Eric Johnson has revealed that a new G3 live album – which captures the recently concluded G3 reunion tour – is in the works, and it might be arriving at some point this year.
One of the most anticipated guitar events of the year, the 2024 G3 tour saw the concept’s original three members – Eric Johnson, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani – reunite for the first time under the G3 umbrella in more than two decades for a string of live electric guitar masterclasses.
Those who were unable to get tickets to any of the dates were forced to watch on from afar, with footage from both the electrifying opening night – as well as of the many guest guitarists the trio shared the stage with along the way – periodically making its way online.
However, in news that will delight just about everyone, Johnson has now confirmed fans will no longer have to rely on fan-shot videos to get their G3 2024 fix. Instead, they’ll be able to get it from a fully fledged G3 live album, which is officially in the works.
In a conversation with Guitar World writer Andrew Daly, Johnson was asked about upcoming material, to which he responded: “We’re making a G3 record. So, I’ve got to listen through all these recordings from the past several weeks and pick out the tracks I like.”
And, when asked whether this was a live album of the most recent tour with Satch and Vai, the Stratocaster master clarified: “Yes, it is.”
Right now, Johnson is tasked with the difficult job of trawling through recordings from the 2024 G3 shows and selecting what he thinks should be selected for the album. It sounds like a tough ask, given the volume of all-star jams and varying setlists the tour played host to across the weeks.
“Well, I want my playing to be okay,” Johnson said when asked what he’s looking for in the recordings. “Once it does have the right energy level of excitement, hopefully, it’ll have some magic.
“Some nights are different, you know? If you’re in a certain mood, that can produce a different vibe to the music. So, I’ve just got to look for ones that seem to be the most interesting to listen to and that kinda touch you, hopefully.”
Johnson currently has his eye – and ears – on some tracks from the LA show, as well as some more obscure cuts: “There were another couple of other shows where we did some one-off songs that we didn’t normally do, but that kind of worked out. So, I might use those, too.”
Once he, Satch and Vai have all picked their favorites from their own individual sets, they’ll then have to tackle the jam tracks. Right now, Johnson is unsure how they’ll navigate selecting those performances, but knows they'll have to suitably convey the energy they all felt on stage.
“I listened to some of the jams, and with all three of us on stage, it’s quite cacophonous,” he reflected. “It’s like phrasing and everything going on at once, but I don’t know… there was something about it that I kind of liked this time… I just kind of dig it.
“It sounds like a bunch of 18-year-old kids having fun. So, there’s something to be said about that energy. Even though it’s a little crazy, and everybody is like going nuts, it’s like you could sit there with pen and paper and go, ‘Well, that’s a little crazy,’ but if you throw away the pen and paper, it works.”
When it arrives, the G3 2024 live album will certainly make for essential listening for guitar fans – and there might be some essential viewing on the way, too.
Indeed, speaking to Guitar World in the lead up to the event, Satch revealed a documentary was in the works.
“My son is making a documentary about the whole thing, which is cool because the original G3 is when I first took him on tour,” he said. “That's the first time he saw what his dad did when he walked out the door [laughs]. I also look forward to seeing how it turns out from his viewpoint.”
Guitar World has also spoken to Steve Vai about the G3 tour. During the in-depth conversation, the Hydra titan noted of the tour format, “It’s always inspiring because it’s a jamming environment, so you gotta be on top of your game.
“You gotta be more you than you’ve ever been before. I know that sounds odd, but those players will push you. They push you to be the best you that you can be because the alternative is not pretty.”
