Being a fan of hard rock and growing up in the eighties meant for this photographer a continuous discovery of bands and musicians of incomparable talent and, for those of us who were not born with the gift of music, playing an air guitar like a hero was very common. One of these heroes in real life was Steve Vai. I remember when David Lee Roth presented his first solo LP after leaving Van Halen. The expectation was great and the good David formed a great band and did not disappoint. Who does not remember that dialogue between David and Steve Vai’s electric guitar in the song “Yankee Rose“? I, a 15-year-old boy, was amazed and even more so when I saw the video on a local channel in Peru. After two albums with Diamond Dave, Steve became part of Whitesnake, another favorite of mine, for the 1989 Slip Of The Tongue album and a year later he would release his second solo album called Passion and Warfare. Decades later, Joe Satriani alumnus Steve Vai is recognized around the world as a guitar virtuoso, visionary songwriter, and accomplished music producer, with 15 million album sales worldwide, three Grammy Awards, and an honorary doctorate in the Berklee College of Music and the Musicians Institute.
In 2017, Steve Vai came to Peru for the first time and gave a show to a packed house of fans who sold out in no time. For me it was very sad not to have been able to go to the concert and I was left with the feeling of having lost the only opportunity I had to see him here in Lima since many bands have not returned to Peru after their first visit. Luckily for me, and after almost six years, Steve returned to Lima and this time accompanied by Hydra, a brand-new guitar model of exclusive design built with three necks. The concert produced by Nardo’s Producciones was scheduled at the Barranco Convention Center at 8pm on Sunday, June 11. This photographer arrived at 7.30pm and the place was already full and with an excited audience of all ages.
At 8:00pm the lights went out and the band took their positions as the intro song kicked off a night of pure virtuosity. Steve Vai made his entrance with the chords of “Avalanche” to the shouts of the crowd. The songs followed one after another. Steve greeted the audience after “Little Pretty” and continued with a precise setlist that spanned all periods of his solo career. There were funny moments like when in “Incantation” we saw five guitarists on stage because three technicians entered the stage to accompany maestro Vai. We then got to hear a short but precise bass solo from Philip Bynoe before hearing “Candlepower” which was followed by a guitar solo from Dante Frisiello.
Another funny moment was when before presenting “Greenish Blues”, Steve addressed the audience telling them that his wife asked him to communicate more with the audience so he told us how excited he was to return to Peru, that he was able to walk around the city and rest since he had a day off before this concert and he couldn’t believe that he has been touring all over the world for more than 40 years and that his latest album has been well received by the press and fans so he couldn’t stop thanking to all.
After “Dyin’ Day” the band disappeared from the stage and there was a powerful drum solo by Jeremy Colson that was applauded by the audience and suddenly some technicians entered carrying a device covered by a large cloth. It was time to introduce Hydra, the huge guitar built from two guitars and a bass. The expectation to see the great Steve play it was great. “The Teeth of Hydra” sounded very spectacular and confirmed the mastery of this great musician. The concert was coming to an end, but another big surprise came, the sound technician Dano G. was introduced as a vocalist and we were surprised to hear his huge and operatic voice interpreting the great hit “For the Love of God”. Finally, the band would say goodbye with “Taurus Bulba” before an audience that was very grateful for having witnessed a great show full of talent and virtuosity. Steve stayed for a few minutes greeting the public and then disappeared. After Peru, his tour of Latin America continues through Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico to then begin a tour of the United States and Canada during July and August.
Band:
Steve Vai – Guitars
Dante Frisiello – Guitars
Philip Bynoe – Bass
Jeremy Colson – Drums
Setlist:
1) Avalancha
2) Giant Balls of Gold
3) Little Pretty
4) Tender Surrender
5) Lights Are On
6) Incantation
Bass Solo
7) Candlepower
Guitar Solo (Dante Frisiello)
8) Building the Church
9) Greenish Blues
10) Bad Horsie
11) I’m Becoming
12) Whispering a Prayer
13) Dyin’ Day
Drum Solo
14) Teeth of the Hydra
15) Zeus in Chains
16) Liberty
17) For the Love of God
18) Fire Garden Suite IV – Taurus Bulba
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I’m a photographer with extensive experience working for national and international media. I’m also a passionate photography educator with extensive experience working with students of different ages. I love Heavy Metal music and I began shooting concerts in 1992. Concert Photography is my passion. I’m based in Perú but willing to travel anywhere.
