The mutual respect between these 3 despite such a massive age gap and how they learn from each other is the most wholesome thing I've ever seen in the guitar world
Yeah, and don't believe anyone who says "They probably just got together because they're all Ibanez artists and it's part of whatever deal they struck with Ibanez" - even though that's true.
Agreed. It's amazing how much talent Tim and Scott have for their age, and having one of the old school shredders guest on their new album is a sign of respect and humility that I salute. Ego Death is an amazing track.
Sure, steve vai really seems to like a lot tim henson and scott lepage. They are great musicians and they play very beautiful master pieces. It had a been a long time since i last fell in love with a music genre just like poliphya. I really enjoy their music.
@@MattG68 Yeah true. It's refreshing that people like Vai and Satriani are quick to recognise the skill of younger players. A stark contrast to many of the 70s guitarists who were clearly butthurt when guitarists like Vai and Satriani started showing their skills off to the public and finding interest and acclaim. Although there's still an element of backwards compliments to some of it. (e.g Satriani saying the guitarists aren't playing with other musicians (they are, just not on tiktok) or al di meola saying they aren't writing compositions (again, they are, but just not on tiktok shorts)
Honestly I feel like Tim and Scott are just not as used to improv/jamming in this style quite like Steve is. We know they are way beyond talented. The fact that they can play the songs they write perfectly live is nearly impossible if your not virtuosos like them. It's kinda exactly what I expected coming from ego death though because that's so different from this. Polyphia is so methodical in their composition and Steve is much more comfortable feeling the music and playing to that. I'm not the first to say it but it seems like all the artists in these collabs learned from each other due to mutual respect of eachother, and the guitar community as a whole is better for it.
Yep, and there was a time when Joe Satriani was the one feeling and improvising and Steve Vai was the one sticking to trusted routines at the live show.
The newer virtuosos don't really play the same way, guys like Tosin and Tim don't really do what the Vais and the Guthries do, of course I'm there with the new waves but I hope the art of guitar jamming doesn't get lost with the older generation, I can't really think of a younger player who is at the level of dudes like Vai at pure guitar playing
They look pretty nervous here and it's understandable, this experience got them out of their comfort zone and will definitely make them much better guitarists, improv is definitely not their forte, they're incredible composers/players, but they could learn a lot from Steve when it comes to improv, excited to see how this helps them evolve!
Tim and Scott are getting better at improvisation, thats really good to know. Boys are young and thats not their style of perfomance but they will get there, I think. Maybe now Steve kinda inspires them to do so
@@bobby_hill8357 agree, but they still can improove, at least I hope they will do that. Right now improvisation is the weakest point for them which kinda ruins the virtuoso tittles they have around people. But even without the impro skills they are great musicians, composers and players nevertheless. I love their music
@@РадуТрофим This is the thing, you're making a subjective argument about what defines a virtuoso. YOU may put a lot of emphasis on improvisation, but that particular ability isn't what defines someone being a virtuosic player. If you look it up, a virtuoso is defined as someone who has mastered ability, technique, or style. There's nothing that says you have to be able to improvise well in order to be called a virtuoso. A person could master a particular technique or create a distinctive style (i.e. polyphia) and still be considered virtuosic without any ability to improvise, and vice versa. To sum it up, I'm saying that you're defining a virtuoso based on your own subjective opinion of what deserves that title, and I'm saying that's not factually correct bc by definition it can be one or more of many possible factors.
You could tell how nervous they were playing in front of Steve Vai but damn It’s so good to see two different generations of guitarists joining forces for world peace ❤️
Steve Vai is more my style, but Polyphia were kinda out of their comfort zone here. They are composers of arpeggiated progressive metal, not really blues rock shredders. They are fantastic at what they do.
Not surprised to see a few comments pop up about the improvs. Understandably its easy to make judgements, however I think its fair to say improv is a very different skill to composing. Its a bit like having a conversation, some people feel super awkward and struggle to talk because they just don't know what to say. Song writing is like telling a story, you're fully in control and you can take people to places that they'd not be able to themselves. Also I'd say in this instance, the shred language Tim has probably been speaking in a lot recently haha. Its certainly not beyond them to learn how to do, clearly they're both super talented players. Just they've gone down (maybe more so Tim) a route of song writing as opposed to being someone who can join in on someone's else song, have their say and then leave, so to speak. Not saying anyone's comments are not valid because of that. Just felt like I to wanted to say something! :)
@@derek92502 That makes little sense as "guitar" music is what they do. Take away the guitars and there would not be anything that impressive other then a killer drummer.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 you don't take away the guitars. "guitar music" aka Vai, Satch, malmsteen etc. Just watch Paul David's shred collaboration and actually notice the huge difference in what Tim does compared to all the other "shred" guys. Hank Williams Sr played a guitar, but he didn't play guitar music.
Wow--incredible checking this and just a few days later there are 13,000 views! To give some context, this was at House of Blues in Dallas. I was able to meet Steve Vai as part of a VIP experience which was awesome. I was able to get my guitar autographed be Steve! There was a Q&A as well as soundcheck viewing which is where we first saw that Tim and Scott were joining Vai presumably because they live in Dallas (which I wasn't aware of at the time). I was able to also meet Tim briefly after the soundcheck. What a great experience!!
Amazing. And with UA-cam you can share this treasured memory. I have a few myself but it was before the days that everyone had a video recorder in their pocket. The memories are still there and just as awesome.. I just have no way to share them other then speaking about it which is not the same.
Lucky dude! I had a chance to get his autograph in NoVa one frigid cold December night, but he was running late meeting up after a concert...wish I'd stayed to complete the G3 signature trifecta...I have Joe's and Eric's on my axe.
They looked so nervous to be there. Because they know what a legend Vai is. This humbled them no doubt. And they'll probably grow a lot from the experience. But hey, they handled themselves well in the presence of a god. Love him or hate him. Steve is one of the GOATs of guitar. These boys got songwriting chops for sure. They have technical ability to the moon and back. But they were taken to school on this day. And I don't mean that in the sense that he "showed those punks". But in a more literal sense. This was a lesson in performance. Whether it was intended to be or not. Who wants to bet their live shows improve after this?
i don't think they do a lot of improv because they seemed a little lost for a bit, there's no doubt they are legendary guitarists all 3 but you can tell the experience steve has in doing this kind of thing watching them all together like this. Songwriting and improv are two completely different skillsets i'm sure they'll end up doing a shitload more of it and hone the skill in time.
I don't think we'll see much impov in Polyphia live shows. They spend months just working on one specific set-list with no variations. What would be really cool though is if they had sort of a pre-meditated jam session sort of like what GodSmack does with their live drum duel/jam.
Can't blame them for being nervous up there. They were cutting heads with a legend who has been an improve player for like 1/2 a century and these new tech players expected to improve at his level. The thing is Steve had to be impressed with them or he never would have introduced them like he did. This is not a competition but rather a mutual respect union and it should not be taken as anything but that.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 Yeah, that's kinda what I was trying to say. They're super accomplished musicians, especially for their age, and the point I was trying to get across is that they're a little green, and it really shows in this performance. And this was probably an eye opener for them. These guys are smart and talented, but their reputation as guitar gods exceeds them. They're not quite there, yet. But it's within reach.
@@StephenRoberts99 not only are they not accustomed to improve in their shows but this style, sonically, is not really their style. The heavy melodic minor dark themes with odd time feel and heavy trap influence they have established doesn't fit the classic shred style at all. So I give them a lot of props pulling out riffs they aren't probably super practiced on in recent years
Tim Henson and Scott LePage are two of the most important guitarists of this generation. They're bringing back elite-level lead guitars at the frontline of music. They both are the most underrated guitarists of this generation, considering their innovations and purposes/ visions for the guitar (breaking-out-of-the-box)
They're not underrated. It's just instrumental rock scene in general. A very sophisticated nerdy kind of music. The almost total opposite of pop music.
It's cool to see this. Clearly they didn't practice anything. They just got up there and blew people away. Amazing one of a kind performance right here.
You could definitely tell. Steve was flowing while Tim and the other guy somewhat struggled to come up with interesting things to play. I don’t know how often they improvise but they need some work. Don’t get me wrong though, those guys could play circles around most guitarist. They just need to get more comfortable with improve and letting loose. Unless this was just a bad video of them.
Steve makes them look silly these dude from polyphia are amazing guitarists but Steve is still on another planet you can hear his expirience especially in stage glad there learning so much from playing with him he’s a great teacher really one of the few old master guitarists we have left still alive
@@enharmonic77 Nobody will ever make Steve look silly in guitar world, ever. Especially those two. Steve can drop to anyone's level but going to Steve's level wont be done soon. I remember all of Steve and from back in the day to present, Just no, straight up, no they are not.
@@guywhoisaguy67676 steve vai is really good at what he does, and usually ranking guitarists is pointless, but if you think timmons and Guthrie don’t have better chops,improv ability, articulation, versitality, motifs, tone, and last but not the least, better songs, you need to widen your palette.
3 insanely talented musicians, 3 godlike guitarists. I don't think people appreciate enough Vai's ability to not only play the guitar to his level, but to come up with awesome sounding tunes on the spot like he does, and then transfer that to guitar with such accuracy. Not only do you have to know where to hit each string to make the sounds you want in your head, but to play them at that speed while making it up off the top of your head is crazy. You can see him mimicking the tune with his mouth, kinda like you'd do to your own favourite songs instrumental parts. Do it yourself, make a tune in your head, a guitar solo similar to the speed he is playing here, now Imagine your able to just instantly play this out on guitar, you just know where to hit, how hard to bend, tap, press etc all like it's a part of your own body you've had control of your whole life. Could argue that the 2 Polyphia boys are technically better given their age, and the songs they put together are creative genius, genuinely shaking up the genre and raising whats capable of playing. But you can see Vai's experience here and it's much appreciated!
Holy fuck! THIS. THIS is what guitar is all about. The community the comradarie the brotherhood. Hearing all three of these legends play was just, it was insane! Sure, the improv isn't exactly Steve Vai stuff, but you cannot deny that what Scottie and Tim did was nothing short of amazing. I dare you to get up there and play anything cool like those three did.
@@DruNature bro I literally got goosebumps. People don't understand what these three have done for guitar. It's like they're expressing their souls through their music and I nearly got choked up hearing them play.
Yeah people just don't know that in interviews with Steve, he said that Polyphia is taking the torch passed on by Steve and rest of the legends to continue on the guitar scene as they were worried for quite awhile now that the guitar music is slowly fading away. Steve is right since from after 2010 until now most rock bands don't even have solos in their songs anymore in the USA compared to bands in Europe and Asia still have solos in their songs. Now Polyphia and others are slowly bringing all of that back into the scene and making new headlines with their innovation in guitar that Steve and the other legends are very proud of continuing their legacy.
I’m really in the moment when I see these performances… a HUGE guitar moment when they collaborated… as a player I couldn’t be more grateful… if I could afford tickets and a ride there’s no Question I’d catch this tour when it comes to PA… incredible
Not to mention Vai has like 1/2 a century head start. I don't consider this a competition nor do I think any of them do either but just a mutual respect thing. In this case Tim and Scott were out of their element but I pity ANY guitar player including Vai that would be expected to improvise/jam with Polyphia unless well rehearsed.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 you hit the nail Polyphia songs are rehearsed to death by Tim and Scott so they are not really real time improvising and their songs are quite structured so id say theres a ton of guitarists that could easily solo over the songs with as much rehearsal as tim and scott and you see so many new players that mimic Tim so that suggests something. Tim is excellent and carved out a great new guitar sound and working with that sound in a wonderful way but it seems that as great as it is, it is doable to mimic, real time vocabulary on the other hand like you said comes from years of playing in different settings etc.
Except that music isn't a competition and there are no numbers for fans to be toxic about. The fact that some make comments like yours is nothing short of mind boggling.
@@DimitriMoreira “music is not a competition “as thousands of bands prepare demos for large companies to sign them based off how much money they can make these companies. You must not he doing well in music if you have not experienced the competition within. And one serious comment i have is… how can you criticize a comparison based off of a feeling someone else has… seems like you just want attention. And youll stop at “absolutely nothing to get it.”
So improv isn't really their thing. So what! When they are doing their thing it's awesome and utterly unique. It's notable that when Tim added his contribution to a big 'you tube 'shred colab' a year of two back (where about 20 world class shredders recorded parts over a pre-set track) Tim's part/composition stood out hands down. As was reflected in the comments. And there were some effn big names there.
Well polyphia the band itself started out as a shredding band in their early days before Clay A. joined as their drummer. So its not surprising Tim and Scott can handle themselves in that shredding collab.
@@sparda9060 Have you checked it out though (the shred collab)? Sure Tim can shred with the best of them (even if he can't improv that well), but it's not this that stands out, its the uniqueness of his playing, the musicality, the tone etc. This was actually the first time I ever saw (or heard of) him, let alone Polyphia. Blew my mind then and there.
Except everyone says they are the greatest players in the world out of the blue. (promotion will do that to a brainwashed country). They can barely jam pentatonic. I might be able to do better but here you are still making excuses. I can practice anything long enough and perfect it too. Does that mean I'm the best player in the world too? People like them today because of promotion nothing more. Without bookoo dollars of promotion nobody would know who they are. Me personally can't stand being manipulated. Seems most like it, though. Please tell me what to think. I'm an American.
@@drewjohnson4794 Well, I don't know about any of that (?) And no, practicing long enough etc wont make you the best. You have to have that extra something. And Polyphia's guys are damn good candidates for 'that extra something, right? As I said, I saw Tim on a collab a couple of years back with some of the worlds top shredders (seriously), yet he really stood out from the pack (the comments reflected this too)! It was 'unique', and hence his reputation. Sure, promotion is all important, but how is that any different from every other top guitarist that has ever been?
To see two of the best progressive rock players playing out of their comfort zone is reassuring especially when playing in front of a legend, no pressure huh hahaha I think they did well for no prep or heads up definitely looks improvised on the spot.
Tim & Scott are textbook player with amazing technique, creativity & imagination, on the stage experinced Steve giving them a lesson on how to perform and do improvisation. Steve is a legend and Polyphia is on their step to follow.
Couldn't agree more. Granted Vai has proven versatility and that he can hold his own in any situation he has been at it for quite a bit longer. But obviously he recognizes as well as respects and appreciates the younger up and coming technical player guitar heros and what they have to offer. And the fact they are collaborating shows mutual respect. Something the world can certainly use more of.
One of the things I've always loved about Vai is he's one of the few technicians that can bring emotion to his music. So many technicians just sound robotic. Also the way he plays into Phrygian makes his choice of note structure sound almost 👽 alien and Egyptian at the same time.
A great example of how massive Vais tone is. It sounds like the lead even when 2 of the greatest modern players share the stage. Can't bottle that shit.
Well buddy ... You don't want to out tone Steve Vai. Even if ( hipothetically ) you're able to. That's just kinda rude. Except maybe, just maybe... You're Guthrie Govan.
@@Nootlest Which is why even though the musical style of Vai vs. what Polyphia does is quite different they still can have mutual respect for each other and hence collaborate like this. I can only imagine up and coming guitar heros like Tim and Scott being blown away that they are noticed by a legend like Vai and possibly vice versa.
All three are impressive players. But what impresses me the most here is that usually when a player shows up as a guest soloist they are using borrowed gear, they don't have "their" rig and their sound, and the soundman doesn't Ballance their level generously, so they are never as loud as the host. Maybe Vai learned that generosity of communal spirit from Satriani from all those years being involved with G3 tours. This was never a problem then, but those were more than a one off event. With this show, he made sure they had their own effects and got them turned up to match him. He probably even did a soundcheck with them! That says a lot about his character and respect for his fellow guitar brothers! Love it!
Steve Vai be creating great music through improv. Props to Polyphia for doing great music for us future generations to enjoy and Steve Vai for inspiring millions of musicians especially guitarist to be better at what they do best. Not gonna lie, I was hoping for them specially Tim to go improv hand to hand with Steve Vai same as John Mayer with BB king. It’s still great to witness this moment and I really do enjoy the their “Ego Death” song featuring Steve Vai.
No ego trips here which is refreshing considering the level of mastery. It's the future and foundation of whats to come in guitar playing. An exciting time to be alive. Also shout out to Kiko and Jeff Loomis as they of the same ilk.
Everyone’s kinda shitting in Tim & Scott saying they’re not good improvisers but damn I thought they killed it! Listen to Scott’s run at 5:51 so melodic!
I wonder what sort of set list they will have when they're done with their inevitable album4 tour. Would be really cool to see them develop some cover songs (or reworked older tracks) they can play in their own style and dabble with improv in those. I feel Scott might be slightly better at this kind of thing because I can hear some traditional shred metal licks within his playing. Skies the limit with Tim and Scott.
For someone like me who aside from being a professional musician am also a guitar builder and collector, it is especially exciting to see the younger generation still wants to kick butt on stage with a guitar. And as long as that keeps happening, it is job security for people like me. But the bottom line of course is the music and the passion. It is known historical fact that a record label passed on the Beatles in the early 1960's stating electric guitar band music is dead. It seems they were a little off lol.
At first they looked a little of their element, since they're used to playing with a metronome in perfect bpm. Awesome how Vai just guided them into loosening up and at the end they were all just jamming.
Steve Vai and Polyphia.... All technical wonders on their instruments, and Vai is here on ability and relevance, not laurels and name recognition....but.... .... I really have to give Steve props. I'm 58 years old and still play occasionally in a band and up till 4 years back, was a regular fixture in the Columbus, Ohio's music scene. 62 yrs......dammit, he just took away my only plan to completely hang it up at 60yrs and buy a bowling ball 🤣🤣🤣
The mutual respect between these 3 despite such a massive age gap and how they learn from each other is the most wholesome thing I've ever seen in the guitar world
Yeah, and don't believe anyone who says "They probably just got together because they're all Ibanez artists and it's part of whatever deal they struck with Ibanez" - even though that's true.
@@michael1 Well if you are successful with something you are passionate about it stands to reason sponsors will take notice. And everyone's gotta eat.
Agreed. It's amazing how much talent Tim and Scott have for their age, and having one of the old school shredders guest on their new album is a sign of respect and humility that I salute. Ego Death is an amazing track.
Sure, steve vai really seems to like a lot tim henson and scott lepage. They are great musicians and they play very beautiful master pieces. It had a been a long time since i last fell in love with a music genre just like poliphya. I really enjoy their music.
@@MattG68 Yeah true. It's refreshing that people like Vai and Satriani are quick to recognise the skill of younger players. A stark contrast to many of the 70s guitarists who were clearly butthurt when guitarists like Vai and Satriani started showing their skills off to the public and finding interest and acclaim. Although there's still an element of backwards compliments to some of it. (e.g Satriani saying the guitarists aren't playing with other musicians (they are, just not on tiktok) or al di meola saying they aren't writing compositions (again, they are, but just not on tiktok shorts)
Never thought I’d see Tim doing blues licks but there it is. And it’s amazing.
yeah, Tim doing “boomer bends” is something else😂
He's overrated
Someone beat me w the boomer bends comments lmao
The forbidden licks
@@rear5118 how to tell you're a noob guitar player without saying.
Honestly I feel like Tim and Scott are just not as used to improv/jamming in this style quite like Steve is. We know they are way beyond talented. The fact that they can play the songs they write perfectly live is nearly impossible if your not virtuosos like them. It's kinda exactly what I expected coming from ego death though because that's so different from this. Polyphia is so methodical in their composition and Steve is much more comfortable feeling the music and playing to that. I'm not the first to say it but it seems like all the artists in these collabs learned from each other due to mutual respect of eachother, and the guitar community as a whole is better for it.
Yep, and there was a time when Joe Satriani was the one feeling and improvising and Steve Vai was the one sticking to trusted routines at the live show.
The newer virtuosos don't really play the same way, guys like Tosin and Tim don't really do what the Vais and the Guthries do, of course I'm there with the new waves but I hope the art of guitar jamming doesn't get lost with the older generation, I can't really think of a younger player who is at the level of dudes like Vai at pure guitar playing
They just suck lol
@@vandpiben can't wait to see your ep!!!
@@eduardoprisbrey9157 oh i play much better than these two
They look pretty nervous here and it's understandable, this experience got them out of their comfort zone and will definitely make them much better guitarists, improv is definitely not their forte, they're incredible composers/players, but they could learn a lot from Steve when it comes to improv, excited to see how this helps them evolve!
dont forget the drummer must be boring 😂😂
Tim and Scott are getting better at improvisation, thats really good to know. Boys are young and thats not their style of perfomance but they will get there, I think. Maybe now Steve kinda inspires them to do so
Theyre like 28, that's not that young
@@bobby_hill8357 agree, but they still can improove, at least I hope they will do that. Right now improvisation is the weakest point for them which kinda ruins the virtuoso tittles they have around people. But even without the impro skills they are great musicians, composers and players nevertheless. I love their music
@@РадуТрофим Virtuoso = great improviser? Not necessarily.
I don’t really care about if they are good at improvisation or not, the guys make good music, I like to remember songs, not random notes in a jam.
@@РадуТрофим This is the thing, you're making a subjective argument about what defines a virtuoso. YOU may put a lot of emphasis on improvisation, but that particular ability isn't what defines someone being a virtuosic player.
If you look it up, a virtuoso is defined as someone who has mastered ability, technique, or style. There's nothing that says you have to be able to improvise well in order to be called a virtuoso. A person could master a particular technique or create a distinctive style (i.e. polyphia) and still be considered virtuosic without any ability to improvise, and vice versa.
To sum it up, I'm saying that you're defining a virtuoso based on your own subjective opinion of what deserves that title, and I'm saying that's not factually correct bc by definition it can be one or more of many possible factors.
You could tell how nervous they were playing in front of Steve Vai but damn It’s so good to see two different generations of guitarists joining forces for world peace ❤️
What an amazing moment in guitar history! I bet Vai didn't tell them what key they were going to jam in either till they were on stage and heard it.
Zappa Style
@@pericocream Opa Zappa Style
They would have been at the rehearsal.
Mmm they actually ended the live interview in UA-cam because they where going to meet Vai somewhere. I guess they were jamming before this in private.
Wrong you dont collab like this and not do a soundcheck :)
They are all incredible musicians, but you can just see how well versed and experience Steve Vai is!!! What legends.
Yeah thats what I thought as well... Legend!
Vai is much more comfortable improvising than the Polyphia guys who are more composers who play things note for note.
@@jackgoff4859 they are really bad lmfao
@@vandpiben ?
Steve Vai is more my style, but Polyphia were kinda out of their comfort zone here. They are composers of arpeggiated progressive metal, not really blues rock shredders. They are fantastic at what they do.
It was a bunch of awkward soloing (still amazing) until 7:30 then that was when they all visibly hit the same wavelength and it was a masterclass...
Not surprised to see a few comments pop up about the improvs. Understandably its easy to make judgements, however I think its fair to say improv is a very different skill to composing. Its a bit like having a conversation, some people feel super awkward and struggle to talk because they just don't know what to say. Song writing is like telling a story, you're fully in control and you can take people to places that they'd not be able to themselves. Also I'd say in this instance, the shred language Tim has probably been speaking in a lot recently haha.
Its certainly not beyond them to learn how to do, clearly they're both super talented players. Just they've gone down (maybe more so Tim) a route of song writing as opposed to being someone who can join in on someone's else song, have their say and then leave, so to speak.
Not saying anyone's comments are not valid because of that. Just felt like I to wanted to say something! :)
Also thanks to @JB Goldstein for sharing this so we can all check it out!
Tim and Scott have said they don't enjoy "guitar" music or shredding. Esp not the g3 type of shredgasm. Nothing wrong with that, imo.
@@derek92502 That makes little sense as "guitar" music is what they do. Take away the guitars and there would not be anything that impressive other then a killer drummer.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 that doesn’t make any sense
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 you don't take away the guitars. "guitar music" aka Vai, Satch, malmsteen etc. Just watch Paul David's shred collaboration and actually notice the huge difference in what Tim does compared to all the other "shred" guys.
Hank Williams Sr played a guitar, but he didn't play guitar music.
Wow--incredible checking this and just a few days later there are 13,000 views! To give some context, this was at House of Blues in Dallas. I was able to meet Steve Vai as part of a VIP experience which was awesome. I was able to get my guitar autographed be Steve! There was a Q&A as well as soundcheck viewing which is where we first saw that Tim and Scott were joining Vai presumably because they live in Dallas (which I wasn't aware of at the time). I was able to also meet Tim briefly after the soundcheck. What a great experience!!
What an incredible day !
Amazing. And with UA-cam you can share this treasured memory. I have a few myself but it was before the days that everyone had a video recorder in their pocket. The memories are still there and just as awesome.. I just have no way to share them other then speaking about it which is not the same.
WOW!!! thank you so much for takng this video,
Hell ya brother! Thanks for recording this! What a concert that must have been!
Lucky dude! I had a chance to get his autograph in NoVa one frigid cold December night, but he was running late meeting up after a concert...wish I'd stayed to complete the G3 signature trifecta...I have Joe's and Eric's on my axe.
They looked so nervous to be there. Because they know what a legend Vai is. This humbled them no doubt. And they'll probably grow a lot from the experience. But hey, they handled themselves well in the presence of a god. Love him or hate him. Steve is one of the GOATs of guitar.
These boys got songwriting chops for sure. They have technical ability to the moon and back.
But they were taken to school on this day. And I don't mean that in the sense that he "showed those punks".
But in a more literal sense. This was a lesson in performance. Whether it was intended to be or not.
Who wants to bet their live shows improve after this?
i don't think they do a lot of improv because they seemed a little lost for a bit, there's no doubt they are legendary guitarists all 3 but you can tell the experience steve has in doing this kind of thing watching them all together like this. Songwriting and improv are two completely different skillsets i'm sure they'll end up doing a shitload more of it and hone the skill in time.
I don't think we'll see much impov in Polyphia live shows. They spend months just working on one specific set-list with no variations.
What would be really cool though is if they had sort of a pre-meditated jam session sort of like what GodSmack does with their live drum duel/jam.
Can't blame them for being nervous up there. They were cutting heads with a legend who has been an improve player for like 1/2 a century and these new tech players expected to improve at his level. The thing is Steve had to be impressed with them or he never would have introduced them like he did. This is not a competition but rather a mutual respect union and it should not be taken as anything but that.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 Yeah, that's kinda what I was trying to say. They're super accomplished musicians, especially for their age, and the point I was trying to get across is that they're a little green, and it really shows in this performance.
And this was probably an eye opener for them. These guys are smart and talented, but their reputation as guitar gods exceeds them. They're not quite there, yet. But it's within reach.
@@StephenRoberts99 not only are they not accustomed to improve in their shows but this style, sonically, is not really their style. The heavy melodic minor dark themes with odd time feel and heavy trap influence they have established doesn't fit the classic shred style at all. So I give them a lot of props pulling out riffs they aren't probably super practiced on in recent years
Tim Henson and Scott LePage are two of the most important guitarists of this generation. They're bringing back elite-level lead guitars at the frontline of music. They both are the most underrated guitarists of this generation, considering their innovations and purposes/ visions for the guitar (breaking-out-of-the-box)
just like Jason Becker and Marty Friedman in the 80s
They're not underrated. It's just instrumental rock scene in general. A very sophisticated nerdy kind of music. The almost total opposite of pop music.
They're not underrated - why people always say this?
They're not bringing back anything. They're literally still in the generation of guitarists that birthed them lol.
@@crowing3886 they are bringing back something, you clearly don't get it
Tim doing some boomer bends :D
Make boomer bends great again!
It's cool to see this. Clearly they didn't practice anything. They just got up there and blew people away. Amazing one of a kind performance right here.
You could definitely tell. Steve was flowing while Tim and the other guy somewhat struggled to come up with interesting things to play. I don’t know how often they improvise but they need some work. Don’t get me wrong though, those guys could play circles around most guitarist. They just need to get more comfortable with improve and letting loose. Unless this was just a bad video of them.
@decayingcorpse-xv Tim henson openly admits that they're not really improvisers. They're more of composers
Watching Steve Vai, a living Legend perform in such ease really amazes me every time! Every single time!!!
you can hear and feel how steve's musicality is very much mature and relax on a live setting.
Steve makes them look silly these dude from polyphia are amazing guitarists but Steve is still on another planet you can hear his expirience especially in stage glad there learning so much from playing with him he’s a great teacher really one of the few old master guitarists we have left still alive
Just like Guthrie and Andy Timmons made Vai look silly. There's levels to this game for sure
@@enharmonic77 Nobody will ever make Steve look silly in guitar world, ever. Especially those two.
Steve can drop to anyone's level but going to Steve's level wont be done soon.
I remember all of Steve and from back in the day to present, Just no, straight up, no they are not.
@@guywhoisaguy67676 steve vai is really good at what he does, and usually ranking guitarists is pointless, but if you think timmons and Guthrie don’t have better chops,improv ability, articulation, versitality, motifs, tone, and last but not the least, better songs, you need to widen your palette.
It's like with every discipline. If you don't improvise often you will never be great at it. Reminds me of aikido vs full contact. :DD
Tim blows Vai away when it comes to composition. Vai is great at improv
Tim’s doing boomer bends! 6:09 😂😂
3 insanely talented musicians, 3 godlike guitarists.
I don't think people appreciate enough Vai's ability to not only play the guitar to his level, but to come up with awesome sounding tunes on the spot like he does, and then transfer that to guitar with such accuracy. Not only do you have to know where to hit each string to make the sounds you want in your head, but to play them at that speed while making it up off the top of your head is crazy. You can see him mimicking the tune with his mouth, kinda like you'd do to your own favourite songs instrumental parts. Do it yourself, make a tune in your head, a guitar solo similar to the speed he is playing here, now Imagine your able to just instantly play this out on guitar, you just know where to hit, how hard to bend, tap, press etc all like it's a part of your own body you've had control of your whole life.
Could argue that the 2 Polyphia boys are technically better given their age, and the songs they put together are creative genius, genuinely shaking up the genre and raising whats capable of playing. But you can see Vai's experience here and it's much appreciated!
Ive never been a big fan of the over the top stunt guitar antics style, like steve vai, but now that hes kind of a geezer, i love this dude!!!
Holy fuck! THIS. THIS is what guitar is all about. The community the comradarie the brotherhood. Hearing all three of these legends play was just, it was insane! Sure, the improv isn't exactly Steve Vai stuff, but you cannot deny that what Scottie and Tim did was nothing short of amazing. I dare you to get up there and play anything cool like those three did.
for fucking real!! Seeing Steve in their video brought a tear to my eye, it's the most amazing thing!
@@DruNature bro I literally got goosebumps. People don't understand what these three have done for guitar. It's like they're expressing their souls through their music and I nearly got choked up hearing them play.
Yeah people just don't know that in interviews with Steve, he said that Polyphia is taking the torch passed on by Steve and rest of the legends to continue on the guitar scene as they were worried for quite awhile now that the guitar music is slowly fading away. Steve is right since from after 2010 until now most rock bands don't even have solos in their songs anymore in the USA compared to bands in Europe and Asia still have solos in their songs. Now Polyphia and others are slowly bringing all of that back into the scene and making new headlines with their innovation in guitar that Steve and the other legends are very proud of continuing their legacy.
I’m really in the moment when I see these performances… a HUGE guitar moment when they collaborated… as a player I couldn’t be more grateful… if I could afford tickets and a ride there’s no Question I’d catch this tour when it comes to PA… incredible
That was so awesome. Love seeing the live play with Tim and Scott. 🤘🏾
With SteveVai's godly presence my cellphone brightness went up.
All respect to Polyphia, one of my favorite brands, but Tim and Scott are outmatched in the world of improvising by Vai.
Not to mention Vai has like 1/2 a century head start. I don't consider this a competition nor do I think any of them do either but just a mutual respect thing. In this case Tim and Scott were out of their element but I pity ANY guitar player including Vai that would be expected to improvise/jam with Polyphia unless well rehearsed.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 you hit the nail Polyphia songs are rehearsed to death by Tim and Scott so they are not really real time improvising and their songs are quite structured so id say theres a ton of guitarists that could easily solo over the songs with as much rehearsal as tim and scott and you see so many new players that mimic Tim so that suggests something. Tim is excellent and carved out a great new guitar sound and working with that sound in a wonderful way but it seems that as great as it is, it is doable to mimic, real time vocabulary on the other hand like you said comes from years of playing in different settings etc.
As a Dallas native, this warms m'heart. Mutual respect between old generation and new generation... ya love to see it!
Steve vai is like the tony hawk of guitar in my opinion. Just that mans existence is a fucking vibe
Except that music isn't a competition and there are no numbers for fans to be toxic about. The fact that some make comments like yours is nothing short of mind boggling.
@@DimitriMoreira “music is not a competition “as thousands of bands prepare demos for large companies to sign them based off how much money they can make these companies. You must not he doing well in music if you have not experienced the competition within. And one serious comment i have is… how can you criticize a comparison based off of a feeling someone else has… seems like you just want attention. And youll stop at “absolutely nothing to get it.”
Thanks so much for recording this. I can't believe how clean the audio is!
So improv isn't really their thing. So what! When they are doing their thing it's awesome and utterly unique. It's notable that when Tim added his contribution to a big 'you tube 'shred colab' a year of two back (where about 20 world class shredders recorded parts over a pre-set track) Tim's part/composition stood out hands down. As was reflected in the comments. And there were some effn big names there.
And then Scottie’s part stood out the next year.
Well polyphia the band itself started out as a shredding band in their early days before Clay A. joined as their drummer. So its not surprising Tim and Scott can handle themselves in that shredding collab.
@@sparda9060 Have you checked it out though (the shred collab)? Sure Tim can shred with the best of them (even if he can't improv that well), but it's not this that stands out, its the uniqueness of his playing, the musicality, the tone etc. This was actually the first time I ever saw (or heard of) him, let alone Polyphia. Blew my mind then and there.
Except everyone says they are the greatest players in the world out of the blue. (promotion will do that to a brainwashed country).
They can barely jam pentatonic. I might be able to do better but here you are still making excuses. I can practice anything long enough and perfect it too. Does that mean I'm the best player in the world too? People like them today because of promotion nothing more. Without bookoo dollars of promotion nobody would know who they are. Me personally can't stand being manipulated. Seems most like it, though. Please tell me what to think. I'm an American.
@@drewjohnson4794 Well, I don't know about any of that (?) And no, practicing long enough etc wont make you the best. You have to have that extra something. And Polyphia's guys are damn good candidates for 'that extra something, right? As I said, I saw Tim on a collab a couple of years back with some of the worlds top shredders (seriously), yet he really stood out from the pack (the comments reflected this too)! It was 'unique', and hence his reputation. Sure, promotion is all important, but how is that any different from every other top guitarist that has ever been?
To see two of the best progressive rock players playing out of their comfort zone is reassuring especially when playing in front of a legend, no pressure huh hahaha I think they did well for no prep or heads up definitely looks improvised on the spot.
Guy in front with the Zappa shirt having the time of his life
Tim & Scott are textbook player with amazing technique, creativity & imagination, on the stage experinced Steve giving them a lesson on how to perform and do improvisation. Steve is a legend and Polyphia is on their step to follow.
Couldn't agree more. Granted Vai has proven versatility and that he can hold his own in any situation he has been at it for quite a bit longer. But obviously he recognizes as well as respects and appreciates the younger up and coming technical player guitar heros and what they have to offer. And the fact they are collaborating shows mutual respect. Something the world can certainly use more of.
Props to the guy in the Zappa tour shirt…. Steve’s been everywhere
Great to see Steve paying it forward and nurturing talent 👍🏼
6:08 boomer bends
tag rick beato for this
@rick beato
Steve’s guitar sound just unreal
How lucky am I to stumble upon this!!!
One of the things I've always loved about Vai is he's one of the few technicians that can bring emotion to his music. So many technicians just sound robotic. Also the way he plays into Phrygian makes his choice of note structure sound almost 👽 alien and Egyptian at the same time.
I saw Steve down here in Austin at the Paramount theater the show was amazing.
OMG !!! So much talent on one stage...🎵🎶🎙🎸🤘
Wow, that must have been an awesome experience to see that live!
mr steve vai as a humble guy,and never reject young generation guitarist.its good to see and watch them play together.much respect for me steve vai.
It's nice to see Tim and Scott playing outside of their style. Shows how versatile they actually are.
Love this. One of my fav vai songs
THANKS FOR THE SHOW ، شكرا جزيلا
Boys are jamming with Steve Vai! Awesome times!
Tim and Scott are great at what THEY do, but Steve is just so……Vai. He’s just on another level that just comes with decades of mastery.
This is so cool to see. The old and the new.
Thanks for sharing ☮️
Subbed
hearing masters just mess around is such a rare treat
A great example of how massive Vais tone is. It sounds like the lead even when 2 of the greatest modern players share the stage. Can't bottle that shit.
Well buddy ...
You don't want to out tone Steve Vai. Even if ( hipothetically ) you're able to. That's just kinda rude. Except maybe, just maybe... You're Guthrie Govan.
@@fajaradi1223 hipo lol
Polyphia, playing the Steve Vai while a guy is headbanging with a Zappa Shirt on = amazing
One of my fav steve vai's song,bangkok+fire garden suite: bull whip/pusa road/angel food/taurus bulba,never thought he will play this live nowadays
those polyphia dudes were unprepared lmao
In the new age of great guitar players Steve still entertains me with his awesome playing. What a legand.
The next generation is coming…
God bless u all…
Joe, Vai, Yngwie, etc
Took them a min to get the feel of jamming together but they fucking killed it.
This is the coolest thing ever
What a night my first time seeing Vai and having the guys from Polyphia come on stage was just magical
the legend and the next legends, amazing to witness
My first quick glance at the title of this video had my brain registering “Diamond Dallas Page and Tim Henson”, which got me pretty damn excited.
tim in pentatonic and soulful = 🤯
This is so great! Such love and respect going both ways
Its so amazing ‼️⚡🎸⚡
Love that when LePage fixed his tech issue the other two stopped to let him get in on the action, class acts
The video quality is spectacular
Very cool 😎 a Legend with two unbelievable talents, light years ahead of most Ax slingers
This is unreal. Thanks for sharing this man
Shows you the difference in prepared chops vs improv chops.
There's nothing wrong with that. Classical pianists can't do improv as well as jazz pianists. You can't be perfect at everything
@@Nootlest Which is why even though the musical style of Vai vs. what Polyphia does is quite different they still can have mutual respect for each other and hence collaborate like this. I can only imagine up and coming guitar heros like Tim and Scott being blown away that they are noticed by a legend like Vai and possibly vice versa.
steve vai is amazing
This is just so cool. Steve Vai was a guitar of mine when I was young. Not that I'm way past young I get to hear phenomenal players like Tim Henson.
Great quality video! Thank you for sharing!
What a genius player Steve is.
All three are impressive players. But what impresses me the most here is that usually when a player shows up as a guest soloist they are using borrowed gear, they don't have "their" rig and their sound, and the soundman doesn't Ballance their level generously, so they are never as loud as the host.
Maybe Vai learned that generosity of communal spirit from Satriani from all those years being involved with G3 tours. This was never a problem then, but those were more than a one off event. With this show, he made sure they had their own effects and got them turned up to match him. He probably even did a soundcheck with them! That says a lot about his character and respect for his fellow guitar brothers! Love it!
this is awesome but my hands got so sweaty watching this. I was so nervous for them haha
Steve Vai be creating great music through improv. Props to Polyphia for doing great music for us future generations to enjoy and Steve Vai for inspiring millions of musicians especially guitarist to be better at what they do best. Not gonna lie, I was hoping for them specially Tim to go improv hand to hand with Steve Vai same as John Mayer with BB king. It’s still great to witness this moment and I really do enjoy the their “Ego Death” song featuring Steve Vai.
Amazing virtuosity on guitar. I’m not really into the shredding because it starts to all sound the same, but I admire their talent.
Finally someone teaching the kids how to improvise
unbelievable... mind-blowing... straight up badass shit, beautiful... Gods
No ego trips here which is refreshing considering the level of mastery. It's the future and foundation of whats to come in guitar playing. An exciting time to be alive. Also shout out to Kiko and Jeff Loomis as they of the same ilk.
Polyphia always amazes me with every new song.
They keep getting better and better!
I love all those guys but people take Steve’s ease on the instrument for granted. He’s so natural with improv, not something many are good at.
No one can beat older generation in improvisation
Vai is an absolute God. But Tim and Scott did very well I thought too.
Literally had a vision of polyphia with Vai doing FGS. FYEAH thanks for the vid.
I really love his entrance at the Polyphia music video..like "Hey, here comes the king!"
This is called the master exposing the student
This video made my night. I love organized chaos.
Steve Vai is the legend, the Master, they are not even close to him.
Everyone’s kinda shitting in Tim & Scott saying they’re not good improvisers but damn I thought they killed it! Listen to Scott’s run at 5:51 so melodic!
Amazing !!! Ive been loving poliphya sound. They are great
wow thanks for this, wish i was there
Feels and sounds like heaps of fun!
Tim and Scott got a lot better on the improvisation area 👏👏👏
I wonder what sort of set list they will have when they're done with their inevitable album4 tour. Would be really cool to see them develop some cover songs (or reworked older tracks) they can play in their own style and dabble with improv in those. I feel Scott might be slightly better at this kind of thing because I can hear some traditional shred metal licks within his playing. Skies the limit with Tim and Scott.
Some people are so disrespectful. Vai is a legend who paved the road. Show some love.
For someone like me who aside from being a professional musician am also a guitar builder and collector, it is especially exciting to see the younger generation still wants to kick butt on stage with a guitar. And as long as that keeps happening, it is job security for people like me. But the bottom line of course is the music and the passion. It is known historical fact that a record label passed on the Beatles in the early 1960's stating electric guitar band music is dead. It seems they were a little off lol.
Hes the most briliant musician
At first they looked a little of their element, since they're used to playing with a metronome in perfect bpm. Awesome how Vai just guided them into loosening up and at the end they were all just jamming.
Steve Vai and Polyphia....
All technical wonders on their instruments, and Vai is here on ability and relevance, not laurels and name recognition....but....
.... I really have to give Steve props. I'm 58 years old and still play occasionally in a band and up till 4 years back, was a regular fixture in the Columbus, Ohio's music scene.
62 yrs......dammit, he just took away my only plan to completely hang it up at 60yrs and buy a bowling ball 🤣🤣🤣