JOE SATRIANI On EDDIE VAN HALEN: ‘He Did Things The Way Nobody Else Did Them, And To Him It Came Naturally’

Joe Satriani says he initially agreed to join a planned Van Halen tribute, then repeatedly doubted he could reproduce Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing. He said Eddie’s distinctive, instinctive style made the parts feel awkward to imitate, and that performing them convincingly was not suited to his own approach.

Satriani recalled the tribute project falling apart about three weeks before a planned New York show. Months later, Sammy Hagar proposed a different set of performances that included songs from Van Halen’s Roth and Hagar eras alongside material from Montrose, Hagar and Chickenfoot. Satriani said that format felt more manageable, and noted that many guitarists have studied and performed Eddie’s parts.