Yngwie Malmsteen: pollstar interview

Some people had the misconception for a while that I had something to do with the ’80s. I became known in the ’80s, or what people now think of as the ’80s. And when the ’80s became the ’90s and everybody wanted to turn everything upside down, it didn’t change what I wanted to do. I’ve never turned my coat to the wind.

It’s actually turned out, in the long run, to be the right thing to do. There’s a lot of people who were doing what I was doing 25 years ago who are not [now.] What’s ‘in’ is bound to go ‘out,’ so if you don’t have a steady course, you’re lost.

What’s more important is that, to quote [Italian musician and composer] Niccolò Paganini, ‘One must feel strongly to make others feel strongly.’ When you feel so strongly about what you do, people can’t help but like it or hate it but they won’t ignore it. If you’re real about it – what you see is what you get – that’s longevity.

I love to go on stage because every night is different – a different audience and a different show. Every time I hit the stage, I play like it’s the last show I’m going to do.

full interview