By Steve Newton One of the most underrated rock bands of all time. 20. “Selfish Heart” (Tales of the New West, 1985) 19. “Lost Weekend” (Tales of the New West, 1985) 18. “Big Ugly Wheels” (Van Go, 1986) 17. “Happy Boy” (Tales of the New West, 1985) 16. “Baby’s Liquored Up” (Viking Lullabys, 1995) 15. … Continue reading The Beat Farmers’ 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome
By Steve Newton I always thought the Beat Farmers were one of the world’s most underrated rock ‘n’ roll bands. Their club gigs were legend. But when I usually think about them I picture the latter-day lineup that included dual guitarists/vocalists Jerry Raney and Joey Harris. Lest we forget how incredible the band was before … Continue reading Oh man, this video of the Beat Farmers doing Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” is bloody awesome
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 14, 1991 By Steve Newton The scene is the roughly furnished, graffiti-blasted band room in the basement of the Town Pump. The characters are several members of local blues-rockers the Last Wild Sons and sundry friends and relatives who saunter in and out, taking care not to bump … Continue reading The seriously rockin’ Last Wild Sons can’t compete with the Beat Farmers’ comical escapades
photo by kevin statham ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 16, 1995 By Steve Newton On Halloween day in 1987, I did my first interview with Country Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers. At the time, the big, bearded mountain of a man was looking forward to an All Hallows’ Eve gig in “some … Continue reading Something I wrote after the death of the Beat Farmers’ Country Dick Montana, who might be my dad
By Steve Newton The Cadillac Tramps were one of the wildest live bands around in the early nineties. They were right up there with the Beat Farmers. Matter of fact, when I interviewed Tramps frontman Gabby Gaborno in November of 1991 the punk-rockers from Orange County, California were on tour opening for the Farmers. Now … Continue reading That time the Cadillac Tramps’ Gabby Gaborno told me that if he feels something he does it
kevin statham photo By Steve Newton Here’s another audio excerpt from my 1990 interview with the legendary Country Dick Montana, because it’s Sunday afternoon and posting this seems like way more fun than the other crap I should be doing instead. Please note: you can hear the entire interview–all 20 minutes of Dick being Dick–by … Continue reading That time I asked Country Dick Montana what he liked best about playing live with the Beat Farmers
By Steve Newton I loved Country Dick Montana. He was a true rock god as far as I was concerned. I got to interview the wildman drummer and sometime singer for San Diego’s Beat Farmers three times before his heart-attack death on stage in 1995. I chatted with him in 1987, 1990, and–when he was … Continue reading That time Country Dick Montana sang me a couple of lines from the Beat Farmers’ version of “Angel of the Morning”
The Fins frontman Dave Chisholm opening for Johnny Winter. Photo by Bruce Law. By Steve Newton The Commodore Ballroom is one of the best places in Vancouver to see a concert. Back in the seventies, before I started working as a music writer for the Georgia Straight, I would make the one-hour trek from my … Continue reading Vancouver blues-rocker Dave Chisholm recalls his band the Fins opening for Johnny Winter
By Steve Newton I’ve long held the opinion that AC/DC’s Powerage is their best album. Keith Richards agrees, and he knows a thing or two about rockin’. And more importantly, Malcolm Young himself has named Powerage as Number One. When I met Young backstage after an AC/DC show in Vancouver back in 2001 I mentioned that … Continue reading Eddie Van Halen’s favourite AC/DC album was Powerage
By Steve Newton Back in April of 1997 I did my first interview with Rush bassist-vocalist Geddy Lee. At the time the group was touring behind its Test for Echo album, and that tour marked the first time Rush had taken the “An Evening With” approach, where there is no opening act and it’s just … Continue reading That time Geddy Lee told me that Rush had 4,000 albums
bev davies photo By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford back in May of 1984, when Judas Priest was touring behind its Defenders of the Faith album. At one point in the conversation I mentioned how one of Priest’s songs from two years earlier, “You’ve Got Another Thing … Continue reading That time back in ’84 when Judas Priest’s Rob Halford told me that metal was a young musical force
By Steve Newton I’ve interviewed Mick Mars a couple of times. The first time was way back in 1985 when Mötley Crüe was touring behind its Theatre of Pain album. The following excerpt is from my second interview with Mars, which happened in March of 1999, when the original lineup had reunited after recording one … Continue reading That time Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars told me that the music he loves most is blues-based stuff like Edgar and Johnny Winter
By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Crowded House frontman Neil Finn back in August of 1998, when he was touring behind his debut solo album, Try Whistling This. I’d been a fan of Crowded House since the 1986 release of its first album, which featured one of the most beautiful pop songs … Continue reading That time I asked Neil Finn what inspired him to write one of my all-time favourite tunes, Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over”
