Heavy
After the success achieved in the fall, with four sold out dates, Yngwie Johan Malmsteen returns to Italy with three unmissable shows. The first date is in Udine, on June 25, in the enchanting site of Piazzale del Castello in the capital of Friuli. A fascinating setting, tailor-made for the personality of one of the most iconic artists of the electric guitar. Malmsteen, in all respects, can be considered an authentic living legend, the undisputed sovereign of a certain way of understanding the six strings. His unmistakable style – which rose to prominence with the revolutionary and seminal first album, that “Rising Force” of 1984 – has influenced entire generations, helping to “create” many guitar virtuosos in circulation today. When we talk about Malmsteen, after all, we immediately think of a specific vision of heavy metal, made of baroque and neoclassical atmospheres. His solos, characterized by very fast scales, and his delicate touch on the strings come to mind. We imagine walls of Marshall heads and cabinets, his unmistakable Stratocaster with the scalloped fingerboard. We immediately think of an artist with a fiery, exuberant temperament, typical of the most talented and brilliant musicians.
Well, after what has just been written, I think it goes without saying that we at Truemetal.it absolutely couldn’t miss the appointment. On June 25th, therefore, we set off towards the Castle of Udine, to attend one of the most anticipated shows of the metallic summer (here you will find the photo report of the Bologna date).
Live report by Marco Donè
After having had an interesting pre-concert aperitif with some friends from Udine, we enter the Piazzale del Castello at around 9:15 pm. The show is scheduled to start at 9:30 pm and in this quarter of an hour of waiting we try to fully enjoy the location. We immediately notice a great turnout: the numbered seats positioned in the Piazzale del Castello are in fact almost all occupied. Considering that it is a Tuesday, the second day of the working week, we can say that the Malmsteenian appeal has had the desired effect. After a few steps we can finally admire the stage in its entirety and a smile appears on our faces: the long-awaited wall of Marshall heads and speakers is there in full view, as per tradition in the Malmsteen house. We dreamed of it, we desired it, we waited for it: now it is there, in front of our eyes. Just a glance at the faces of the metalheads near us is enough to understand that we are not the only ones to feel a pinch of emotion for this small, great detail. Just enough time to grab a beer and at around 9:45 pm the lights go down, the intro starts and Malmsteen enters the stage with his band, opening the dance with a scary ‘Rising Force’. The band is in top form and Malmsteen, satisfied by the large turnout, releases adrenaline from every single pore: the guitarist appears in good shape, like in the good old days, revealing himself from the first bars as the stage animal that we have learned to know and love. In this way, the first seconds of ‘Rising Force’ are enough to involve the audience and witness an authentic human tide getting up from the seats and crowding on the barriers, under the stage. A thrilling scene, that will remain etched in our memory, for a long time. On stage, meanwhile, after the solo battle between Malmsteen and keyboardist Nick Marinovich, ‘Rising Force’ gives way to the splendid ‘I’ll See the Light, Tonight’, greeted with a roar from the audience. In these first tracks, Marinovich takes care of the sung parts, while later in the evening, Marinovich and Malmsteen will alternate at the microphone. Tonight, as promised, the Swedish guitarist delivers a sort of greatest hits of his career. We therefore find ourselves experiencing one classic after another, for a setlist capable of retracing almost the entire history of the eclectic guitar hero. Of course, it is inevitable that we draw heavily from the first seminal work, that “Rising Force” which marked a zero point in the guitar universe, creating the temporal division between before and after Malmsteen. We therefore find ourselves experiencing strong emotions with ‘Evil Eye’, ‘Now Your Ships Are Bunrned’, ‘As Above so Below’, ‘Seven Sign’ and ‘Like an Angel (for April)’, passing through the more recent ‘Soldiers’ and ‘Wolves at the Door’, up to the cover of ‘Smoke on the Water’ and the guitar arrangements of Paganini and Bach. A spine-chilling setlist, capable of thrilling an ecstatic audience, completely enchanted by the Swedish musician. Yes, because on stage the show is captivating, one of those that remain imprinted in the mind for a very, very long time. As we were saying, the band is in top form, the songs are played with precision and explosiveness, guaranteeing great drive. But it is the stage presence that makes the difference, with Malmsteen the absolute star and leader. Marinovich, Martinez and Klingenschmid, the musicians accompanying the Swedish guitarist on this tour, occupy the left side of the stage, while Malmsteen moves all over the field, attacking every single inch of the stage. His charisma is overwhelming: the guitar is twirled repeatedly, the picks are thrown from the stage with the same frequency with which leaves fall from the trees in autumn. Seeing him then perform the solos with his classic little steps backwards is pure poetry, the romantic expression of a distant era, full of passion, of emotions. You can’t miss the kicks in the air, the volume and effects games, the scraping of the strings on the amplifiers, leaving the guitar in a loop above the speakers, until the throwing of the six-string to his roadies. If rock stars still exist today, well, Malmsteen rightfully belongs to this category. The show continues with great energy and, above all, great participation from the audience, who sings the choruses out loud and cheers for their favorite. It’s nice to see many famous people in the audience, including a certain Arthur Falcone, who certainly couldn’t miss such an event. The sounds, considering the difficulty of amplification in the area, are excellent, yet another noteworthy detail of an evening that is taking on triumphal tones. The show is about to reach its final stages, just enough time to appreciate the first part of ‘Trilogy’ – with an audience foaming at the mouth – the classic drum solo and a heartfelt ‘You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget’ that concludes the set. The band says goodbye and goes backstage. The audience doesn’t agree, and loudly calls for Malmsteen. The guitarist comes out with two guitars, classical and electric, accompanied by a roadie. The Swedish musician points to the sky several times, letting everyone know what song is coming up and, not by chance, starts with ‘Black Star’. It’s the end of the show, Malmsteen and his band say goodbye to an enthusiastic audience and go back on stage. The crowd continues to roar, however, chanting the chorus “Malmsteen, Malmsteen” and the guitar hero can’t help but come out a second time, treating the fans to a ‘Heaven Tonight’ sung with class by Marinovich. The show ends with a radiant Malmsteen, in seventh heaven, with a huge smile plastered on his face, who thanks the audience several times. The fans, ecstatic, pay homage to their idol with chants and repeated applause. What an ending, damn!
CONCLUSIONS
I don’t think there’s any need to add anything else. The evening was a success, from every point of view, with Malmsteen giving a monumental show, like we haven’t seen him do for a long time. The audience leaves the Udine Castle with smiles on their faces – some with teary eyes – an unmistakable sign of how intense and emotional the show was. But it’s not just the fans who are over the moon: Malmsteen himself seems moved by the evening. Yes, because immediately after the show, on his social media, he thanks the Udine audience several times. He also emphasizes that the second encore wasn’t scheduled but, given the crowd and the clamor with which he was acclaimed, it was the only way to repay his followers for the affection they expressed. The true epilogue of the concert can only be this. Chapeau.
Setlist:
Rising Force
I’ll See the Light, Tonight
Top Down, Foot Down – No Rest for rthe Wicked
Soldier
Into Valhalla – Baroque & Roll
Like an Angel (for April)
Relentless Fury
Now Your Ships Are Burned
Wolves at the Door
(If you want peace, prepare for war
As Above, So Below
Badinere (Johan Sebastian Bach cover)
Paganini’s 4th/Adagio (Niccolò Paganini cover)
Far Beyond the Sun
Seven Sign
Touched
Evil Eye
Smoke on the Water
Trilogy (Vengeance)
Guitar Solo
Red House
Fugue
Drum Solo
You Don’t Remeber, I’ll Never Forget
Encore:
Black Star
Encore II:
Heaven Tonight
Marco Donè
