earofnewt.com is a website that I, old-school Vancouver rock journalist and scary movie reviewer Steve Newton–the guy on the left, who isn’t Buddy–use to showcase my work from the last 40 years, and maybe even the present.
Every post on this site was written by me. I’m not braggin’, it’s just a fact.
The autographs I got on that plexiglass Raven include B.B. King, Ronnie Montrose, Buddy Guy, Rick Derringer, Joe Satriani, Link Wray, Steve Morse, Robin Trower, Joe Perry, Dick Dale, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai, and Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser from Blue Oyster Cult.
If you’re interested in any of those peeps, pleased to meet ya.
If you want to contact me–either to say how great the website is, or to just send money to support it–the email and PayPal address is steve@earofnewt.com
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Some writin’ folk dedicate books to their loved ones. I might never write a book and do that, so I’m dedicating this site to my brother Danny, who never got to enjoy a long life full of great music.
He did love rock, though.
And he had a cool guitar.
–the Newt, Oct. 31, 2013
UPDATE: So it looks like a wrote a book after all, which was released on Feb. 6, 2018. It’s about Gord Downie, and I dedicated that to my brother Danny as well. Funny how life unfolds, eh?
website banner designed by Dawn Newton
ANOTHER UPDATE, AUGUST 2019: I now have a Patreon page, where I’m posting audio of my complete, never-before-heard interviews, newly digitized from my stacks of cassettes. Only $5 bucks a month (U.S., mind you) gives you access to them. Please check it out and support the Newt if’n you want to.
BELATED UPDATE, JUNE 2023: as you may already know, in September of 2022 I was terminated from the Georgia Straight–along with about a dozen coworkers–when the paper was sold. No one was offered severance pay or vacation pay, just told “see ya later”. I’d been there for 38 years. If you’ve enjoyed my music stories and interviews over the years, any support via my Patreon page is much appreciated.
Your site effin’ rocks, Newt.
Hey Steve! What’s your email?
steve@earofnewt.com
Thanks Gail. You are pretty rockin’ your own self!
Steve you do rock and we sure did rock together. Cannot count how many times, i bet 100 or close.love you bro. Marnie your biggest fan and your big sister.
thanks Marn. Love you too. You’re the best. Thanks for turning me on to Seger, Skynyrd, and Trower back in the day.
Hey Newtron Bomb! Stickman here! Just floating the net and found your website! Sure miss you, Vancouver and the rocking music scene!
good to hear from ya Stickman! Your old production company got mentioned in my Devin Townsend story a couple weeks ago. Those were the days, eh! Rock on, buddy
Hey Newt …
Greetings from Thunder Bay. I stumbled across this site and boy I’m glad I did .
What a fantastic bunch o reads here! You my friend are a walking review machine. Love the write ups!
You basically have touched on all my favourite acts and I’m even a Gary Moore fan as Run For Cover and We want Moore being my two faves of his!
Great stuff and your bookmarked on my ipad!
Continued success……
By the way what’s Downies beef with u?
Don’t matter I gave up on em after a Day For Night!
Cheers,
Deke
Thanks a lot Deker! I dunno. Downie just never wanted to do an interview after the cover story I did on the Hip. You can read more about this important topic in the “do you do any covers?” section if you want. I’m just happy to meet another Gary Moore freak! Thanks for reading!
Love this site and all your posts, Newt! We are in Vancouver—-a blues-punk-rock band, just coming off a summer tour of the US & Canada. Love to have you out at our homecoming show/album release. Red Room, next Sat Sept 6—-I’ll give you tix! http://www.marrymemusic.ca Cheers, Natalee
Halo Newt!
Greetings from Fort William ON !!
I totally stumbled onto your site while on a Google search about AC/DC & Eric Clapton. Seeing your site twice in the profile results convinced me to take a look at your site and am I ever happy I did! It’s great to read your informed accounts about many of the hard rock/metal acts I enjoy! You my good sir are truly talented!! Thanks again for the great work!
Jaysen
thanks a lot Jaysen, your kind words are much appreciated!
Thanks for dragging out that old Nazareth interview, it was a fun read! These boys don’t get enough love, especially here in the States.
Hey Steve. I love reading the reviews from omg near 30 years ago! What ever happened to the 86 Street Music Hall? I lived and breathed that place. Best time of my young life for near 7 years.
Love the stories,keep up the great work.
thanks Darren! I intend to!
Greetings from Montréal! I’m brand new to your world and I’m having a ball exploring all of your published memories. Thanks for finding me on FB and I hope we have a chance to share a few adventures to add to the archives.
Wow! Great site! You’ve covered everyone! Badlands was a great band! Liked your write up on Satriani’s new release! I’d be honored if you reviewed or did a write on on my new album!
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekaynan12
http://www.facebook.com/stevekaynan
Hi! I like this blog of yours. I have made a link to it on my own blog: https://geirmykl.wordpress.com/ as I think we reach a lot of the same readers. Probably. Maybe.
Keep up the good work! 🙂
rockin’. thx Geir
Hey found a link from my FB feed love the pics of Scotty!! LOL I remember the Billy Idol phase all too well!!!!! Rock on!
Super cool blog. So many cool bits and pieces to look through!
Cool site mate!
thanks Rob!
Yo dude ! That Raven Dan Armstrong Plexi copy retrofitted with an aluminum sheet pickguard was playable at the time (~1982 ?) with a Super Slinky string set on, sounded bright and loud through a Pro Reverb. Put a Tune-o-matic Gibby bridge on it, new tuning heads, a bone nut and rock away. Guitars are meant to be played, not seen.
A nicely laid out cross section of current events and historical perspectives. Thanks for maintaining this and keep up the great work!
Just added this site to my ‘Music’ favourites as “Goldmine of Reviews”. Looking forward to working through many of these reviews over coming months (years?). First in line will be Robin Trower, one the most under-appreciated artists on the planet.
All the persons/Bands/etc… listed you’ve seen I take it🤘That is cool as F… You got yourself a New Follower here! Alice In Chains obsession at present, recently discovered their BEST WORKS like “Bleed The Freak, wtf goes from speech to song in 1 breath like that, Layne Stayley had & still has the absolute best “YEAHS”🎤Okay gonna go back to AIC 🎶
Hello Steve Newton, I received for Christmas 2018 from my daughters a copy of your recently published book on Gord Downie. It meant a great deal to me. I just finished reading it this morning. Thank you for this opus work as it represents fascinating research, a tremendous collection of photo journalism, beautiful layout, and your excellent commentary and story telling. As a Social Studies teacher, I share with the students this great cultural Canadian rock&roll story, and also explore the Secret Path story to address Canadian Indigenous history and issues. I share your passion for guitar-based rock and have been playing keyboards, guitars, and doing music since childhood. I hope we could meet some day. Cheers, Rod
hey, you made my New Year’s Day, Rod. Thanks for the kind words. If we ever do meet I’ll surely sign that Downie book for you. All the best.