[% META
     title = 'Joe Satriani, Interviews'
%]

<H1>Joe Satriani</H1>

<H1> - The newcomer in Deep Purple speaks</H1>



<H3>Business hours are over, the phone rings: "Hi, it's Joe Satriani speakin'!" Of course we are interested in how the grandmaster of the fast-finger-guitar gets along with the grand-heroes of hardrock. It's well-known that he has to replace no one less than Ritchie Blackmore on the ongoing world tour, after Ritchie (again) left the band.</H3>



[JS] In Europe you may expect 6 to 8 great concerts!<P>





<I>[MS] Was it your idea to join DP?</I><P>





[JS] No, after the band asked Ritchie to leave [they asked him ???], Bruce

Payne and Mr. Udo (Japanese promoter) had this idea and phoned my

management.<P>





<I>[MS] Did you accept immediately?</I><P>





[JS] I asked for a few days to think about it. I thought this must be a

rather dramatic change for the audience. But after one hour thinking I

phoned back and accepted. I was afraid they would have changed their mind

meanwhile. But the band was still interested, strange enough. And then I

met them, very nice and friendly, with a huge musical background and

interested in new music, new stiles, new sounds!<P>





<I>[MS] Weren't you afraid that your solo-career would be negatively affected?</I><P>





[JS] In fact, the offer came right in time. I had finished some studio work

and hadn't been on tour for quite a long time. And in the end DP are part

of my "roots". Already when being a teenager I listened to their music.<P>





<I>[MS] This leads to the question for your musical idols, or let's say,

"guitar heroes", when you started playing ...</I><P>





[JS] Jimi Hendrix was my number one! And he is still! Of course I also listened

to Jeff beck, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter - and Ritchie Blackmore!<P>





<I>[MS] Did he tell you how he likes his replacement?</I><P>





[JS] No, I never talked to him. But Roger (Glover) talked to him and

Ritchie told Roger that he's glad about this choice, because I introduce

something new. He would have been definitely annoyed, if there would have

appeared a guitarist who tries to play like he does or to immitate him.<P>





<I>[MS] Have the concerts been fun so far?</I><P>





[JS] Indeed! All of them without exceptions! The band gives me all the space I want to play how I want to play and that's a great experience!<P>





<I>[MS] How would you characterize the band's personalities?</I><P>





[JS] Ouhoho! Well, I think definitely, that Ian Gillan is the ultimate

leadsinger personality. Including "party all the time" and everything! A

great man, capable of spreading a great mood. Moreover, he has this strange

eclecticism (from several systems lent, "own" philosophy). Jon Lord is an exceptional organist, the exceptional musical head.  "Professor" Jon has also a wide range of humor, is very funny and always  positive! Paicey on drums is a treasure of rhythm and style. In every soundcheck he introduces me to new songs and shuffles. Very inspiring!<P>





<I>[MS] The silent "leader" is still missing ...</I><P>





[JS] Yeah, Roger was the one who called me at first. He spends all his

energy and ideas in the band, is a great organizer with best mood and much

of humor. They all made it very easy for me to feel like home among

friends.<P>





<I>[MS] How long do you intend to remain in the band?</I><P>





[JS] Preferably for ever! On the other hand we have a very strange contract

situation at the moment, concerning the recording of new albums. Very

complicating! But if it's true what Roger says, then the band wishes to

keep me as a permanent member. This would my biggest wish, too! That's what

I like! I was always a kind of an anarchist, especially when it came to my image. We prefer to say "forget the past - let's discover new things as a band!"<P>





<I>[MS] What do you think about Steve Vai, for whom you were the teacher?</I><P>





[JS] Oh - that's a long time ago. He was (for three years) my "student",

when he was a teenager. He has a great sense for "timing" and "harmony".

Very interesting!<P>





<I>[MS] Did you listen to his albums?</I><P>





[JS] Of course! All of them! And I hear he will be playing with Ozzy. This

will be very exciting.<P>





<I>[MS] Finally: What do the DP fans have to expect now in Europe?</I><P>





[JS] Ian Gillan wants lots of the songs to be played, which were never

played live. There will be a new show with new songs like "Maybe I'm a

Leo", "When a blind man cries". And with an extensive Laser show [Huh? Did

anybody of you see it?]. DP always had special contacts to Germany - I'm

especially looking forward to participating now. It will be "enigmatic"

(mysterious).<P>





<I>[MS] See you!</I><P>





--

<BLOCKQUOTE>This interview is taken from the hardrock bimonthly "MetalStar", #6/7, July 1994. Obviously it was recorded before the start of the European tour, but I thought some of you might be interested anyway.<P>



<UL>

<LI>[JS] = Joe Satriani

<LI>[MS] = MetalStar

<LI>[...] = comments from my side (don't worry, not too many)

</UL><P>



Thomas Zeltwanger                         zeltwang@cony.gsf.de

</BLOCKQUOTE>