ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 18, 1984 By Steve Newton “I always liked the Yardbirds when I was a kid,” says metal guitar-hero Gary Moore. “I was always into Jeff Beck and everything. And apart from the fact that I like the song and the guitar, the lyrics appealed to me as well because they fitted … Continue reading Gary Moore talks covering the Yardbirds and scoring with metal while opening for Rush
By Steve Newton Woke up today to find that German guitarist, session musician, composer, and teacher Frank Steffen Mueller had shared a link to my Facebook group, Newt’s Flaming Colossal Rockatorium. The link is for a YouTube video Mueller just posted of himself playing a ’69 Les Paul goldtop, performing an original song in the … Continue reading Frank Steffen Mueller releases original instrumental for Irish guitar legend Gary Moore
By Steve Newton Way back in May of 1984 I did my one and only interview with guitar legend Gary Moore, while he was on tour with Rush. That was five months after the release of his fourth album, Victims of the Future, which was still during his pre-blues, hard rock/heavy metal phase. At one … Continue reading That time I asked Gary Moore why he thought metal was so big in Britain
By Steve Newton Back in May of 1984 I did my one and only interview with Gary Moore, who’s one of my all-time favourite guitarists. Man that guy could play. I called him up in Reno, where he was touring with Rush. The previous summer he’d toured with Def Leppard after they released their breakthrough … Continue reading That time I asked Gary Moore why he thought Def Leppard got so huge so fast, unlike Thin Lizzy
By Steve Newton I did my one and only interview with Irish guitar legend Gary Moore on May 11, 1984. Five months earlier the Provisional wing of the Irish Republican Army had exploded a car bomb outside Harrods department store in central London, killing three police officers and three civilians, and injuring 90 people. (The … Continue reading That time I asked Gary Moore if he’d ever write a song about “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland
By Steve Newton I figure it’s time to post another audio excerpt from my one and only interview with Irish guitar legend Gary Moore, one of the finest players to ever pick up the instrument. It was May 11, 1984, and Moore was opening for Rush on their Grace Under Pressure Tour. He had a … Continue reading That time I told Gary Moore it was the shits that he wasn’t coming to Vancouver with Rush
By Steve Newton During my 40 years of writing about music, I’ve been extremely fortunate, especially when it comes to interviewing guitar players. I’ve been able to interview some of the world’s greatest guitarists several times over, including amazing players like Joe Satriani (eight times), Warren Haynes (six times), Buddy Guy (five times), and Dickey … Continue reading That time Albert King told me that Gary Moore could play guitar: “I guarantee it”
By Steve Newton I’ve interviewed scads of incredible guitarists over the years, but I can’t think of any more amazing than Gary Moore. Everything about his playing just blew me away. So I was mighty psyched when I did my one and only interview with him way back on May 11, 1984. At the time … Continue reading That time I made Gary Moore laugh by asking what drives him
By Steve Newton One of the biggest concert thrills of my life was seeing an on-fire Gary Moore playing guitar with Thin Lizzy when they warmed up for Styx in Vancouver on October 12, 1978. After Lizzy’s astounding set I encountered Scott Gorham hanging out in front of a concession, having a smoke, listening to … Continue reading That time I asked Gary Moore why he’d been in and out of Thin Lizzy so many times
By Steve Newton As anyone who’s read my stuff over the years will attest, I’m a huge Thin Lizzy fan. Anytime I get a chance to include a little tidbit about that band in my blogs I go for it. So the other day as I was digitizing my 2003 interview with drum great Terry … Continue reading That time drum great Terry Bozzio told me about auditioning for Thin Lizzy at Gary Moore’s request
By Steve Newton As I mentioned yesterday, since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has just announced its seven inductees for the Class of 2023, my own little institution located in the wilds of British Columbia–Newt’s Rock Hall–is gonna counter with seven different inductees of its own. And of course mine will be better. … Continue reading Newt’s Rock Hall inducts Dick Dale, Soundgarden, the Guess Who, the Replacements, Bad Company, Mahogany Rush, the Edgar Winter Group, and the Stray Cats
By Steve Newton After ten years of my complaining about Link Wray not being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the boneheads who run the high-falutin’ joint in Cleveland finally caved and decided to induct him, in the “musical influence” division. It’s about freakin’ time. Wray, who pretty well invented the raunchy guitar … Continue reading Rock Hall finally inducts Link Wray, can Johnny Winter and Rory Gallagher be far behind?
By Steve Newton Well, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has done it again. A few days ago the Cleveland-based institution nominated 17 bands and artists to its class of 2022, but once more just plumb forgot the three artists most deserving of immediate induction: Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, and Link Wray. Instead they … Continue reading Oh my f***ing god! Rock Hall snubs Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, and Link Wray yet again!
