Yngwie Malmsteen is one of the most technically accomplished guitarists of all time, rewriting the book on hard rock/heavy metal guitar. In addition to countless awards from music and instrument specific publications, none other than TIME Magazine hailed him as one of the ten greatest electric guitarists.
2013 was a banner year for Malmsteen, as he released his bestselling autobiography Relentless which coincided with a wildly successful tour that played to full houses all over the world. The only way he could top that in 2014 was to hand pick an all-star lineup of Guitar Gods to share the stage with him on a magical full North American tour.
“Fans can expect the unexpected,” Malmsteen said regarding his live shows. “I raise the bar with every performance I do and this tour will be no different.”
Held in the highest regard in his own right, Uli Jon Roth brings the very special 40th Anniversary Scorpions set that has been playing to frenzied audiences in Europe to North America, embracing his storied history with the band and digging deep into their catalog for this tour.
Acclaimed for his accomplishments for perfecting his playing in multiple genres (rock, blues, surf) and respected by both fans and peers alike, Gary Hoey performs his radio hits such as the Billboard Top 5 smash Hocus Pocus along with other favorites/
Gusn N’ Roses guitarist Bumbleoot (as seen in the just released DVD Appetite for Democracy which documents the bands Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel residency) embarks on his first solo tour, playing songs from his entire critically praised recorded history.
Tour to take place from June-July. Exact dates TBA.
63 Responses
First of all, as a musician myself just let me say – music is an Art, not a Sport. It’s not a competition to see who is the “Best.” You folks that are slamming Y. Malmsteen… I just don’t get it. There have been many guitarists over the years that have changed the course of history because they were “Different” or more “Creative” in some way. When Jimi Hendrix came onto the scene, people went WOW!! When Richie Blackmore came onto the scene, people went WOW!! Same goes for Eddie Van Halen, S. Vai, Joe Satriani – I could go on and on. Malmsteen also falls into this WOW category and is just as important in guitar player history as the afore mentioned artists that came before him. We need to quit comparing and slamming musicians who are outstanding in their field and simply appreciate them for what they contribute to music history.
Rockin Randy, you have a point and I agree with you.
Yngwie made his mark in history and he should hold that spot. When someone like Yngwie plays what he was playing when he was new on the scene and can not draw the crowd he was able to draw unless he is packaged with artists that can draw a crowd he needs to get that dynamic. He has nothing new, like Billy Joel, but to their credit are both icons. He like others need to learn that unless you are offering up something new he is touring on his past contributions to musical history as well as counting on the draw on the backs musicians like Ron and Gary in this case.
My objection was as a musician you need to be humble because there is always someone else playing something you will never achieve. That may be connecting with another artist or even your audience. I have seen the best of the best and when there is a finale when musicians gather on stage most play nice in the sandbox. It can actually be a time where you learn something while entertaining the audience at the same time.
Ygnwie does not have a collaborative interest in making music enjoyable. I studied jazz as a part of my training with a jazz purist who could have been amongst the best of the best in the jazz genre but is not, and not because of his amazing talent, but because he relates to a very narrow audience and is not aware of that reality.
Anyway, I appreciate everyones individual rights and respect individual opinions and musical tastes.