't think it's an ego thing, just the fact that the other guys have a 30/40 years career behind them, in styles where stage presence is actually important.
Stage presence in Djent seems not to be that important, especially since headbanging with the knees and no hair looks pretty ridiculous to start with.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Apr 12, 2016)

zerofocus said:


> not gonna lie I am not familiar with Nuno at all but wow, that guy plays with feel,
> 
> anyone got any suggestions on where to start with Nuno?



Extreme's Pornograffiti is the main starting point.


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## beerandbeards (Apr 12, 2016)

zerofocus said:


> anyone got any suggestions on where to start with Nuno?



Extreme "He-Man Woman Hater"


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## Bloody_Inferno (Apr 12, 2016)

tedtan said:


> I'm not so sure it's guitar playing that has changed so much as its the state of live music that has changed. If you think about it, Tosin and other modern players are coming up in the bedroom and the studio, and when they play live, its for a small group of guitarists.
> 
> Contrast that with Vai who came up playing auditoriums with Zappa and sold out 20,000+ seat arenas with David Lee Roth and Whitesnake. And Zakk played those same big arenas with Ozzy. Nuno played them with Extreme and Rihanna. They've had the opportunity to be coached on stage presence by theatrical showmen and have had the opportunity to work that knowledge their own style in front of tens of thousands of people a night, night after night after night. Tosin hasn't had that opportunity yet, and I think that's what you're noticing.



 The stadiums and arenas demand a larger than life stage presence, and that's where Vai, Nuno, Zakk and Yngwie were bred on. It's boring to see say a band like The Strokes at an area, because their onstage boredom IS their stage presence. That's more suited to clubs and halls, more intimate venues. You want over the top showmanship especially at a large stage. You want pyrotechnics, visual craziness, barking and taunting at the audience, all that stuff. 

In djent's case, the stage is tiny, in the form of youtube. And a lot of the guitarists don't need showmanship and focus directly and solely on paramount technique and precision more than the 80s guys. They _can_ do some sort of showboating, but it just looks so damn awkward when it's done in the bedroom in front of a camera.


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## Louis Cypher (Apr 12, 2016)

zerofocus said:


> anyone got any suggestions on where to start with Nuno?



Any of the Extreme albums but especially P0rnograffiti (as already pointed out) and def Waiting for the Punchline too imo is an excellent album



Anything by his band Mourning Widows and his solo album Schizophonic as follow ups. Also worth gettign as he co-produced and plays alot of the rhythm and few solos on it is Dweezil Zappa's Confessions album

also for sh1ts and giggles and as its some fcuking awesome Nuno-ness he is all over these tracks


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## Sermo Lupi (Apr 14, 2016)

OmegaSlayer said:


> From the videos I've seen Tosin really seems out of place.
> Nuno, Zakk, Yngwie and Steve are great showmen, besides being monsters, Tosin is the biggest monster there but he disappears between the others because he lacks ego.



Is he really the 'biggest monster' up there though? I've seen this come up a couple times between the discussion of this tour and the thread on the newest G3 lineup where people were saying Govan is lightyears ahead of Vai and Satch, and the most common criticism seems to be that the old guard (Vai/Satch/Gilbert, among others) play stuff that is considered easy in this day and age, mostly on the grounds that it was written in the 80s and has been 'done' before, stylistically. I guess I missed the memo that all that stuff became simple to play? I've experienced a lot of Tosin through my time here on the forum, and I'm still not sure I'd put him on the same pedestal as all the greats, let alone at the top of the heap. He's a great player no doubt and deserves the attention he's getting, but the other 4 guitar players on this handbill have a hell of a reputation between them... 



OmegaSlayer said:


> So...in a certain way...guitarism has changed to a more intimate and less flashy way to be, more brain less heart if you want.
> And even if I'm a bedroom warrior craving to be more technical and fast I can, I can't deny that a single note of Zakk manages to hit my guts much more than Tosin "Betchayoullneverbeabletoplaythisinathousandye ar".



Minor quibble about Tosin's stuff being all that much harder to play since people have been struggling to master Vai's and Yngwie's stuff for decades, but yeah, Zakk seems to be underrated these days. His technique maybe isn't the best anymore and his tone choices are often pretty bizarre, but if you watch him go toe to toe with another guitarist on stage, he often ends up on top even if he isn't necessarily the better player. Watch duets of him with Slash, or even with Nuno above, and at least for me, I usually find his solos more interesting/impactful. Music aside, he's got great stage presence and that always helps in this sort of context. 

One thing that I'm enjoying about following the latest round of guitar concerts is that my view on who is and isn't part of the guitar pantheon is always getting challenged, and newer players are finally coming into the spotlight to get more widespread recognition. I have a very long list of players that I think are some of the best in the world but are mostly confined to places like YouTube (and not just little guys either--I'm talking guys like Martin Miller, Marco Sfogli, Andy James, Tom Quayle, etc.), but it seems like there's more of a passing of the torch now. Jason Becker's last benefit was like this too, bringing together both old and new. Gives me hope that we'll continue to have household names in the future rather than the comparatively fractured guitar community YouTube has given us, where it seems impossible to compile a list of names of the best players because there are so many that are so good.


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## Axe Cop (Apr 15, 2016)

I'm glad younger guitarists are getting exposed to Nuno.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Apr 15, 2016)

Sermo Lupi said:


> Is he really the 'biggest monster' up there though? I've seen this come up a couple times between the discussion of this tour and the thread on the newest G3 lineup where people were saying Govan is lightyears ahead of Vai and Satch, and the most common criticism seems to be that the old guard (Vai/Satch/Gilbert, among others) play stuff that is considered easy in this day and age, mostly on the grounds that it was written in the 80s and has been 'done' before, stylistically. I guess I missed the memo that all that stuff became simple to play? I've experienced a lot of Tosin through my time here on the forum, and I'm still not sure I'd put him on the same pedestal as all the greats, let alone at the top of the heap. He's a great player no doubt and deserves the attention he's getting, but the other 4 guitar players on this handbill have a hell of a reputation between them...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



 Agreed on all counts.


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## Mathemagician (Apr 15, 2016)

To touch on Andy James, I've been following him on Instagram for about 2 years and I remember when he was "that guy on YouTube lesson videos" and now guys in relatively known bands are citing him as influencing their playing/ability a ton. Good for him, he plays so CLEANLY for a shredder that if one is going to start naming shredders they have to list him. Dude melts faces.


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## TheShreddinHand (Apr 15, 2016)

Mathemagician said:


> To touch on Andy James, I've been following him on Instagram for about 2 years and I remember when he was "that guy on YouTube lesson videos" and now guys in relatively known bands are citing him as influencing their playing/ability a ton. Good for him, he plays so CLEANLY for a shredder that if one is going to start naming shredders they have to list him. Dude melts faces.



And yet he still has awesome hooks and melodies in most his songs. Andy is the man and easily my favorite "shredder" right now. Glad he came up in this thread.


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## Sermo Lupi (Apr 15, 2016)

It's difficult to call anyone the 'best' anymore, even by strictly technical criteria, but its my opinion that Andy James is pretty much the pinnacle of shred playing. Lots of clarity, a mastery over pretty much all the relevant techniques, and as TheShreddinHand said, he has great songwriting skills as well. He represents metal lead playing very well if for no other reason than he makes it interesting and musical--increasingly hard to do with all the fusion players out there now. 

He did a bunch of clinics a year or two ago with Marco Sfogli and some of the YouTube footage is nuts. Both of them crushing it, but in different ways. It's something you'd want to see on stage and not just in a music store, and that's why I hope these guys continue to grow their reputations. They deserve a G3 of their own every bit as much as Vai, Satch, and whoever else. 

But like I was saying earlier, the old guard are still very much some of the best players in the world; they continue to deserve their exposure as well. It's all about a balance, really. Good to get some fresh faces into the spotlight, but also important not to put them there by throwing the legends under the bus


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## extendedsolo (Apr 15, 2016)

Could people point me in the direction of some good Andy James stuff? A lot of the stuff I find of his I don't really like but I"m always open to changing my mind.


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## Sermo Lupi (Apr 15, 2016)

extendedsolo said:


> Could people point me in the direction of some good Andy James stuff? A lot of the stuff I find of his I don't really like but I"m always open to changing my mind.



You've checked out his solo album already, I take it? I don't think he's put out much else, aside from instructional songs for his channel/school. 

I'd say that he's more fun to watch perform than just listen to because of the complexity of what he's doing, so watch him playthrough a few of his songs to get an idea of what he's all about. That's not to undermine his musicality, mind you, but I get a better appreciation for his skill when I can see him play. Some of the stuff he does is hard to conceive of until you see him do it!

This isn't even the best place to start, but I'll include it since I mentioned his clinics with Sfogli above. The video below is kind of a supercut of some of the best licks from their songs that they played at the clinic, and you get a taste for Sfogli's playing as well. Definitely check Sfogli out also if he's not already on your radar. One of the most tasteful players going right now, and someone who plays truly without much effort. The improvised arpeggio he does around the 6:00 mark (and laughs about it to someone off camera) always cracks me up too . Difficult as it is to play what he does, he doesn't show it at all. He shows a lot of joy when he plays.


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## Rosal76 (Apr 21, 2016)

Went to the see the Generation Axe show last night and it was awesome.

I had already seen Yngwie and Vai on a G3 tour before so I already knew what to expect from them. Being a fan of neo-classical and virtuoso style guitar music, these would be the 2 I would gravitate towards more than the other 3. But then.....

This is the first time I have seen Tosin Abasi live. He was cool to see and was playing some really interesting things on his 8 string guitar. There were times where I could not tell if the heavy thundering notes were coming from him or the bass player on stage. 

Zakk Wylde was entirely too loud and his 15 minute solo was way too long. My 2 friends who were with me both complained that he was too loud and one left and hung around in the theater lobby drinking his beer, going outside to smoke his cigarettes and waited till Zakk was done with his playing. At first, I thought they were just being dramatic about it but I noticed that more people started getting up from their seats to leave. Leave and come back, that is. According to my 2 friends, people hanging out in the lobby were saying that Zakk was indeed too loud. I guess it's safe to say that Zakk's amps go to 11.  

Nuno Bettencourt is the guitar player I enjoyed the most. Of all the guitar players there, he had the grooviest songs, IMHO. I love neo-classical (Yngwie), virtuoso (Vai), heavy shredding (Wylde) and progressive (Abasi) style music but groovy music is something I can get into easily and fast. Nuno's jokes were also cool. Some of the funny things he said while on stage. 

Started playing "More than Words", stops and says, "na, not tonight".  

After jamming with Abasi, Nuno says, "I could not find the downbeats on his songs". 

Awesome show with a variety of guitar styles. 3 things I have learned. 1. Yngwie does not run out of picks to throw and kick into the crowd. 2. Zakk's amps go to 11. 3. I have a much better appreciation for Nuno Bettencourt's music.


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## pott (Apr 21, 2016)

Nuno does the More Than Words thing at all shows, I guess. Did it at Seattle too.

I never actually heard the song, but given by the audience's laughs, I gathered that was it


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## ArtHam (Apr 22, 2016)

Wow what a package of musicians!


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## Zalbu (Apr 22, 2016)

Man, it's so great to see the videos from the show where Tosin is just jamming in the background with the biggest grin on his face like "Jesus christ this is so cool I'm so happy to be here "

It's actually kinda crazy to see him starting to get more mainstream recognition, or about as mainstream metal can be, but he really is a generation defining guitarist. You can't ask for a better dude to be the poster boy for the modern prog metal wave.


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## TheShreddinHand (Apr 22, 2016)

extendedsolo said:


> Could people point me in the direction of some good Andy James stuff? A lot of the stuff I find of his I don't really like but I"m always open to changing my mind.



Sorry, missed this request! Get his self-titled album and the EP Psychic Transfusion. Here are some of the straight rockers:







And some of his more melodic/slower ones (watch the last one for sure!):


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## bostjan (Apr 22, 2016)

pott said:


> Nuno does the More Than Words thing at all shows, I guess. Did it at Seattle too.
> 
> I never actually heard the song, but given by the audience's laughs, I gathered that was it



Never heard "More Than Words?" I'm going to guess the socks I'm wearing are older than you are. 

I've been pretty excited about this since I first heard of it. But from that moment, seeing the lineup, and every clip I've seen since then, my thought continues to be that Wylde doesn't fit in. Maybe from the standpoint of the way he dresses, or the size of his ego, or how popular he is, but musically, not that he's a bad player in any sense, but having him up there with Vai and Nuno and Yngwie and Tosin:scratch.

A lot of people on this site saying Tosin is out of place - I agree, if it was Vai and Nuno and Yngwie and Tosin, Tosin would seem out of place, but with Wylde up there, I dunno. It's like I'm holding in my hand: a white marble a light blue marble, a pale yellow marble, a midnight blue marble and a 16 oz framing hammer - which one stands out? The midnight blue marble?


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## pott (Apr 22, 2016)

I'm from Europe where Extreme never really took off.
A lot of bands don't make it there. For example, Rush... not very well known in Europe outside of the classic rock/guitar player scene.

The odd one out at the Seattle show was Zakk. Incredibly boring, repetitive, monotonous. All three adjectives are chosen carefully.


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## bostjan (Apr 22, 2016)

pott said:


> I'm from Europe where Extreme never really took off.
> A lot of bands don't make it there. For example, Rush... not very well known in Europe outside of the classic rock/guitar player scene.
> 
> The odd one out at the Seattle show was Zakk. Incredibly boring, repetitive, monotonous. All three adjectives are chosen carefully.



Europe is a big place. I'm sure "More Than Words" was popular in parts of Europe. For example, it was #1 in the Netherlands, #1 in Belgium, #3 in Switzerland, etc... The song was big in 1991. So, unless you are my age or older, you probably would have been too young to remember it, although it did enjoy a little bit of a reprise in the USA in the early 2000's when "Monster Ballads" CD compilations came out. I'd imagine those weren't much of a thing on the other side of the ocean.

The clips I've seen, Vai is incredibly lyrical and melodic, showing some versatility of techniques, Nuno and Yngwie are doing their 80's shred thing very well, mostly a flurry of notes, but with some meaning here and there, and doing so tastefully, IMO, Tosin is doing some incredible techniques, and then Zakk Wylde is playing, what, to me, sounds like "deedly deedly deedly deedly beedly beedly beedly beedly weedly weedly weedly weedly waaaaaaaaah! ... deedly deedly deedly deedly beedly beedly beedly beedly weedly weedly weedly weedly waaaaaaaaah! WAAAAAAH!" It'd not be awful, but it just doesn't fit in this context, to me. I'm not saying ZW is a bad guitarist, just, well, he's not like the others in this tour, like, at all. I think they might have had a slightly better fit with Dino Cazares (not a suggestion  just thinking out loud about another guitarist whom I hold in high regard, yet is nothing like the others)


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## Bdtunn (Apr 22, 2016)

I've got a new appreciation of Nuno after seeing clips. I was never an extreme fan growing up (yes I was around for them) but he's got some tasty licks! I actually love the diversity of everyone and feel they all have something to offer. But my one issue is ZW. Now I'm a huge fan of his but I wish he'd mix it up. He has so many better licks but he just goes for that same speed run over and over. It was cool at first but then he keeps doing it. 

I love seeing tosin up there he really does look like he's stocked to be on stage. His playing is so much fun to watch. I always like watching via no matter what. Yngwie is good in doses as well haha


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## kamello (Apr 22, 2016)

Andy Timmons, Govan, or Greg Howe would had been pretty cool instead of Wylde


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## marcwormjim (Apr 23, 2016)

Or _Javier Reyes_. Why does no one ever say _Javier Reyes_...

I'm Javier Reyes


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Apr 23, 2016)

Not sure where to put this...


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## kamello (Apr 24, 2016)

marcwormjim said:


> Or _Javier Reyes_. Why does no one ever say _Javier Reyes_...
> 
> I'm Javier Reyes




I love him as a musician, probably even more than Tosin, but I named those guys to have a variety in styles. While both of them have different orientations and definitely aproach music with their one flavour, both of them converge at the Prog Metal thingy


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Apr 30, 2016)




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## ramses (Apr 30, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>



I'm trying to decide if this is actually a good idea ... or a huge mistake for humanity.


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## Veritech Zero (Apr 30, 2016)

Haha, if it leads to an 8 string Fender Yngwie strat or a scalloped Tosin Ibanez then it is definitely a win


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Apr 30, 2016)

Can't wait to hear the djubstep remix of Far Beyond the Sun ft. Tosin Abasi, Fredrick Thalldenal, and Niccolò Paganini's ghost.


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## marcwormjim (Apr 30, 2016)

You mean Yngwie?


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## Unleash The Fury (Apr 30, 2016)

that pic is cool I'd love to hear what Yngwie is playing on that and his opinions on that guitar


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## Black_Sheep (May 2, 2016)

Is there any kinda documentation going on? Like can we expect a bluray/DVD release? 

Also im really hoping they would tour Europe... but probably not..


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## extendedsolo (May 2, 2016)

Hey everyone, went to the show last night and just thought I would post my thoughts here.

They opened with Foreplay from Boston where they all jammed on it, pretty cool opening.

Tosin played first and I thought he sounded great. VERY reserved, like others were saying. I'm not sure if it's just his personality, but it could be taken as he isn't having any fun. I'm a big AAL fan so, I thought this was great.

Nuno was next and was such a rush of energy up from tosin. He had the crowd in his hand with his stories and stage banter. A really polished stage personality that seemed completely comfortable. Loved his set as I"m not sure familiar with too much of his stuff.

Zakk Wyldes set can be summed up like this; weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedly WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
He played a couple covers and no BLS stuff which was fine. Just ENDLESS shredding that's kind of become his sound. A wall of sound from pentatonics. People LOVED this even though I don't find it all that impressive. He was the biggest hit of the night for everyone in the audience. I feel like I've moved past being a super big fan of his, but obviously he has quite the following still. He's a pretty funny guy with a good act so that was fun.

Yngwie was up next and, well, it's Yngwie. I just found it to be not that good musically. He didn't really play a song from beginning to end just felt like he noodled around from 30 minutes and then played bits of his more well known songs. You could tell that many of these guys were overdoing it for the performance and letting technical proficiency overtake musicianship, but Yngwie was the worst offender. People were sitting down for his set. Yes technically super proficient, a great showman (can kick a pick like no other), but the songs just aren't there. He also wasn't interested in talking to the audience all that much. 

Steve Vai was the last one and it almost felt like a neutered live show from him since his band is so good and play really well with one another. I still prefer a full Vai show, but this was a good taste of it. Nothing really to add, but people were clearing out, I think mainly because it was Sunday night.

Overall it was WELL worth the 50 dollars total I spent for 3.5 hours of solid shredding. It wears on your ears after awhile just sooo maaaaannyyyyy noooooteeesss. They all jammed a couple of songs at the end so that was cool. I really think you have to be a pretty big fan of a couple of them to sit through this whole thing. Or a guitar nerd. 

Also I've seen people comment that Zakk is "out of place". I'm almost certain now that he was there as a draw mainly to bring in an even bigger crowd. I would say 30% of the crowd was probably there to see Zakk wylde ONLY. A lot of biker types and BLS tshirts. 

Not the best show I've seen but if my advice would be if it hits your town it's worth checking out for sure. Especially for 50 dollars or so and 3.5 hours of entertainment.

Whenever I go to shows where it's bands of very good guitarists I always try to watch for one or two ideas that I can incorporate into my own playing. I'll even take notes to reference later. If you are looking for new ideas/inspiration a live performance like this will have no shortage of that. It's just something an album, youtube video, or DVD can't capture. That last 1% of the experience of being there and seeing the crowds reaction, or feeling the notes instead of hearing them. AFter watching so many youtube vids, it's always a huge wakeup to go to an actual live performance. something just doesn't translate to headphones and a big computer screen.


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## haydn (May 2, 2016)

extendedsolo said:


> Zakk Wyldes set can be summed up like this; weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedlyweedly weedly weedly weedly weedly WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!



AGREED. I went to their stop in LA 3 weeks back and his was the only set I didn't like. It is pretty impressive he has such good stamina but 10 minute solos of nothing but pentatonics with no phrasing doesn't do it for me.

As others have alluded to, Nuno was a pleasant surprise. His playing on Tosin's song wasn't the best, but once he got in his zone he held his ground with the rest of them.


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## GraemeH (May 3, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>



Far Beyond the _Usual_ Low-E
Unleash the Dj0nt
Rising Scale Length
I Don't Like The Fockin' Donut Thick Strings

Weird Al parodies, or a way for Yngwie to become relevant again?


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## thrsher (May 7, 2016)

extendedsolo said:


> Hey everyone, went to the show last night and just thought I would post my thoughts here.
> ........



i went last night, you said it best, so i dont have to write a review haha. tosin was my favorite though.


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## extendedsolo (May 7, 2016)

thrsher said:


> i went last night, you said it best, so i dont have to write a review haha. tosin was my favorite though.



I think I you should check out Vai if/when he comes through headlining. Such a great live show for being completely instrumental


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## shadowlife (May 7, 2016)

What was Vai's setlist?


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## Rosal76 (May 7, 2016)

shadowlife said:


> What was Vai's setlist?



Sorry that I couldn't remember Vai's whole setlist but he did play The Animal and Tender surrender.


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## AxeHappy (May 8, 2016)

He finished with Building the Church with Tosin doing the rhythm guitar in Toronto. 

Great show over all, I thought, but Dear Sweet .... Zakk's set was bad. My friend almost fell asleep during it. 

Malmsteen played more different notes before he even walked onstage for his set then Zakky played in any of his 12 minute solos. I wish he had have actually just played some of BLS' songs.


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## HoneyNut (May 8, 2016)

Zakk completely drained me out for the rest of the night. A few of the people I know walked out. 

No offense to him , but that was annoying af. Pentatonic 2 notes per string....and THATS ALL THAT HE DID...all throughout his set.... 

Each of his solos were 20 mintues long or something....and that's all that he did..

He jumped into the crowd into one of the aisles....repeated the same thing - pentatonic 2 note per strings.

Then he walked into the other aisle...and the same thing again.

He is good...no doubt about that....but come on! 

I don't write bad opinions of someone else's creative ability......but that was horrible.


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## AxeHappy (May 8, 2016)

I thought that for the first song, featuring a stupid long 3 note solo, he just walked over to the one side of the stage, faced that side and just stayed there the entire time. Must have been real fun for the audience members on the other side of the venue...


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## HoneyNut (May 8, 2016)

AxeHappy said:


> I thought that for the first song, featuring a stupid long 3 note solo, he just walked over to the one side of the stage, faced that side and just stayed there the entire time. Must have been real fun for the audience members on the other side of the venue...



I know what you mean... I guess you were on the left as well? I was on the left balcony... couldn't see much of Nuno's set.


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## AxeHappy (May 8, 2016)

I was centre Balcony, I just thought it was really lame of Zakk. And the whole walking out into the audience at a venue with a Balcony and Mezzanine is really weak.


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## pott (May 8, 2016)

I felt sad he covered an Allman Brothers Band tune so badly... His solo had no place in that song


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## Rosal76 (May 8, 2016)

Jeesan said:


> Zakk completely drained me out for the rest of the night. A few of the people I know walked out.



The same thing happened here in Jacksonville, FL. When Zakk started playing his long solo, people started to walk out into the lobby and wait for him to finish. Also, my 2 friends who were with me told me he was too loud and heard other people waiting in the lobby saying the same thing.

Though boring, I can still watch, listen and wait out Zakk's long guitar solo. I'll just eat and enjoy my Butterfinger and Milky Way candy bars that I bought from the consession stand real slow. But if he has to play his music so loud that it's hurting people's ears and making them walk out is just f__king annoying for Zakk to do.


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## Señor Voorhees (May 8, 2016)

About to head out the door for this show. Pretty excited. Haven't been to a live show in a while and I'm not letting my stomach ache stop me.


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## Riffer (May 9, 2016)

I went to the show in Philly last week and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. Everyone was great. Ynwgie had some amp problems which put a damper on his portion of the show and his tech was running all over the stage like a madman trying to fix the issue. Malmsteen seemed to take it in stride although there were a few time you could see his body language toward his tech and it looked rather unpleased with the situation. 

I gotta say though, I don't get the negative vibes for Zakk. The show is all about guitars, and its a SHOW!! Going out into the crowd and playing behind your head and with you teeth is part of the SHOW. If Vai went out into the crowd people would be all over it, but because its Zakk people put it down as lame. I though it was great. Zakk had good stage banter, killer tone, can sing his a$$ off, and he's doing what he does best. Also Vai praised him at the end for having such a big heart and being the nicest guy possible. I just don't get the hate towards him. I understand not liking his music but people act like he's a disgracing guitar playing or something. I know a few people that went to the show that did not like Zakk and said the same stuff as people in this thread and left completely blown away by him and took there words back. 

Zakk Wylde will always be one of my favorites


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## Señor Voorhees (May 9, 2016)

So I enjoyed myself last night. Pretty decent show, though after a while it did get a bit tedious. All of them were insanely good at playing, which isn't a surprise. What is a surprise however is how much energy and pep they all still had despite it being the second to last show. Even more so that they played like four days in a row. It was relentless guitar shredding for a good three and a half hours. Not gonna lie, I went there mostly to see Tosin, but seeing the other artists was very pleasing as well.

Zakk is a good player no doubt, and it fit the bill quite nicely, but it got a little monotonous after a while. Still, I got to be right up there when he came out into the aisle, and managed to get a pretty damn good look at his guitar, which was the Pelham "Warhammer" from Wylde Audio. I've done my fair share of ragging on his guitars, but seeing it in person was interesting. Not nearly as silly looking as I thought it'd be. Perhaps it just fits him that well, who knows. I still won't likely buy one, but I can definitely see the appeal now. Same with Tosin's weird Ibanez. The white one looked incredibly nice and sleek. The black one still doesn't sit too well with me, but personal prefs and all that.

I loved his set the most, but Tosin really did sort of feel like the odd one out. His was more of a traditional set in that he played a handful of his songs front to back with little to no showing off. Not to say his tunes aren't technically impressive, but it just wasn't "fast for the sake of being fast" like nearly everyone else. I can die happy knowing that I got to hear him perform Physical Education, which is one of my current favorite tunes. Nuno did well with Tosin, and his banter was amusing. He had a good set as well. Not entirely familiar with any of his work, so it was cool hearing him do his stuff. Zakk was fun, too, even if it got a bit... Fatiguing? Good player, amusing banter, and some memorable tunes mixed in. 

Yngwie was energetic and played well. Can't say I've ever seen a guy just literally throw his guitar around quite as much as him. He switched guitars after every song, and would legit throw it to his tech. At one point he went to throw it to his tech but held onto it. Sort of amusing watching the tech flinch in anticipation of catching the guitar just to have a whole lot of nothing come at him. Just like Riffer said, he seemed to be doing a lot of gesturing off stage. At one point he fiddled with one of the two dozen or so Marshalls. I figured they were all for show, but I'm gonna guess that at least one was actually active. Dude's a showman. He was all over the place and abused the .... out of the fog machines.

Vai was good too, though probably a little more forgettable than the rest to me for the simple fact that everything he did was unfamiliar to me. I have the nasty habit of distancing myself from artists that have a weirdly obsessive fan base, so it caused me to overlook pretty much all of these artists. I really need to get over myself and just start digging into their catalogs. Even Tosin I don't listen to as much as I should.

I'm actually surprised at the turnout, considering Rhode Island usually sucks at drawing crowds. A diverse crowd, too. Young folks right up to some older folks. Definitely cool. There was one guy, though, who ....ing slept and browsed facebook while sitting the entire show. In fact there were three of them, all older, who really didn't seem to give a frogs flying fat ass about anything was going on. Perhaps I'm just mean, but I thought it was funny when Zakk came into our aisle and people were tripping over the sleeping dude's knees, startling him awake.

Ah, well... Long story short is that it was a cool show, and delivered what it promised; a night of guitars. Definitely a great way to get back into live shows for me.


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## Louie Bloodspill (May 14, 2016)

My problem with Wylde wasn't his playing per se, but the fact that those 15 minute solos were all over, like, three-note riffs from the backing band. If the songs hadn't been covers, or if the bass/drums had changed it up more underneath his shred, it wouldn't have been so...tedious.


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