Guitar God Yngwie Malmsteen at BergenPac on June 17
By Brian Aberback
A night of six-string acrobatics is on tap when the Guitar Gods 2014 tour stops at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood on Tuesday, June 17. Legendary virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen, best known for combining classical and heavy metal with seemingly unhuman speed and dexterity, headlines the show. The tour also features Gary Hoey and Guns N’ Roses axeman Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal.
The tour was organized by Yngwie’s wife, April Malmsteen. We spoke, in separate interviews, with Yngwie and April.
Yngwie Malmsteen
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Patch: You've played multiple guitar-oriented package tours before. What are you looking forward to and what is special about this particular tour?
Malmsteen: This is our own festival created and produced by my wife and manager April Malmsteen. She wanted to create a festival tour where many different types of guitarists could get together and perform under one roof. It’s great because everyone on this tour brings their own sound and style.
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Patch: This year is the 30th Anniversary of your debut solo album, “Rising Force.” How do you feel the album has aged and did you expect it to have the vast influence that it has had on guitar players around the world?
Malmsteen: I still like it and I am still surprised with the success of it. It was put together very fast so I was only thinking about the music at the time, not the impact it would have.
Patch: What projects are you currently working on?
Malmsteen: I am always writing new music in my studio. Right now I am finishing a live full length concert video and a full length CD to be released around August.
Patch: You’ve always had a very demanding mindset. You play all the instruments in the studio, write the music and produce the albums. What shaped your intense personality?
Malmsteen: Part of it is from growing up in Sweden. Everybody is told to be the same, not to stand out. It’s a very stifling mindset. I’m extremely un-Swedish. If I grew up here maybe I would have turned out different because I wouldn’t have been fighting so hard against being told not to think you’re special. Even in sports, I play tennis. I don’t rely on a team. I win or I lose. That’s just been my way of living all my life.
Patch: You have a website, www.relentlessshred.com, where you offer a variety of online guitar lesson packages. What prompted you to start the website?
Malmsteen: There are 1,000 people who have books and CDs and websites that say, “play like Yngwie Malmsteen.” I thought, “wait a second, don’t people want to learn from the guy who did it?” So I put this thing together. It was a lot of work. It really goes into all aspects of my style. There are a lot of cool demonstrations.
April Malmsteen
Patch: What made you choose Gary Hoey and Ron Thal to join Yngwie on the Guitar Gods tour?
April Malmsteen: I looked at people that I like and admire and have their own identity. Yngwie and I put a list together and contacted the artists. Gary and Ron were on our “A” list. We’re very excited they’re doing this tour.
Patch: What do you like most about them?
April Malmsteen: Gary has this energy about him. I love to watch him play. Ron is an amazing artist and a great character. Watching him makes me happy. He makes me laugh, in a good way.
Patch: What is the essence of your husband’s playing?
April Malmsteen: I don’t think it’s one thing. It differs from individual to individual. I think he’s a rare artist, a mad genius. When he creates music, it comes from the heart and touches individuals in different ways.
If you go: Guitar Gods 2014 featuring Yngwie Malmsteen, Gary Hoey and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal. 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 17. $25, $50. Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 N. Van Brunt St., Englewood. 201-227-1030 or www.bergenpac.org.