Search Results for: slash

That time I asked Slash if he was having more fun with Slash’s Snakepit than he was with GN’R

By Steve Newton When I interviewed American guitar hero Slash in April of 1995 he was playing with his own band, Slash’s Snakepit, which originally included two of his Guns N’ Roses bandmates—drummer Matt Sorum and guitarist Gilby Clarke—as well as Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez and former Jellyfish member Eric Dover on lead … Continue reading That time I asked Slash if he was having more fun with Slash’s Snakepit than he was with GN’R

Album review: Gilby Clarke, Pawnshop Guitars (1994)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 5, 1994 By Steve Newton Sometimes I wonder if guitarists join Guns N’ Roses just so they can get in the position to release their own solo recordings of punk-inspired garage-rock and blues-based boogie. (I doubt if they do it so they can bask in the positive vibes … Continue reading Album review: Gilby Clarke, Pawnshop Guitars (1994)

People see my photo with Slash and think I’m Kerry King of Slayer, “Ogre” from Revenge of the Nerds, and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan

By Steve Newton Here’s a funny thing that happened. A week or so ago This Day in Metal tweeted a photo of me with Slash taken backstage in 1988, when Guns N’ Roses were opening for Iron Maiden in Vancouver. The tweet read: “Anybody know who’s with @slash in this picture?” Well, a few of … Continue reading People see my photo with Slash and think I’m Kerry King of Slayer, “Ogre” from Revenge of the Nerds, and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan

Album review: Velvet Revolver, Contraband (2004)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 24, 2004 By Steve Newton Every time I see that oft-shown video from last year’s Guns N’ Roses riot of a Vancouver cop smashing an innocent guy’s teeth out, I can’t believe it. It’s not that I can’t picture our boys in blue pulling those types of stunts … Continue reading Album review: Velvet Revolver, Contraband (2004)

Newt’s top 10 (or 13) Metro Vancouver concerts in October

Iron Maiden plays Rogers Arena By Steve Newton Iron Maiden: British heavy metal legends, featuring vocalist Bruce Dickinson, perform on their The Future Past Tour. October 2 at Rogers Arena. Here’s my interview with Bruce Dickinson from 1983. Coheed and Cambria: prog-metal quartet from New York, featuring guitarist-vocalist and main songwriter Claudio Sanchez, with guests Deafheaven. October 2 … Continue reading Newt’s top 10 (or 13) Metro Vancouver concerts in October

Newt’s top 10 Vancouver concerts to see in the second half of 2023

Nita Strauss plays the Rickshaw By Steve Newton There were some darn fine concerts to see in Vancouver during the first half of 2023–including gigs by Jason Isbell, Larkin Poe, John Mellencamp, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now here’s my top 10 picks for the second half of the year. Rock on, people! Nita … Continue reading Newt’s top 10 Vancouver concerts to see in the second half of 2023

Gibson picked the top 50 guitar solos of all time, and boy did they ever blow it

Geez, even Jimi knew Johnny ruled. By Steve Newton Back in September of 2010 Gibson.com posted what it felt were the 50 greatest guitar solos of all time, and boy did they ever blow it. Most conspicuous by his absence is Texas blues-rock legend Johnny Winter. I for one am getting sick and tired of … Continue reading Gibson picked the top 50 guitar solos of all time, and boy did they ever blow it

Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler is a real chatterbox

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 14, 2011 By Steve Newton Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler called from L.A. to promote his upcoming gig at Vancouver’s Venue on August 25, and once he started talking, he didn’t want to stop. He chatted about everything from the tuna salad sandwich he’d just had for lunch in the … Continue reading Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler is a real chatterbox

That time Slash told me how Guns N’ Roses chose the cover tunes for “The Spaghetti Incident”

By Steve Newton The first time I interviewed Slash was two months after the release of “The Spaghetti Incident?”, Guns N’ Roses’ collection of punk and hard-rock cover tunes by bands like the New York Dolls, T-Rex, the Runaways, and Nazareth. At one point in the conversation I mentioned that I was happy they’d recorded … Continue reading That time Slash told me how Guns N’ Roses chose the cover tunes for “The Spaghetti Incident”

Steven Adler still yearns to be part of a Guns N’ Roses reunion

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 17 2011 By Steve Newton In 1987, when he was 22 years old, Steven Adler had the world by the balls. He was the drummer in Guns N’ Roses, the most popular rock band at the time, whose album of that year, Appetite for Destruction, has sold more than 28 million … Continue reading Steven Adler still yearns to be part of a Guns N’ Roses reunion

That time I asked 30-year-old Brother Cane frontman Damon Johnson if, being from Alabama, he was a Skynyrd fan

DJ & Eddie VH By Steve Newton Brother Cane singer-guitarist Damon Johnson called me up from Chicago back on April 26, 1995, five days after his band had opened for Van Halen at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. The group would play another 20 or so gigs with Eddie and the boys that year, … Continue reading That time I asked 30-year-old Brother Cane frontman Damon Johnson if, being from Alabama, he was a Skynyrd fan

Eddie Van Halen’s favourite AC/DC album was Powerage

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

That time Geddy Lee told me that Rush had 4,000 albums

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