By Steve Newton I interviewed Megadeth bassist David Ellefson back in November of 1992. when he was 27. That was four months after the band released its most popular album, Countdown to Extinction, the one with "Symphony of Destruction" on it. Man I love that tune. (As you may have heard, founding member Ellefson recently … Continue reading That time I asked David Ellefson if there was any competition between Megadeth and Metallica
That time Derek Trucks told me that Duane Allman’s slide was one of the first sounds he ever heard
By Steve Newton I've interviewed Derek Trucks three times so far, including back in 1998 when he was 18 years old. Our second conversation happened 14 years later, when he was touring with his wife Susan and their 11-piece band, Tedeschi Trucks. Four months before that the group had been awarded the Grammy for Best … Continue reading That time Derek Trucks told me that Duane Allman’s slide was one of the first sounds he ever heard
Chicago’s Lois Lane brings original tunes and flaming drumset to Chilliwack but calls small-town booking a mistake
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CHILLIWACK PROGRESS, MAY 27, 1981 By Steve Newton Casanova's nightclub was the scene last week of three nightly performances by touring Chicago-based rock band Lois Lane. The group, supposedly the top drawing band in the windy city, is not your average club act band and, in fact, has toured with such … Continue reading Chicago’s Lois Lane brings original tunes and flaming drumset to Chilliwack but calls small-town booking a mistake
That time David Lee Roth told me that a reunion with Van Halen was possible as long as he could “bang that high note like a freebie from a Vegas call girl”
By Steve Newton Back in June of 2003 I did my second interview with David Lee Roth. At the time he was touring behind his most recent solo album, Diamond Dave, but of course I had to ask him about the possibility of getting back together with Van Halen, which had been on hiatus for … Continue reading That time David Lee Roth told me that a reunion with Van Halen was possible as long as he could “bang that high note like a freebie from a Vegas call girl”
That time I asked Gregg Allman how it was different touring solo than with the Allman Brothers
By Steve Newton I did my only interview with Gregg Allman on February 5, 1998. The legendary Allman Brothers Band singer, keyboardist, and occasional guitarist was 50 years old, and was touring behind his sixth solo album, Searching for Simplicity. At one point in the conversation I asked him how it was different touring as … Continue reading That time I asked Gregg Allman how it was different touring solo than with the Allman Brothers
That time I took a limo from Vancouver to Seattle to see Van Halen’s Monsters of Rock Tour
kevin statham photo By Steve Newton I haven't taken many limousine rides during my lifetime. It's a little hoity-toity for my liking. But there were a couple of times when I actually enjoyed that lifestyle of the rich and famous. The first time was back in 1986, when I got flown out to Berkeley, California … Continue reading That time I took a limo from Vancouver to Seattle to see Van Halen’s Monsters of Rock Tour
Recalling the release of the Tragically Hip’s Road Apples in the wake of the new Saskadelphia
By Steve Newton Since the Tragically Hip just put out several unreleased tracks from its 1990 Road Apples sessions, I figured I'd celebrate the occasion in my own little way. So for all the hardcore Hip fans out there who still hold the original Road Apples album dear, here's an unedited excerpt from my 2018 … Continue reading Recalling the release of the Tragically Hip’s Road Apples in the wake of the new Saskadelphia
The Elvis Brothers on hangin’ with Carl Perkins and hoping Big Country don’t throw them off the tour
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 25, 1983 By Steve Newton "The name Menudo was already taken," quips Rob Elvis, "and the Three Dog Night Brothers--we didn't figure that would go over as well." High up in a Century Plaza Hotel room, just hours before their opening set for Big Country at the Commodore, … Continue reading The Elvis Brothers on hangin’ with Carl Perkins and hoping Big Country don’t throw them off the tour
That time B.B. King told me how playing guitar was like telling the truth
bev davies photo By Steve Newton I've been very fortunate to have interviewed several legendary bluesmen over the last 40 years, guys like Albert King, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Roy Buchanan, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. But the very first legendary bluesman I ever interviewed was B.B. King. In January of 1984 he was playing a … Continue reading That time B.B. King told me how playing guitar was like telling the truth
That time Mick Ronson told me that he could live anywhere in the world
By Steve Newton I did the second of my two interviews with Mick Ronson in September of 1988, before he and Ian Hunter kicked off a tour in Vancouver. I called Mick up in New York, and at one point in the conversation I asked him whether he liked living there. He said that he … Continue reading That time Mick Ronson told me that he could live anywhere in the world
Brian Robertson’s wicked solo from Thin Lizzy’s “Don’t Believe a Word” played on harmonica
By Steve Newton The wicked guitar solos cranked out over the years by the various Thin Lizzy guitarists--Eric Bell, Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Gary Moore, Snowy White, and John Sykes--are many. But I've got a few faves. Definitely in my Top 10 is Robertson's 30-second solo from "Don't Believe a Word", the best track on … Continue reading Brian Robertson’s wicked solo from Thin Lizzy’s “Don’t Believe a Word” played on harmonica
Album review: Aldo Nova, Subject….Aldo Nova (1983)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 25, 1983 By Steve Newton Those who enjoyed Aldo Nova's popular debut album should be quite satisfied with his new release. The thick keyboard/guitar sound that made songs like "Fantasy" big hits last year figures strongly on Subject...Aldo Nova. Particularly impressive is Nova's energized version of Coney Hatch's "Hey Operator", on … Continue reading Album review: Aldo Nova, Subject….Aldo Nova (1983)
Screaming Jets interview, unpublished for 30 years, shows the Aussie guitar-rockers highly skilled at pissing people off
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED SEPT. 22, 1991; STORY FIRST PUBLISHED MAY 15, 2021 By Steve Newton With a jarring, guitar-heavy sound influenced by such gritty Aussie bands as Angel City, AC/DC, and early Midnight Oil, Newcastle, Australia's Screaming Jets are capable of causing quite a ruckus. They did so on their debut album, All For One, and … Continue reading Screaming Jets interview, unpublished for 30 years, shows the Aussie guitar-rockers highly skilled at pissing people off