By Steve Newton I like Pearl Jam a lot. And I really love Neil Young. So when those two got together for the Mirror Ball album back in 1995 I was in hog heaven. I would listen to my favourite track, “I’m the Ocean”, over and over again. When I interviewed Pearl Jam guitarist Mike … Continue reading That time I asked Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready what he thought was so great about Neil Young
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 27, 2000 By Steve Newton When Blind Melon vocalist Shannon Hoon died of a drug overdose in New Orleans in 1995, the career of his popular recording group passed away with him. In fact, guitarist Christopher Thorn didn’t even know if he wanted to be in a band … Continue reading Christopher Thorn thinks comparing Unified Theory to Blind Melon is an easy out
By Steve Newton I interviewed Rhode Island blues guitarist and vocalist Duke Robillard back in February of 1995, when he was touring behind his eighth album, Temptation, and about to play a show at the famed Antone’s in Austin, Texas. A few years earlier he’d been playing with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, having taken over the … Continue reading That time I asked Duke Robillard if there were big shoes to fill replacing Jimmie Vaughan in the Fabulous Thunderbirds
By Steve Newton I interviewed Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert back in March of 1992, when the band was in Detroit, touring behind its second album, Lean Into It. That’s the one that spawned the #1 hit single “To Be With You”, and went platinum in the States. Mr. Big was gonna be playing Vancouver … Continue reading That time 25-year-old Paul Gilbert told me how he wangled a ride from a Mr. Big fan to see Pat Travers near Vancouver
By Steve Newton Here’s a special treat for all you Van Halen freaks out there–even the ones who liked the Sammy years. For the first time ever the entire audio of my 1995 interview with Alex Van Halen is being offered to the public for free, thanks to a partnership between Ear of Newt and … Continue reading Ear of Newt and the Tapes Archive present the Alex Van Halen 1995 interview
By Steve Newton Back in March of 1987 I interviewed American drummer Steve Smith, who was bringing his jazz-fusion group Vital Information to Vancouver for a club gig at the Town Pump. Before that Smith had spent seven years with Journey, and was part of that band when it hit it big with singles like … Continue reading That time drum great Steve Smith told me about getting kicked out of Journey by Steve Perry
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 13, 1993 By Steve Newton Vancouverites may wonder what it is about this town that makes a big-time Yankee rock band like Aerosmith want to come all the way from Boston to make records here. It is the scenery? The night-life? The days when it doesn’t rain? When Joe Perry calls … Continue reading Joe Perry credits Bruce Fairbairn and Little Mountain Sound with aiding Aerosmith’s rebirth
By Steve Newton Back in July of 1991 I did the second of my four interviews with American guitar legend Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band. Two weeks earlier the band had released its tenth studio album, Shades of Two Worlds, which Dickey had written most of the material for. Here’s the first ten minutes … Continue reading 10 minutes on the phone with Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers in 1991
By Steve Newton Back in November of 1990 I did an interview with Nigel Mogg, bassist for the Quireboys (who were known in North America as the London Quireboys.) At the time the band was touring behind its debut album, A Bit of What You Fancy, which was a rollicking platter full of Faces-style boogie … Continue reading That time Nigel Mogg of the Quireboys told me about being the nephew of Phil Mogg from UFO
By Steve Newton I feel very blessed that my role as a music writer has allowed me to interview some of the most talented guitar players of all time. And the feeling gets more pronounced when I realize how lucky I was to chat to some of the ones that left us way too soon, … Continue reading Jeff Healey jamming with Stevie Ray Vaughan is total blues-rock heaven
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 11, 2012 By Steve Newton A couple of weeks back I got a package in the mail containing the new CD by a metal band that was headed to town. No big whoop; happens all the time. But if I’d gotten this Fedex labeled “ANTHRAX” about 11 years ago, shit would … Continue reading Scott Ian on the media frenzy surrounding the Anthrax name after 9/11
By Steve Newton Yesterday I went searching around in my cherished stash of interview cassettes for something really ancient to digitize before the tape itself got so old it turned to dust. I came across an interview dated April 10, 1985, with an artist named Nik Kershaw. It was recorded on a cheapo, no-name-brand cassette, … Continue reading Holy ’80s flashback Batman! 16 minutes on the phone with new-wave hitmaker Nik Kershaw in 1985
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 6, 1993 By Steve Newton Last Saturday night (July 31) wasn’t Vancouver’s warmest evening on record, but the heat inside the Lunatic Fringe sure made you wonder. The club’s air-conditioning had broken down two nights before, so management lugged out a couple of huge fans to keep the temperature down, but … Continue reading Annihilator tones down the thrash on new CD but still cranks up the heat on stage
