“Devoid of passion or emotion”: the internet slams Joe Satriani and Steve Vai’s guitar playing in viral clip

In our little corner of the world and internet known as guitar land, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are generally lauded as flag bearers of shred and true masters of the instrument. But that’s not to say their chops are up everyone’s street.

After a clip filmed at one of their recent joint shows went viral on Twitter/X – amassing over 2.1 million views since 1 July – internet users have come out in droves in critique of both Satch and Vai’s overly technical playing.

• READ MORE: “He’s my Yoda”: Kirk Hammett on why praise from former teacher Joe Satriani means more

The video shows the two guitar aces battling it out for supremacy, trading fiery lick after fiery lick, and people online are not at all impressed.

Guitar heroes Satriani and Vai! Always amazing #guitar #guitarsolo pic.twitter.com/I5CxY7Xp96
— Darrell Craig Harris Pro Bassist (@DarrellCBassist) July 1, 2024

“Two undeniably talented masters of the guitar, neither of whom I can tolerate after about 5 minutes,” one writes.

“No doubt talented musicians but this is just musical masturbation,” says another. “They’re not even trying to produce something that sounds good, or melodic, or interesting. They’re just showing off how many notes they can cram into a solo.”

Another describes Satch and Vai as “technically skilled with absolutely no aesthetic quality. They should be playing organ in a dungeon. They both fuck up every ‘greatest guitarist of all time’ discussion”.

“I always find it strange how people will say something is amazing because it’s technically proficient,” writes another user. “Like yes these men can play guitar extremely well. But, what is technique if it sounds devoid of passion and emotion?”

In response, another user concedes that “this is silly, tasteless wankery, for sure”, but asserts that “it’s not fair to take this as representative of their styles”.

“They both have songs that, at least for me, are beautiful, evocative, and passionate,” he writes. “Vai’s For The Love of God and Satriani’s Flying in a Blue Dream come to mind.”

Technical proficiency versus emotive playing has long been the subject of contentious debate. While the likes of Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen popularised dazzling fretboard fireworks in the ‘70s and ‘80s – and such playing is still hits the algorithms on social media platforms in 2024 – many have expressed a distaste for such antics, instead preferring more soulful, passion-driven guitar playing.

Lenny Kravitz, for example, in May said “musicians should be thinking more about feel, dynamics and emotion than quick technique”, citing BB King, who “could take one string, one note, one finger and knock over a fucking mountain.”