Reading the pre-concert promotion, the great Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen promised a night of 'jaw dropping technique, innovative style and unparalleled showmanship'.
Malmsteen's back catalogue, running some 40 years to the early '80s includes such hits as 'Arpeggios From Hell'. So most attendees had a good idea of what to expect from this show (18 May) – and to be fair, he did deliver what was promised!His guitar-playing technique is incredible (and flawless; he did not miss a single note for the evening), his style is very much his own, to the extent that guitars need to be completing revamped to accommodate his playing, while he is absolutely a great showman, with all the crazy and anguished faces we would expect from a 1980s guitar virtuoso.
I've been aware of Malmsteen since my teens, when I hung around music stores in Melbourne (Allans and Brashs), and his legacy was already huge. He was probably a year or two ahead of the two of the other so-called G3, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Malmsteen certainly has his own style, and is famed for owning 5 (red) Ferraris, and 200-plus (mainly vintage white) Fender Stratocasters.
Yngwie Malmsteen - image © Bill Prendergast
The guitar tonight is more a butter colour, but he constantly changes guitars throughout his set, often flinging them through the air to his guitar technician, who is so important to the show that he features in the end of show bow with the other four members of the band. The technician also appears every three or four songs to replenish the plectrums that Malmsteen is constantly flicking into the crowd!
The show itself was well presented from the start. To commence the show, we are aware of the three additional band members, almost in pitch black, in front of a massive bank of Marshall amplifiers. There is complete silence, which is broken by this incredible set of extremely loud (and fast!) arpeggios, and the crowd is ready for Malmsteen to appear.
The first piece, ('Rising Force' is almost always the first song performed at his concerts) was standard heavy guitar fare, but a strong introduction. As he moved into the third piece, we are treated to some gentler guitar work.
Yngwie Malmsteen - image © Bill Prendergast
What made this playing incredible was his use of delay. He has completely mastered his equipment, and was playing such that the piece he played registered no sound, and yet the delay a second or two later was where the music was contained. It was incredible and an introduction to his mastery.
As he moved into the next pieces (notably 'Relentless Fury'), it was noticeable that he plays every single piece of the neck, but more than any other guitarist of whom I am aware, he spends a lot of time in the absolute highest register of the guitar (that is, right up the neck).
Malmsteen is also famous for his love of classical music, which impacts what he plays (and names his children, one of whom is named after Vivaldi). He next moved into a stunning rendition of Bach's 'Badinerie' (truly beautiful in its original and intended form), and then flowed into the famous 'Adagio' by Albionini. They were both instantly recognisable, despite the instrumentation, and he moved later into another fugue.
After the classical interlude, he moved back into a few covers, including Yngwie singing 'Smoke On The Water', and probably my favourite of the evening, which started off as a cover of Jimi Hendrix's 'Red House' with a great bluesy feel, including a deference to some Stevie Ray Vaughan licks.
Yngwie Malmsteen - image © Bill Prendergast
He next headed into a piece noted as 'Noise', which featured him alone onstage, getting crazy feedback by resting his guitar on the amp, and pulling strings off with his hands. In the final piece, he held – or sustained – a note for what seemed eternity, so long that he kept looking at his watch.
It was a great show, thoroughly enjoyed by a much more varied crowd than I had expected.
The opening act, Ragdoll out of Melbourne, were great, putting huge amount of energy into their show as a three piece. We were treated to some great guitar grimaces and fist pumps as the boys played through a set driven by heavy, grinding bass.
Guitarist Leon Todd notes that he is playing rhythm – not lead – guitar, given the calibre of the guitarist to follow their set (Malmsteen).
Ragdoll - image © Bill Prendergast
The venue is incredible; the cavernous, exposed brick walls the perfect place to see live music in Brisbane. The evening was an unashamed celebration of 1980s music, a great show, and the showmanship was fantastic. It was an event to be taken with a sense of fun.
More photos from the concert.
