GES: Hello Yann, first of all thank you to grant this interview to us, it' s cool !

Yann: Thank you for your support and congratulations for your website which "enlarged" week after week !

GES: Before passing to your topicality, for the readers who don' t know you, can you speak about your beginnings as guitarist ? Your influences, first experiences...

Yann: I am an autodidact and practice the guitar since... a certain number of years ! At the beginning, I concentrated on the rhythmic during approximately eight years for then passing naturally to lead guitar. I had the flash with KISS and the albums "Unmasked", "Destroyer" ( I know, we are numerous ! ), a true revelation for me ! Still today I remain one bitten of the "big kiss" and this, in spite of the many changes of line up. To have on a scene Stanley & Simmons, that' s amazing ! I had my first band experiences with my brother Alban who played drums. Today his passion is to take photographies and has made some of my covers ( In a certain way we still work together ! ). We  played in different bands however we haven' t done more than demos and some concerts...

GES: Do you still have music "idols" ?

Yann: I do not know if I can say "idols", there are bands or artists who give me the shiver like Def Leppard, Van Halen, Richie Sambora, Rush, Metallica etc ( the list is long...). When you compose and defend your own project, there are various motivations. The artists whom you admire in are goods. When I listen to a new album which catchs me, that gives me desire for taking my instrument.

GES: Do you still work your instrument in a school way ? If so, how ?

Yann: I work on my instrument everydays. Now, I do not have really a diagram. That varies according to environment and mood. I play on my music or on other discs, make exercises ( rhythmics, scales etc...) or simply play all that is in my head. We are enough lucky (guitarists) to play on an instrument which, when it is not connected, does not annoy anybody !

GES: A purely guitaristic question, can you give us one of your favorite licks ?

Yann: I do not have one... but many. Like your preceding question, that can change according to mood. Some licks more on the "left hand" vibrato  ( LesPaul feeling ), on the bends, tapping, I play a lot with legatos.

GES: Which are currently your favorite albums ? Are you permanently in the search of innovations, new sounds ?

Yann: I have the traditional ones of course ( Kiss, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Motown etc ) but I' m always curious to discover innovations. Then, in this moment:

- O2L, duet Smooth Jazz Magnet with Jane Mangini on piano et Al Pitrelli on guitar ( yes, the same one as in Savatage and TM Stevens...)

- Hurricane Party, a very dynamic and melodic British Hard rock.

- The last Billy Idol which marks the return of Steve Stevens.

- "The magnificent seventh" of Thunder in a more Rock Bluesy style. With Luke Morley, an incredible guitarist.

- Alana Davis "Surrender Dorothy" Pop Folk Soul. Superb voice.

- Hazy Malaze, band of the very talented singer guitarist Neal Cazals.

- "Couting down the day" of Natalie Imbruglia. It is Pop and very well produced !

As you can notice, it is rather large. I do not stop with a particular style. I forgot the last Kenny Wayne Shepherd, in a Rock Blues style.

GES: You have just opened on June 4th for Yngwie Malmsteen in Paris, what are your first impressions ?

Yann: My impressions are very good. It' s always a real pleasure of being on scene and "I hope" that it is communicative. The public was there and the reactions were so good... I can' t wait the next shows !

GES: This has given you the opportunity to approach Yngwie... Did you exchanged some words, or are there some anecdotes you can give us ?

Yann: We did not exchange a word ! I think he is in his world. For the small anecdote, I did not have more than 3 minutes to prepare my sound on stage, it was like "plug & play"... it' s Mr Malmsteen !

GES: Yann, do you work with a manager ? Would you advise, even with a very young musician, to have one ?

Yann: No, I don' t have a manager. The opportunity did not arise. I think that when you start to earn a lot of money, the contribution of a manager or of an agent can become quite useful but before...

Now, there are moments I think it could be fine for me to have a manager who represents me near my label. There are things which are preferable to say rather to the manager than with the artist directly...

GES: Your last album "Cross-Rocks" is out for some months now, can you say that it has found its audience ?

Yann: I think that a good part of the public can still discover "Cross-Rocks". This album still has beautiful days in front of him !

GES: Do you have contacts with fans from other countries ? Countries more than others ? I imagine that your website helps a lot...

Yann: I have indeed some contacts abroad. What enables me to prepare the ground for "Cross-Rocks" in various countries... May be on September. My website and Internet help me a lot to communicate that' s right !

GES: Do you have new projects in progress ? Or new ideas for the future? We want to know everything !! ;o)

Yann: For the moment, I continue to defend my last album on scene and with medias. I have some ideas for the futur... and lots of projects but it' s really too early to tell you... sorry !

GES: How do you see the future of the guitar ? And more precisely future of instrumental guitar music ?

Yann: After overproduction in the beginning of the 90s , I think things are stabilized now. There will always be a place for this music. To see musicians like Satriani, Vaï or Patrick gives me confidence .

GES: Yann, I want to thank you very much for the time you have given us, I let you the last words !

Yann: See you on the road ! You will find all infos on my site www.yannarmellino.com  and my label www.brennus-music.com

To finish , you can give a small visit on the French Kiss Army website ( partner of Cross-Rocks) with the address http://diamnoir.free.fr

With soon , Y.A .