I don't think Steve Vai is particularly pleased to see me. Suffering from a bout of flu, and trying to consume a bowl of soup, he looks up, but remains seated, as I enter his dressing room.

Tall, thin, with his long hair tied back, Vai cuts an intimidating, yet graceful, figure. In the next room, the rest of the band can be heard laughing and joking. Vai appears a bit more reserved than that.

I tell him that this won't take long, and pull up a seat next to him. When he starts talking however, Vai's well-spoken and commanding voice is both assuring and enthralling.

First of all, if we could just go back to your early career, what was it like to play with Frank Zappa, and how did the collaboration help your career?

You gotta remember, I was like 18 when I started working with Frank, and I joined the band when I was 20. There is not a day goes by when I don't think about that experience and how lucky I was to be a part of it.

One of the best ways to improve on your instrument, is to have respect for the person who teaches you.

Frank was truly an innovator. He really was, and I'm not just paying him lip-service here. I was totally focussed in trying to impress him with my playing. He overcame so many obstacles to bring us his music, and that encouraged me to do the same.

He also helped me tremendously when I was making my first solo records. He loaned me gear as I didn't have anything back then. He was very supportive.

Now with G3, you are working with your former guitar teacher, Joe Satriani. What's that like? Is it a case of the pupil trying to outdo the master?

Well, first of all, you do not try to outdo Joe Satriani. From the time I was 13 years old, and I first went to Joe for lessons, I always looked up to him. He always had this musical air about him. His lessons were extremely important for me.

'I tried to learn every Jeff Beck tune I could'

One of the best ways to improve on your instrument, is to have respect for the person who teaches you. It makes you want to do good, and I had just the utmost respect for Joe.

My favourite musical experience with another musician is when I am jamming with Joe, because it reminds me of when I was a kid, and how, after three years of lessons, we used to just jam together for the fun of it.

When we are on stage together, it simply encourages us to do the best we can do.

Tell me about your current band. Who is in it, and what's it like to play with them?

I have to tell you that this is the favourite band I've ever had, bar none. I've got Billy Sheehan on bass, and we go way back to the Dave Lee Roth days. Then there is Tony MacAlpine on guitar and keyboards. What else can you ask for?

I was also turned on to this drummer called Jeremy Colson, and he is the first drummer I ever played with where I didn't have to look back and figure out what was going on back there. He's solid. He's perfect.

You played with the likes of Zappa, Alcatraz, Dave Lee Roth, Whitesnake. How would you compare playing in a band, as opposed to being a solo artist as you are currently?

When I play for someone else, be it Zappa, Roth or Whitesnake, I identify the parameters that that band has.

You try to identify what the band is about and make sure that your contribution is appropriate. I take direction very well during these situations.

But when I make my music, no one tells me anything. I do exactly what I want. I am in complete control. It is pure liberation. So you tell me what you think I prefer!

So you wouldn't ever consider joining a band again?

Nope. I'm perfectly happy. If the right situation came a long, I might do a stint with somebody.
I still do the odd little things here and there for other people.

Have you managed to see much of Newcastle on your stays here? And do you notice a difference between UK audiences and American ones?

I haven't had much of a chance at all to see this city. I was hoping to. Usually I go out for a jog, but I'm a little under the weather right now.

There is a huge difference with the audiences in this country, as opposed to the American ones. With America being so big, there is different reactions from different territories. It seems that the further South you go, the crazier it gets.

I notice that in the UK, the crowds are very attentive and they listen very carefully. And when the song is over, they clap.

They don't appreciate it any less than other places. They just have a different reaction. Occasionally, if you push their button, they will get up and charge.

Being on the road so often, you must have some strange and interesting stories to tell. Care to give us an insight?

When I was on tour with Dave Lee Roth, a lot of fans did crazy things. We used to rent out entire floors in hotels, where we would have a lot of parties going on. There was one incident in a hotel where this girl was walking on her hands and feet, and...(Okaaay Steve, that story is unprintable!)

Changing the subject quickly, who were your main influences when you were learning to play guitar?

Jimmy Page had a massive impact on me. All the great guitarists really- Jimi Hendrix, Brian May, Ritchie Blackmore, Carlos Santana, Steve Howe.

Did you start off trying to copy their sounds originally, or has it always been more about trying to get your own sound from the very beginning?

I used to learn the songs. For instance, I tried to learn every Jeff Beck tune I could. But when it came time for me to play, I knew instinctively, that I needed my own sound.

Performing on an instrument is like a birthright, and everybody should do it.

I thought if these guys have their own sound, then I need to get a sound too! They had made so many great riffs and sounds that were unique to them. I didn't want to sit there and try to sound like them.

If there is anything that a guitar player gets from reading this interview, then it is that right there.

In the G3 DVD, Live in Denver, you are seen playing a white, triple neck guitar. Where on earth do you get one of those?

I had it made. Custom built. The low neck is a fretless six-string neck. The middle neck is basically the main neck, and the top neck is an oddly-tuned 12 string neck (see main pic).

Steve Vai live on stage (photo: © Michael Mesker)

I wanted to do something a little different to open my show with. When you are on tour with Yngwie Malmsteen, as we were in America, you have to do something special, because that guy is completely and utterly over the top!

I didn't want to come out with my guns blazing as it would have been too much for the audience, so I wondered what else I could do that would be entertaining.

The triple neck worked so well that I decided to keep it in the show. It's a big pain in the backside to hold properly, but you get used to it after a while!

And finally, how do you prepare for a gig? Do you get nervous, or is it second nature these days?

It's second nature. I get more excited than nervous. I've done so many shows in my life now, that I know I'll get through it. It's a little challenging when you're not feeling well though!

Performing on an instrument is like a birthright, and everybody should do it. Being on stage with tremendous musicians is really an honour. It excites me!