Dave's On Tour has posted the interview with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN drummer Patrick Johansson in which he discusses the legendary guitarist, as well as the fill-in tour he did with W.A.S.P. Few excerpts are follow:

Dave: 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: The current touring band, in addition to Yngwie and yourself, is vocalist Doogie White, bass guitarist Mick Cervino, and ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian. How did the addition of a world-class keyboard player and seasoned road veteran like Derek change the dynamics and sonic quality of the band?
PATRICK: Derek was in the band before and he did previous tours, but he has obligations with Billy Idol. When he had the opportunity, he came back to Yngwie. For me, it was amazing to play with him again. He's one of the best keyboard players to walk the planet. He's a great guy and a rarity, he's a metal keyboard player. He can play classical stuff, but he has an original sound. It was apparent when he joined Dream Theater and changed their sound. He has a unique approach to the songs, he never overplays them, and he never makes a mistake. Derek is very professional and extremely talented.

Dave: From my perspective, Derek Sherinian didn't get enough space to play but I can understand since it is a guitar band. I felt that with all of the “orchestral” material that Yngwie has and with Derek on keys, that it was the perfect opportunity to feature more of that material in the setlist. Do you share that same opinion?
PATRICK: No, not for that tour because Yngwie's newer songs don't have much keyboards and that's what we were playing the most. His tours always promote the current album. Later in the tour, they added a dueling guitar-keyboard thing. But everybody was happy with their parts, there was a great vibe all tour.

Dave: Do you think Yngwie would ever play again with a full orchestra onstage and would you want the job as percussionist?
PATRICK: I think he'll do it again, but I just want to watch it. I'm a metal drummer not a percussionist.

Dave: 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: Between the two legs of Yngwie's U.S. tour, you did a fill-in tour drumming for W.A.S.P. What were your favorite W.A.S.P. songs to play? What was the most difficult to play? Why?
PATRICK: “L.O.V.E. Machine” and “Wild Child” are my favorites. No one song stands out as hard to play, but overall it's more difficult than you'd think to be in W.A.S.P. Certain things have to be a certain way. Blackie Lawless is a very talented musician, and he can play all of the instruments. He wrote the songs with a lot of finesse in them. Blackie wrote some of the best heavy metal songs ever. His songs are as good as anything else out there, and they've stood the test of time.

Dave: What techniques did you use to learn the W.A.S.P. material on short notice?
PATRICK: Luckily, I was familiar with most of the songs. “Hate To Love Me” was the only new song I had to learn. I only learn songs by listening. I don't write charts, but I might make some cue notes for a few of the songs.

Dave: 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 whole interview Daveontour