Swedish Shredder Yngwie Malmsteen Saves Other Musicians by Remaining a Solo Act
Swedish guitar embodiment of “gotta go fast” and noted hater of donuts Yngwie Malmsteen isn’t going to be part of a band anytime soon. At least that’s what he said during a recent interview on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk.”
During the interview, transcribed by Blabbermouth, Malmsteen said his aversion to being part of a band stems from an artistic desire to control the entire writing process.
“Well, I’m not saying never for anything, but most likely not. Because I’m in a rock and roll setting, like everybody knows — it’s a rock and roll band, basically, on stage — but the way I create is very much like a painter or writer where… I don’t paint half a painting and call my friend up and [say], ‘Hey, can you come finish half the painting for me?’ That’s the only thing. It’s not because I’m egotistical; it’s just an artistic expression thing.”
I’m not sure why this is particularly surprising to anyone that’s ever followed Malmsteen. Except for brief stints in Steeler and Alcatrazz back in the 80s, he’s remained a solo act with last year’s Parabellum marking his 22nd studio album.
Aside from those road dates and penning his own records, Walmsteen composed a “Concerto Suite For Electric Guitar And Orchestra” and played on tribute albums commemorating the work of Deep Purple, Queen, Saxon, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, and others.
The closest thing he’s had to a band, he said, was his time on the Generation Axe tour, which ran off and on from 2016 to 2019. During those years, the show would feature major modern guitar legends, including Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi. He’s also gone on tour with fellow guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani during the G3 tour.
Even though he says he wouldn’t play with a band, it’s important to remember that he plays with a band at every live show he does. Each night, he’s joined by keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez, and drummer Brian Wilson. Though when you’re playing with a guy like Yngwie, it might be best to sit back, play his backing track, and collect your paycheck.
If you want to see Yngwie’s particular brand of guitar playing live, you can catch him at one of the following dates:
Oct 19 – Teatro Vorterix @ 7:00pm – Buenos Aires, Argentina
Oct 21 – Espacio Marina @ 7:00pm – Talcahuano, Chile
Oct 22 – Teatro Cariola @ 7:00pm – Santiago, Chile
Oct 24 – Carioca Club @ 7:00pm – São Paulo, Brazil
Oct 26 – Asunción Paraguay @ 7:00pm – Asunción, Paraguay
