Drummer PATRICK JOHANSSON: 'YNGWIE MALMSTEEN Is One Of The Nicest Guys In The World'

Dave's On Tour recently conducted an interview with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN drummer Patrick Johansson. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Dave's On Tour: A couple of Malmsteen fans whom I spoke with commented that Yngwie gets better every time they see him. Look back to the first time you played with Yngwie and compare it to this tour. How has he evolved and changed as a guitarist?

Patrick: Yngwie's always great, and he's always playing his guitar. He gets better and better every year. He stands out from so many others because not only does he play great, but he writes really good metal songs. This last tour has been the best one and with the same band staying together for the last five years, hopefully we'll get better and better every year. There is always room for improvement. I'll never be 100% percent satisfied so I try to play harder and better every night.

Dave's On Tour: Now look in the mirror at yourself. How have you changed as a musician over that same time period?

Patrick: My first tour with Yngwie was in South America, and I had rental drums every night. Now I have the first kit I ever played in Sweden with me here in America. I'm much more comfortable playing my own equipment. I've customized my pedals and hardware. I change stuff around, constantly re-doing things. I wrap the drums in the cover I want. I mix and match from different companies. When I play in America I can use my kit every night, but that's impossible in Japan or Europe. Playing-wise, I've been with Yngwie a while. I don't have to think, I just know what he's going to do and how he's going to end the song. That allows me to just play. My playing ability since I've been with Yngwie hasn't really changed. My big learning curve was when I was 17 or 18, that's when all of the pieces started coming together. I have my own studio and I record myself a lot. I'm becoming more consistent. I've definitely learned how to record drums: microphone placement, choice of drums, drumheads and stuff like that.

Dave's On Tour: How did you first hook up with Yngwie and land the drumming job?

Patrick: I met Yngwie at a show in Sweden. I had already decided that I was moving to America. We talked and I had given him some of my CDs. Right before I was ready to move, he called me and said that my CDs sounded great. He asked me if I wanted to come play in his band. I said of course! Instead of moving to Los Angeles, I moved to Florida, since Yngwie's in Miami. I had to change my plans a little, but for the better I think. When I came over we met again, we played, and the rest is history. I'm a big fan of music and I was a fan of Yngwie. So I was prepared and I knew most of his stuff. When I was young, I played my drums along with all my records in my Mom's basement. I didn't have anything else to do in that small town. I never drank, never did drugs, never partied. All I did was skateboard, a little swimming. And I played my drums a lot.

Dave's On Tour: What else should Yngwie Malmsteen fans expect in the near future?

Patrick: We'll be touring Australia and parts of Asia in November, Scandinavia in December, and hopefully there will be a new album in 2007. There will be lots of touring, because Yngwie's growing a new tour base of younger kids in America, and that's great. Guitar players will come see "the maestro" when he plays. Whether you like it or not, he changed the way of playing guitar. He's very influential and belongs in the short list that includes Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. His neo-classical metal style was never done before. Everybody focuses on how fast he plays, but for me it's his unique tone that makes him stand out.

Dave's On Tour: Yngwie and W.A.S.P. front man Blackie Lawless are perceived by outsiders as temperamental, difficult to get along with, and not very fan-friendly. Are those misconceptions? How are they as bosses?

Patrick: Yngwie is one of the nicest guys in the world. I've never had a problem with him or anybody around him ever. He gets angry but who doesn't? If a sound guy doesn't get his monitors right after a two-hour soundcheck, it going to get intense. He'll be irritated, but it's not his fault. He has way more tolerance and understanding than I'd ever have. In the five years I've worked with him, I've never seen him mad for the wrong reasons, but that's my opinion and my experience. But opinions are just that and anybody can be a journalist these days with the Internet. Blackie is very intelligent and very calm. I never had an issue or got any attitude. He'd come in to do the soundcheck and once everything is right, he'd say, "thanks and I'll see you a half-hour before the show." To me, it's a mystery how those guys are portrayed in any other way. If you're passionate about your music and have strong ideas and opinions on how things should be run that doesn't make you a bad person. They've keep those bands going for 20+ years, so they have the right to expect nothing but the best from people. When you work for perfectionists like Blackie and Yngwie, you have to be problem-solvers and not problem creators. Both guys are fan-friendly, but in controlled situations like soundchecks or meet-and-greets, not standing out in the bad weather by the tour bus. I think their top priorities are their safety and staying healthy, which is hard to do when you're on the road.

Read the entire interview at www.davesontour.com.