Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
23rd June, 2008

View: centre stalls, amid air guitars

The world of instrumental guitar rock, where pre-show entertainment consists of fans taking photos of the amps, pedals and effects racks, is followed by the former Racer X man, Paul Gilbert, promoting his latest instro set. And very entertaining he is too, leaning heavily on the new record, with Norwegian Cowbell the highlight – a tune so good that I’ve added a cowbell to my birthday wish-list. He went as far back as Racer X’s Scarified and closed with the great Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy, from his Mr. Big days. Satch went straight into I Just Wanna Rock, with the retro graphics on screen in overdrive. It seemed to take a while for the sound to settle down, with Satch Boogie leaning heavily towards the drums. But then we got the particularly fine Time Machine and Crying, though One Big Rush topped my list, and my favourite new cut, Ghosts, is an exclusive iTunes bonus number. Three hours of instrumental guitar is a lot, but bar a few Satch noodles, it was a remarkably enjoyable evening.

Reviewed by Stuart Hamilton
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