Joe Satriani compares the musical styles and backgrounds of recent G3 tourmates John Petrucci, Uli Jon Roth, and Phil Collen

By Steve Newton I interviewed Joe Satriani a couple of weeks ago, in advance of his show in Vancouver this Friday (June 1) at the Commodore Ballroom. I’ve seen Satch a bunch of times–including on various G3 Tours with the likes of Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Steve Vai–so I wanted to ask him about … Continue reading Joe Satriani compares the musical styles and backgrounds of recent G3 tourmates John Petrucci, Uli Jon Roth, and Phil Collen

Album review: Uli Jon Roth’s Electric Sun, Beyond the Astral Skies (1985)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 5, 1985 By Steve Newton Uli Jon Roth used to be known as Ulrich Roth, and he used to play lead guitar on Scorpions albums like Virgin Killer and Taken By Force before the Scorps replaced him with current axeman Matthias Jabs and struck it rich with Blackout … Continue reading Album review: Uli Jon Roth’s Electric Sun, Beyond the Astral Skies (1985)

Joe Satriani likes Uli Jon Roth’s “beautiful sounding” Sky guitar, but figures 24 frets are enough for him

By Steve Newton Back in 2016 I went and saw Uli Jon Roth’s Ultimate Guitar Experience in Vancouver, and man–the things the German guitar wizard and ex-Scorp can do on his 32-fret Sky guitar are something to behold. So a few weeks later when I interviewed Joe Satriani for the sixth or seventh time I asked him what … Continue reading Joe Satriani likes Uli Jon Roth’s “beautiful sounding” Sky guitar, but figures 24 frets are enough for him

Uli Jon Roth makes Vancouver debut, local guitar geeks eat it up

By Steve Newton Masterful rock guitarist Uli Jon Roth made his Vancouver debut last night (March 19), and for local fret freaks, it was well worth the wait. Scrape Records and the Invisible Orange brought Uli Jon Roth’s Ultimate Guitar Experience to Venue, and the German axeman displayed his stunning virtuosity on a bill that also … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth makes Vancouver debut, local guitar geeks eat it up

Uli Jon Roth is psyched about his first visit to Vancouver and the city’s “Jimi Hendrix connection”

By Steve Newton When I was wrapping up my interview with Uli Jon Roth last week–in advance of his Ultimate Guitar Experience show in Vancouver tomorrow–I asked him when he last played here. Turns out that, even though the 61-year-old guitar legend has spent a large part of his life traveling all over the world … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth is psyched about his first visit to Vancouver and the city’s “Jimi Hendrix connection”

Uli Jon Roth offers fret freaks the Ultimate Guitar Experience

By Steve Newton Uli Jon Roth is a visionary guitarist. That became abundantly clear when he conceived of a guitar with 30 frets, the Sky Guitar, because, hey–24 frets just weren’t doin’ it for him. Roth takes it to the next level when it comes to touring as well. As if his legendary six-string (and … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth offers fret freaks the Ultimate Guitar Experience

Uli Jon Roth talks guitars and amps, why he’s forsaken his idol’s Strat/Marshall plan

By Steve Newton When Uli Jon Roth first came to prominence as a member of the Scorpions, he was strictly a Strats and Marshalls kinda guy. It was no wonder, since his main influence and greatest inspiration has always been Jimi Hendrix. But nowadays you won’t find Strats and Marshalls in Roth’s onstage arsenal, because … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth talks guitars and amps, why he’s forsaken his idol’s Strat/Marshall plan

Uli Jon Roth invented the Sky guitar because 24 frets weren’t enough

By Steve Newton German guitar legend Uli Jon Roth plays Vancouver this Saturday (March 19) on a bill with fellow six-string sensations Jennifer Batten and Andy Timmons. The show is part of Uli Jon Roth’s Ultimate Guitar Experience, a tour that promises to be a perfect warmup for the Generation Axe show in April, which … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth invented the Sky guitar because 24 frets weren’t enough

That time Uli Jon Roth told me that Yngwie Malmsteen was “one of the alltime greats”, but that he wasn’t impressed by speed

By Steve Newton When Uli Jon Roth called me up in 2016 to promote his Ultimate Guitar Experience show in Vancouver, we ended up chatting about some of the other guitar tours he’s been on, like the G3 European Tour back in 1998, when he shared the stage with Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker, who … Continue reading That time Uli Jon Roth told me that Yngwie Malmsteen was “one of the alltime greats”, but that he wasn’t impressed by speed

Uli Jon Roth recalls the friction between Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker on the 1998 G3 European tour

By Steve Newton Back in 2016 I had a nice chat with German guitar maestro Uli Jon Roth. As we were talking about Uli Jon Roth’s Ultimate Guitar Experience–the tour he was on with Jennifer Batten and Andy Timmons–I mentioned a previous guitar tour he was part of, the G3 European Tour of 1998. That … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth recalls the friction between Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker on the 1998 G3 European tour

That time Uli Jon Roth told me that he’d most like to jam with David Gilmour, Ritchie Blackmore, and Jeff Beck

By Steve Newton Back in 2016 I interviewed Uli Jon Roth for the first time ever, and made sure to ask him one of the more burning questions guitar-freaks might have for the legendary picker. I knew he’d played with some of the world’s greatest guitarists over the years–heck, at the time he was touring … Continue reading That time Uli Jon Roth told me that he’d most like to jam with David Gilmour, Ritchie Blackmore, and Jeff Beck

Yngwie Malmsteen puts Ritchie Blackmore rumours to rest, praises Nicolo Paganini and Uli Jon Roth

By Steve Newton Yngwie Malmsteen likes to wear all black on-stage and play fast as hell on a Fender Strat through a wall of cranked Marshall amps, so you might think that Ritchie Blackmore is his hero. “Okay, let’s correct that,” says Malmsteen when I mention that Wikipedia names the six-string legend from Deep Purple … Continue reading Yngwie Malmsteen puts Ritchie Blackmore rumours to rest, praises Nicolo Paganini and Uli Jon Roth

The Jonas Brothers leave the kids caterwauling in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 30, 2009 At 4 p.m., three hours before yesterday’s (June 29) Jonas Brothers concert was supposed to start, a black luxury SUV slowed to a crawl in front of GM Place’s Gate 9. A window rolled down, and the face of lead singer Joe Jonas—“the cute one”—appeared as he waved … Continue reading The Jonas Brothers leave the kids caterwauling in Vancouver

Eddie Van Halen: what Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth, Jake E. Lee, Leslie West, and brother Alex told me about “the king”

By Steve Newton One of the biggest regrets of my career in rock journalism–and there aren’t that many, believe it or not–was never getting the opportunity to interview Eddie Van Halen. I did get to chat with his big brother Alex once, and he gave me a really great interview, but it just wasn’t the … Continue reading Eddie Van Halen: what Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth, Jake E. Lee, Leslie West, and brother Alex told me about “the king”

That time 24-year-old Grace Potter told me that she wasn’t too young to appreciate the Allman Brothers

By Steve Newton The first time I ever saw Grace Potter perform live I was blown away. Her band the Nocturnals opened for Gov’t Mule in Vancouver, and she joined the Mule on a killer version of “Honky Tonk Women”, displaying a whole lotta soul. A couple months later, in January of 2008, I interviewed … Continue reading That time 24-year-old Grace Potter told me that she wasn’t too young to appreciate the Allman Brothers

That time I asked Albert Lee how it was different touring with the Everly Brothers than with Eric Clapton

By Steve Newton I interviewed British guitar legend Albert Lee back in July of 1986, when he was touring with the Everly Brothers as their musical director. After chatting with Albert about how he first got involved with the Everlys, I asked him how it was different touring with them than with Eric Clapton, whose … Continue reading That time I asked Albert Lee how it was different touring with the Everly Brothers than with Eric Clapton

That time I asked Edgar Winter about his old pal Rick and his big brother Johnny

By Steve Newton The best musicians always try to surround themselves with the best musicians. For Edgar Winter that wasn’t hard. When he was born he already had a big brother named Johnny waiting at home, and they would become close musical collaborators throughout their lifetimes. Another hugely talented player that Edgar hooked up with … Continue reading That time I asked Edgar Winter about his old pal Rick and his big brother Johnny

That time I asked the Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston if he thought “Listen to the Music” would be a hit as soon as he wrote it

By Steve Newton I was a teenager in the seventies, so yeah, I liked the Doobies. Toulouse Street, The Captain and Me, What Were Once Vices are Now Habits–it was all good. Back in 1991 it was cool to interview singer-guitarist and cofounder Tom Johnston, ’cause he wrote my fave Doobie Brothers tune, “Ukiah”. That … Continue reading That time I asked the Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston if he thought “Listen to the Music” would be a hit as soon as he wrote it

That time Warren Haynes told me about leaving the Allman Brothers to ride Gov’t Mule full time

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Warren Haynes in 1994, when he was a member of the Allman Brothers Band, and I did my second interview with him in 1998, the year after he and bassist Allen Woody had left them. Haynes and Woody had quit the Allmans to put all their … Continue reading That time Warren Haynes told me about leaving the Allman Brothers to ride Gov’t Mule full time

That time David Lee Roth blasted the media, ten days after O.J. Simpson’s dirty deed in Brentwood

By Steve Newton Ten days before David Lee Roth called me up from L.A. on June 22, 1994–to promote his latest album Your Dirty Little Mouth–football legend and sometime actor O.J. Simpson had taken a knife and carved himself up a big chunk of infamy. The media circus was in full P.T. Barnum-style swing by … Continue reading That time David Lee Roth blasted the media, ten days after O.J. Simpson’s dirty deed in Brentwood

That time I asked Alex Van Halen which of Van Halen’s David Lee Roth-era albums was his fave

By Steve Newton If you asked me which of Van Halen‘s David Lee Roth-era albums was my fave, I’d probably have to say the first one. I mean, that album is pretty freakin’ hard to beat. I liked Van Halen II a lot as well, but there was nothing like hearing Eddie for the first … Continue reading That time I asked Alex Van Halen which of Van Halen’s David Lee Roth-era albums was his fave

That time 24-year-old Jon Bon Jovi raved to me about recording in Vancouver just before Slippery When Wet exploded on the charts

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Jon Bon Jovi in July of 1986, when his band was heading to Vancouver for a date opening for Judas Priest. Little did anybody know that one month later, when Bon Jovi released its made-in-Vancouver album Slippery When Wet, it would rocket to worldwide fame and … Continue reading That time 24-year-old Jon Bon Jovi raved to me about recording in Vancouver just before Slippery When Wet exploded on the charts

That time I said hello to Little Steven from Jon Bon Jovi and then things got political

By Steve Newton June 18, 1987 was kind of an interesting day as far as my endless adventures in rock journalism go. That was the day I interviewed Little Steven–who was promoting his highly political Freedom–No Compromise album–just minutes after interviewing Jon Bon Jovi–who was promoting his highly non-political Slippery When Wet album. They’re both … Continue reading That time I said hello to Little Steven from Jon Bon Jovi and then things got political

That time I asked Steve Vai how it was different playing with David Coverdale than David Lee Roth

By Steve Newton When I did my first interview with Steve Vai in 1990 he had just released his solo album Passion and Warfare, but at the time was also a member of David Coverdale’s hugely popular Whitesnake. A year earlier Vai had left David Lee Roth’s equally successful band, so when I called him up I … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Vai how it was different playing with David Coverdale than David Lee Roth

That time I asked David Lee Roth if he regretted leaving Van Halen

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with David Lee Roth in June of 1994, when he was promoting his Nile Rodgers-produced album Your Filthy Little Mouth. He called me from L.A., where 10 days earlier O.J. Simpson had gone on his murderous rampage, so we chatted about the media circus surrounding that, among other things. … Continue reading That time I asked David Lee Roth if he regretted leaving Van Halen

That time I asked Steve Vai if he was daunted by stepping into Eddie Van Halen’s shoes with David Lee Roth

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Steve Vai in May of 1990, when he was just 29. He had just released his solo album Passion and Warfare, and was touring with Whitesnake, which was then basking in the glory of its multiplatinum Slip of the Tongue album. Before Whitesnake Vai had played … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Vai if he was daunted by stepping into Eddie Van Halen’s shoes with David Lee Roth

God bless Chuck Leavell’s piano solo on the Allman Brothers’ “Southbound”

By Steve Newton As most readers of Ear of Newt have probly figured out by now, I’m something of a guitar freak. I just love the sound of a guitar, especially when it’s in the hands of someone really, really good. (I also spell the word probably as “probly” because that’s how it sounds to me, … Continue reading God bless Chuck Leavell’s piano solo on the Allman Brothers’ “Southbound”