Like many fledgling guitarists, my young teenage self was obsessed with the lightning-fast neoclassical stylings of Swedish guitar virtuoso, Yngwie Malmsteen. I fondly remember watching (and re-watching!) the VHS tape of Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad, which my uncle lent me as inspiration for my guitar playing aspirations.
Over the past couple of decades, my musical priorities and preferences have largely shifted away from the speed, shredding, and relentless arpeggios. However, if for no other reason than nostalgia, I simply couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see Yngwie in my neck of the woods, and so I bought tickets to see him at KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton
What a show.
It took me right back. The Strats. The ridiculous wall of Marshalls. The familiar solos, played even faster than on the record. The vocals, whilst not up to Joe Lynn Turner’s standards, were certainly good enough to bring back the magic of that old Leningrad record.
10/10 for nostalgia (and shred).
