Antwerp, June 24, 2025 – Guitar icons Joe Satriani and Steve Vai set Antwerp’s Stadsschouwburg on fire. With their performances as the SatchVai Band, the two virtuosos shared the stage in Belgium for the first time, a long-awaited moment for fans of instrumental rock. Originally scheduled for the Lotto Arena, the show was moved to the more intimate Stadsschouwburg due to slower ticket sales. But what the evening lacked in size, it more than made up for with energy and sheer musical firepower.

The SatchVai core duo was joined by heavyweights Marco Mendoza on bass, Kenny Aronoff on drums and Pete Thorn on guitar.

Vai and Satriani‘s history goes back nearly five decades, when Vai was a teenage student under Satriani‘s mentorship. That connection has since evolved through many G3 tours, culminating in a full-fledged world tour as the SatchVai Band. After all the great classics from both virtuosos had passed and the show had come to a close, the audience gave thunderous applause and standing ovations, leaving the band with no choice but to perform a smashing encore

First came “Crowd Chant,” a perfect sing-along that brought the entire theater to its feet with raised voices and hands in the air. This was followed by a thunderous cover of Metallica‘s “Enter Sandman,” followed by a soaring version of “Born to Be Wild” to end the evening in true rock and roll fashion. For many in the room, it was the fulfillment of a decades-long dream to see two of the greatest guitarists of all time share the stage together.

The support act was Ned Evett, known for playing the fretless, glass guitar. Ned played a solo set, which is brave, but if you ask us, it could have sounded much better with a backing band.