Joe Satriani has opened up about Kurt Cobain‘s guitar playing, sharing that the Nirvana frontman was a “great” at playing the axe.
READ MORE: Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ at 30: a track-by-track guide from your favourite musicians
In an interview with Classic Rock Magazine as part of their January 2025 issue, Satraini – who prior to becoming the guitar icon he has become, served as a guitar instructor and taught the likes of Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Andy Timmons, Charlie Hunter and more – discussed the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ hitmakers, saying that he “was very happy with those Nirvana records”.
He then focused on Cobain and added that the legendary frontman “was a great guitar player.”
“You go back and look at Nirvana clips, and you realise this guy is playing everything he’s supposed to play. He’s not looking at what he’s playing, so obviously he really knows the instrument,” he told the publication. “And he’s playing with one of the greatest drummers of all time [Dave Grohl], so that wouldn’t have worked if he was not a good guitarist.”
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana during MTV Live and Loud: Nirvana Performs Live – December 1993 at Pier 28 in Seattle, Washington, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
In other news, Satriani’s album ‘G3 Reunion Live’ – featuring fellow guitarists Vai and Eric Johnson – is set for release on Jan. 31 via earMUSIC. G3 is a concert tour organized by Satriani featuring him alongside two other guitarists.
The album marks their live album in over 25 years and features “a full album-length set from” each of the trio alongside “additional jam material of the mighty guitar trinity,” (via Loudwire). You can pre-order it here.
Elsewhere, Satriani and Vai have joined forces to create the Satchvai Band and are set to embark on a 2025 UK and European tour this summer. Check out a full list of dates below and visit here to purchase tickets.
The Satchvai Band will play:
JUNE 2025
13 – York, Barbican
14 – London, Eventim Apollo
17 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
18 – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
19 – Manchester, O2 Apollo
22 – Paris, Palais Des Congres
23 – Antwerp, Lotto Arena
24 – Amsterdam, Amsterdam Afas
26 – Copenhagen, Amager Bio
29 – Helsinki, House of Culture
30 – Tampere, Tampere Hall
JULY 2025
2 – Uppsala, Parksnacken
3 – Oslo, Sentrum Scene
5 – Warsaw, Torwar
8 – Munich, Musik Arena
10 – Dusseldorf, Mitsubishi Electric Hall
11 – Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle
12 – Zurich, Volkshaus
13 – Milan, Villa Casati Stampa
15 – Pordenone, Parco San Valentino
16 – Perugia, Umbria Jazz
17 – Bologna, Sequoie Music Park
18 – Saint Julien, Monts du Genevois
Satriani’s latest album is 2022’s ‘The Elephants Of Mars’, while Vai released ‘Vai/Gash’ in 2023, a record first recorded in 1991 but never previously released.
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