G3 is a

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often, concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific ...

organized by guitarist

Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". ''AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American rock music, rock guitarist, composer, and songwriter. Early in hi ...

featuring him alongside two other guitarists. Since its inception in 1995, G3 has toured most years and has featured many guitarists, including

Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai ( ; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a Transcription (music), transc ...

(Satriani's former student), Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Yngwie Malmsteen,

John Petrucci John Peter Petrucci (born July 12, 1967) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He produced or co-produced (often with Mike Portnoy before Portnoy's absence from the band 2010-2023 ...

Robert Fripp Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946) is an English musician, composer, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session mu ...

, Paul Gilbert, Steve Morse, Steve Lukather, Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, Adrian Legg, Phil Collen and many other special guests, including Tony MacAlpine, Johnny Hiland, Keith More, Chris Duarte, Andy Timmons, Neal Schon, Gary Hoey,

Brian May Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...

, Billy Gibbons, Johnny A, George Lynch, Patrick Rondat, Guthrie Govan, Alejandro Silva, and Eric Sardinas.

1996

The first tour took place in 1996. The North American G3 tour featured

, and Eric Johnson. Performances were held from October 11, 1996 to November 8, 1996. Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Adrian Legg were the opening acts. There were special guests on this tour, who included Neal Schon in San Francisco, Gary Hoey in San Diego, Chris Duarte in Austin and San Antonio, George Lynch in Phoenix, and Andy Timmons in Dallas. Al and Janie Hendrix (

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

's father and stepsister) came backstage on the last date of the G3 Tour in Hendrix's home town of Seattle, WA.

1997

Toured North America and Europe. Michael Cusson played the first two shows in Quebec City and Montreal before Kenny Wayne Shepherd joined the tour.

1998

Toured Europe. Patrick Rondat was also present on the G3 Tour dates in France.

2000

Toured Rentak Rhythm of Asia Festival (Bukit Jalil) – Kuala Lumpur, MY. Featured a reunion of the first G3 Tour lineup on October 21, 2000 at the Rhythm of Asia Festival – Kuala Lumpur, MY. Slide guitarist Eric Sardinas opened.

2001–2002

G3 2001 featured

and

up with Dream Theater's

, who wrote an entire set of new instrumental music for the tour, touring North America.

2003

and Yngwie Malmsteen toured North America.

2004

G3 toured Europe, Mexico and South America in 2004 with

and

2005

The 2005 G3 tour featured

and

touring Japan and the United States. It was recorded on May 8 at the Tokyo Forum, Japan.

2006

The first 2006 G3 tour featured

, Eric Johnson and

. Performances were held from October 16, 2006 to October 29, 2006 across Latin America. The second 2006 G3 tour featured

and

. Performances were held across Australia from November 29, 2006 to December 8, 2006.

2007

The G3 2007 tour featured Paul Gilbert,

and

. Shows were held from March 14 to April 14. At the last show of the tour during the song "Glasgow Kiss" Paul Gilbert's band came out wearing kilts and did a small dance. The G3 Jam featured Johnny A. at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, MA.

2012

The G3 2012 tour featured Steve Lukather in Australia/ Steve Morse in Europe,

and

2016

The G3 2016 tour featured

and

and the Aristocrats. Shows were held in various cities in Italy and Germany from July 2, 2016 to July 13, 2016.

2018

The G3 2018 tour featured

, Uli Jon Roth in Europe/ Phil Collen in the States and

2024

The G3 2024 thirteen-show US tour featured

and Eric Johnson. The tour resulted in the ''Reunion Live'' album.

G3 statistics

Dream Theater,

Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...

, and Racer X are the only bands that have had two of their members on G3 tour:

on guitar and Mike Portnoy on drums (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 & 2007),

on guitar and Mike Mangini on drums (2012,2018), Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth both on guitars (1998), and Paul Gilbert and Bruce Bouillet both on guitar (2007). Alcatrazz has also had two members represented on the G3 tour: Yngwie Malmsteen and

. The David Lee Roth Band has had four members touring with G3:

, Billy Sheehan, Matt Bissonette and Greg Bissonette.

, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse,

and Uli Jon Roth are the only guitarists (excluding

and

) who have played on the G3 tour more than once: *

– eight times * Eric Johnson – four times *

– twice * Steve Morse – twice * Uli Jon Roth - twice

Headline guitarists

* 1996 (North America):

, Eric Johnson with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Adrian Legg on select dates * 1997 (North America):

, Kenny Wayne Shepherd,

* 1997 (Europe):

, Adrian Legg * 1998 (Europe):

, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Keith More (Guest on

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

and

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

(On

Wembley Arena Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...

) * 2000 (Rentak Rhythm Of Asia) :

, Eric Johnson * 2001 (North America):

, Steve Morse (guest on 22.7., Orlando, Florida), * 2003 (North America):

, Yngwie Malmsteen * 2004 (Europe/South America):

. * 2005 (Japan):

, Marty Friedman (Although he did not appear in the credits) * 2006 (South America):

, Eric Johnson * 2006 (Australia):

* 2007 (North America):

, Paul Gilbert * 2012 (Australia/New Zealand):

, Steve Lukather * 2012 (Europe):

, Steve Morse,

Al Di Meola Albert Laurence Di Meola (born July 22, 1954) is an American guitarist. Known for his work in jazz fusion and world music, his breakthrough came after joining Chick Corea's Return to Forever group in 1974. He launched, from 1976 afterwards, a s ...

(Guest on July 31 in Prague) * 2012 (South America):

, Steve Morse, Steve Lukather (Lukather replaced Morse on October 23, 2012) * 2016 (Europe):

, Guthrie Govan (with the Aristocrats). * 2018 (USA)

, Phil Collen * 2018 (Europe)

, Uli Jon Roth * 2024 (USA)

, Eric Johnson

Discography

*'' G3: Live in Concert'' (1997) *'' G3: Live in Denver'' (2004) *'' G3: Rockin' in the Free World'' (2004) *'' G3: Live in Tokyo'' (2005) *'' G3 Reunion Live'' (2025)

References

External links

Official G3 website

G3
at

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