Steve Vai and Devin Townsend are set to reunite on stage for the first time in almost 25 years. The reunion at Norway’s Starmus Festival, will see the former bandmates cover tracks from the Vai band’s ‘Sex & Religion’ release. Townsend made the revelation whilst speaking to eonmusic at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, which took place in London on Monday night (12th June 2017).
Photo: Dean Fardell
By Eamon O'Neill On 14th June 2017.
Steve Vai and Devin Townsend are set to reunite on stage for the first time in over 25 years. The reunion at Norway’s Starmus Festival will see the former band mates cover tracks from the Vai band’s ‘Sex & Religion’ release.
Townsend made the revelation whilst speaking to eonmusic at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, which took place in London on Monday night (12th June 2017). On hand to collect the ‘Riff Lord’ award at the event which was held at the city’s Indig02, Devin was among a host of winners that included Prophets Of Rage, who picked up the ‘Inspiration’ award, Airbourne’s Joel O’Keefe, who was named the ‘Dimebag Darrell 'Shredder', and Black Sabbath, who were crowned ‘Golden Gods’.
Speaking about the upcoming Starmus appearance, Townsend said that he was looking forward to performing with Vai once again. Said the former Strapping Young Lad; “We’re doing one of my songs with an orchestra, and I’m singing with him for the first time in 25 years. I’m also playing some of his stuff, so I think, now that I’ve been elevated to Riff Lord, I may get a promotion!”
Going on to talk about playing at the unique event which celebrates science and the arts, Devin said; “It’s a festival that’s based around physics and science, and I really enjoy that. [Being] forty-five years old, and sober, and [having] kids and all that, I really respect that sort of process. I really like the idea that something that is maybe stereotypically known as being a knuckle-dragging genre, is able to participate in things that are really beautiful like this and contribute to it.”
When asked about what material from the divisive 1993 release – the only album that the Vai band ever recorded - that the pair would be covering, Townsend said; “We’re just doing one song. We’ve known each other for many years, so to be able to get together like that is really cool.”
Taking place in Trondheim, Norway from 18th – 23rd June, Starmus Festval: Live And The Universe has the goal of bringing an understanding and appreciation of science to the public at large.
Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage from the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, including interviews with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Chuck D and B-Real from Prophets of Rage and more.
Like this story? Like us on FaceBook and follow us on Twitter for regular updates & more of the same.
Steve Vai and Devin Townsend are set to reunite on stage for the first time in over 25 years. The reunion at Norway’s Starmus Festival will see the former band mates cover tracks from the Vai band’s ‘Sex & Religion’ release.
Townsend made the revelation whilst speaking to eonmusic at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, which took place in London on Monday night (12th June 2017). On hand to collect the ‘Riff Lord’ award at the event which was held at the city’s Indig02, Devin was among a host of winners that included Prophets Of Rage, who picked up the ‘Inspiration’ award, Airbourne’s Joel O’Keefe, who was named the ‘Dimebag Darrell 'Shredder', and Black Sabbath, who were crowned ‘Golden Gods’.
Speaking about the upcoming Starmus appearance, Townsend said that he was looking forward to performing with Vai once again. Said the former Strapping Young Lad; “We’re doing one of my songs with an orchestra, and I’m singing with him for the first time in 25 years. I’m also playing some of his stuff, so I think, now that I’ve been elevated to Riff Lord, I may get a promotion!”
Going on to talk about playing at the unique event which celebrates science and the arts, Devin said; “It’s a festival that’s based around physics and science, and I really enjoy that. [Being] forty-five years old, and sober, and [having] kids and all that, I really respect that sort of process. I really like the idea that something that is maybe stereotypically known as being a knuckle-dragging genre, is able to participate in things that are really beautiful like this and contribute to it.”
When asked about what material from the divisive 1993 release – the only album that the Vai band ever recorded - that the pair would be covering, Townsend said; “We’re just doing one song. We’ve known each other for many years, so to be able to get together like that is really cool.”
Taking place in Trondheim, Norway from 18th – 23rd June, Starmus Festval: Live And The Universe has the goal of bringing an understanding and appreciation of science to the public at large.
Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage from the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, including interviews with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Chuck D and B-Real from Prophets of Rage and more.
Like this story? Like us on FaceBook and follow us on Twitter for regular updates & more of the same.
