ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 28, 2000 Matthew Good is a loud rocker. That’s easily discernible from a quick spin of his band’s latest CD, Beautiful Midnight. Matthew Good is also a loud talker, as I discover for myself when he calls the Straight from his West End apartment prior to his five … Continue reading Matthew Good and the great Radiohead controversy of 2000
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 30, 1999 Matthew Good is doing pretty well for a guy who was lugging stuff around in the shipping-and-receiving department of Army & Navy six years ago. His band’s 1997 album, Underdogs, has gone way past platinum in Canada, having sold roughly 140,000 copies so far. And now … Continue reading Feedback and cheerleaders “turn shit into solid gold” for the Matthew Good Band
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 23, 1997 Inside the False Creek offices of A&M Records, a scrawny young guy is struggling to record a promotional sound bite over the phone for a Prince George radio station. “Hi, this is Matthew Good, and you’re listening to…what are those call letters again?” After a couple … Continue reading “Hi, this is Matthew Good, and you’re listening to…what are those call letters again?”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 26, 1996 Christmas came early for Matthew Good this year. On the same day that the Straight interviewed the up-and-coming local rocker, he received a present from his publisher at EMI: an autographed picture of American astronaut Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon. The souvenir is in keeping … Continue reading Matthew Good, 25, walks home in the cold after opening for the Who
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 5, 2004 On the new Matthew Good CD, White Light Rock & Roll Review, there’s a printed message on the disc itself from the shit-disturbing local rocker. It reads “INSERT IN PLAYER/FEEL THE GLOW OF COMMERCE.” Although Good notes that it’s a “tongue-in-cheek” statement, it’s also very accurate, as the music … Continue reading Matthew Good sees the light
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 19, 2007 By Steve Newton Rock musicians aren’t known for giving away their last beer, so it comes as a bit of a shock when Matthew Good offers up his lone Pilsner Urquell. It’s a muggy Friday afternoon, though, and I’m just parched enough to accept it. “I gotta leave … Continue reading Dark times inspired Matthew Good’s Hospital Music
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 4, 2009 MATTHEW GOOD’S LATEST album is called Vancouver, but any fawning tourists who pick it up thinking they’ve scored an upbeat musical postcard of our picturesque city are in for a surprise. There are no odes to the mountains meeting the sea, no ditties about shopping on Robson or cocktails at … Continue reading Matthew Good’s feeling much better
By Steve Newton Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown was one of those old blues guys who didn’t talk much–especially during interviews. When I chatted with him back in 1997 he was 73, and touring behind an album called Long Way Home that featured guest spots by Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, and Sonny Landreth. At one … Continue reading That time I told “Gatemouth” Brown that he played pretty good boogie for a 73-year-old
By Steve Newton Long before he started getting known in guitar circles for his extremely tasty playing both onstage and in the studio with Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II was a member of Arc Angels. He and Charlie Sexton shared the singer-songwriter-guitarist duties in the band, with a rhythm section comprised of bassist Tommy Shannon … Continue reading That time Doyle Bramhall II told me that being in Arc Angels was both a good time and a bad time for him
By Steve Newton I interviewed Dave Martone last week for a story in the Georgia Straight‘s annual Best of Vancouver issue, because when I think about who might be the best guitarist in Vancouver, he always comes to mind. At one point in the conversation I asked Martone about his relationship with Joe Satriani, because … Continue reading Guitar wizard Dave Martone calls his mentor Joe Satriani a member of “the Good Guy Club”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 24, 1987 By Steve Newton England’s Iron Maiden is different than most other heavy metal bands in a lot of ways. For one thing, they can all play their instruments, and very well. Their songs are quite complex, and the lyrics aren’t simple-minded: there are no likes like … Continue reading Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray, age 30, says “it’s good to know we’ve got a few years to go yet”
By Steve Newton Sometimes when I listen to a musician perform I wonder to myself, “How did they get so goddamn good?” And sometimes–if I meet said musician in my capacity as a music writer–I’ll just flat out ask them how they got so goddamn good. I did it with guitarist Guthrie Govan in 2015, and … Continue reading That time I asked bass goddess Tal Wilkenfeld how she got so goddamn good
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 17, 1997 By Steve Newton When Matthew Sweet calls in the afternoon from a Manhattan hotel room, he’s just hours away from taping an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman. That night, through the wonder of TV, Sweet’s new single, “Where You Get Love”, will be transmitted … Continue reading Matthew Sweet still searching for that elusive SNL appearance
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 6, 1995 By Steve Newton When Matthew Sweet checks in from his L.A. abode for an afternoon chat, I’ve got a fair supply of questions lined up. I want to uncover the acclaimed pop rocker’s thoughts about his place on the Another Roadside Attraction megatour, which comes to … Continue reading Matthew Sweet wishes his records were as loose as Neil Young’s
ORIGINALLY POSTED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 19, 2001 By Steve Newton The members of AC/DC aren’t doing any interviews in advance of their two shows at the Pacific Coliseum on Sunday and Monday (April 22 and 23), but that’s okay, because if they were, they’d probably just want to talk about their latest album, Stiff Upper Lip. … Continue reading AC/DC’s undying influence on Vancouver rockers, record-store owners, and radio personalities
By Steve Newton One of my favourite guitar-hero memories involves that time back in the early ’80s when I went backstage at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum and met Stevie Ray Vaughan. I’ll never forget it because he signed my vinyl copy of Texas Flood, and when I shook his hand it felt like a freakin’ vice! … Continue reading 54-40 guitarist Dave Genn recalls his chance meeting with Stevie Ray Vaughan just weeks before his tragic death
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 6, 2001 By Steve Newton If you want to know how well Nickelback lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist Chad Kroeger’s musical career is going, you only need look as far as the 27-year-old rocker’s Langley home. He just put in a hot tub. And had the pool enlarged. … Continue reading When Nickelback had the power to make grown men stick their dicks in whirling plastic blades
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 15, 2001 By Steve Newton Midnight Oil is one of the most politically motivated and socially conscious guitar-rock bands in the world. Although best known for embracing Aboriginal land-rights issues in its native Australia via the 1988 hit “Beds Are Burning”, the quintet has always kept an eye … Continue reading Midnight Oil won’t forgo antinationalist songs in wake of 9/11
