On June 29, former MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro joined the SATCHVAI band — featuring iconic guitar legends Joe Satriani and Steve Vai — on stage at Kulttuuritalo in Helsinki, Finland to perform covers of the METALLICA classic “Enter Sandman” and STEPPENWOLF‘s “Born To Be Wild”. Backing them were powerhouse drummer Kenny Aronoff, renowned bassist Marco Mendoza and virtuoso guitarist Pete Thorn.

Earlier today (Sunday, July 27),Loureiro shared a 22-minute behind-the-scenes video of his guest appearance with SATCHVAI, writing in an accompanying description: “Backstage with Satriani & Vai in Helsinki – What Really Happened! During the SATCHVAI band tour stop in Helsinki, we had some unforgettable moments backstage — and I just had to share this with you.

“This video captures a unique side of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai that most people never get to see: us hanging out, jamming on piano and even playing ‘plant maracas’ (don’t ask—just watch).

“Being with these legends is already a dream, but it’s these spontaneous moments that make it truly special.

“Hope you enjoy this glimpse into our backstage world!”

The SATCHVAI band tour kicked off on June 13 and featured stops in major cities like London, Paris, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam, and also included performances at major European summer festivals such as Hellfest, Umbria Jazz Festival and Guitare En Scène. The tour is set to conclude in late July.

Satriani and Vai, along with each of their respective bands, initially joined forces for their first-ever tour together, outside of the “G3” format, in the spring of 2024 across select U.S. cities. They decided it was finally time to form a band together and bring that winning formula to the live stage, beginning in Europe.

Celebrating nearly five decades of musical friendship, Satriani and Vai made their first musical collaboration debut in March 2024. “The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1” showcased the unmatched synergy between these two legendary guitarists as they seamlessly traded solo sections throughout the nearly six-minute opus.

Their latest single, “I Wanna Play My Guitar”, featuring legendary DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, is available on all streaming platforms.

Satch and Vai‘s musical careers have been intertwined since their very early days. Satriani served as Vai‘s guitar teacher during their teenage years on Long Island, New York. Their connection has continued to evolve over the years, even sharing record labels, starting at Relativity Records in the late 1980s, to both calling Sony/Epic Records home for a significant portion of the 1990s. Together, they have also frequently teamed up with a third guitarist on multiple occasions throughout the span of three decades, participating in the semi-annual “G3” tours, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Satriani said: “Every time [Vai and I] play together, it takes me back to when we were teenagers, eating and breathing music every second of the day, pushing, challenging, and helping each other to be the best we could be. I guess we’ve never stopped!”

Vai added: “Touring with Joe is always a pleasure and an honor. He is my favorite guitarist to jam with, and now we have another opportunity to take it to the stage. I feel as though we are both at the top of our game, and the show will be a powerful celebration of the coolest instrument in the world, the electric guitar!”