The Great Southern Brainfart has published an interview with former Slik Toxik guitarist Kevin Gale. Topics include his time in the short lived ‘90s band Slik Toxik, touring with Yngwie Malmsteen, and his latest band, Punishment.

Couple excerpts:

Slik Toxik was one of my favorite bands back in the day and definitely the “little band that should’ve.”  I’m also very lucky that I got to see you guys live.  What a powerful live band you guys were!

Gale: “I think that’s what the strength of us really was.  We were a really strong live band.  The songwriting was good too but we were just really lucky and that’s the bottom line.  Anybody who’s ‘made in’ in the industry, whatever that definition is, they just got luck [laughs].  That’s just what it is.”

You guys toured with Yngwie?  Man, how was that?  I know he has a reputation for being, how shall I say it? Difficult.

Gale: “[Laughs] He was really nice to us.  He loves to drink.  I almost got his Rolex [laughs].”

How the hell did that happen?

Gale: “He says to me when we were in Chicago ‘Hey man check out my Rolex’ so I put it on and a few hours go by and he keeps getting more wasted. Then we had to leave and I thought I got away with it he goes, ‘Hey man give me my watch.’  I was like ugh.”

Do you ever look back on that time and think, “Man, if we had only been four years earlier?"

Gale: “You know, I used to.  I used to be really bitter about it but I’m not anymore.  It is what it is.  The musical climate had to change in order for things to progress.  It happened and there wasn’t much we could do about it.  I was fortunate enough and very grateful to have been able to do what I did and to even get that far.  Most people don’t even get a taste of that.”