By Steve Newton You may have heard that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently announced the nominees for its class of 2021. And man does the list suck in spots. The Go-Go's? Dionne Warwick? That's what passes for rock and roll these days? Here's the full list of 15 nominees: Mary J. Blige, Kate … Continue reading Halfwits at Rock Hall again ignore Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, and Link Wray, instead nominate the Go-Go’s and Dionne Warwick
That time guitar great Marc Bonilla told me how inspired he was by the playing of Ronnie Montrose
By Steve Newton Marc Bonilla might be one of the greatest guitarists you've never heard of. I guess he's kind of like Joe Hodgson is today, except that Bonilla came on the scene 30 years ago. I interviewed him back in April of 1992, the year after he released an amazing all-instrumental debut album called … Continue reading That time guitar great Marc Bonilla told me how inspired he was by the playing of Ronnie Montrose
That time future Trailer Park Boy Mike Smith told me about his band Sandbox snubbing Bon Jovi
By Steve Newton Before he became famous for his role as googley-eyed goofball "Bubbles" on The Trailer Park Boys, Mike Smith was a member of Canadian '90s alt-rock band Sandbox. One day back in March of 1996 I interviewed him in advance of a Sandbox show at a Vancouver bar called the Starfish Room. At … Continue reading That time future Trailer Park Boy Mike Smith told me about his band Sandbox snubbing Bon Jovi
That time I asked Dewey Bunnell why his band named itself America
By Steve Newton If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might have figured out that I'm not the world's biggest soft-rock fan. But when it's time to take a break from the Blue Oyster Cult and Thin Lizzy I've got nothing against throwing on America's Greatest Hits and mellowing out with easygoing … Continue reading That time I asked Dewey Bunnell why his band named itself America
That time Robert Randolph told me that he was inspired by the passion and soul of Stevie Ray Vaughan
By Steve Newton Back in April of 2003 I did my first interview with pedal-steel virtuoso Robert Randolph, who was just 24 at the time. At one point in the conversation I asked him about the time five years earlier when somebody gave him a tape of Stevie Ray Vaughan, which made a huge impression … Continue reading That time Robert Randolph told me that he was inspired by the passion and soul of Stevie Ray Vaughan
That time the B-52s’ Keith Strickland told me that Lux Interior of the Cramps suggested “Rock Lobster” as their first single
By Steve Newton Back in March of 2008 I interviewed B-52s guitarist and founding member Keith Strickland. Strickland had taken over on lead guitar after the 1985 AIDS death of Ricky Wilson, but originally he was the band's drummer. That's him pounding away on "Rock Lobster", the decidedly kooky debut single that brought the band … Continue reading That time the B-52s’ Keith Strickland told me that Lux Interior of the Cramps suggested “Rock Lobster” as their first single
That time David Johansen of the New York Dolls told me my son was gonna need a shrink
By Steve Newton When I heard the sad news that original New York Dolls guitarist Syl Sylvain had died of cancer three days ago, it made me remember how much I adored the Dolls as a teenager in the seventies. It also got me thinking about any New York Dolls interviews I might have done … Continue reading That time David Johansen of the New York Dolls told me my son was gonna need a shrink
AC/DC dropped fake American dollar bills on its fans during the 1990-’91 Razors Edge world tour, and I’ve still got mine
By Steve Newton It's not too often you take home a free souvenir from an AC/DC concert. Most likely you'll be dropping $40 for a t-shirt, $25 for a tour program, and maybe seven or eight bucks for a "Have a Drink on Me" shotglass or a "Highway to Hell" keychain. Mind you, if you're … Continue reading AC/DC dropped fake American dollar bills on its fans during the 1990-’91 Razors Edge world tour, and I’ve still got mine
That time Nathan Followill told me that the Kings of Leon didn’t know a right way or a wrong way to play rock ‘n’ roll when they started
By Steve Newton I interviewed Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill on September 19, 2003, exactly one month after the release of the band's debut album, Youth and Young Manhood. Exactly five years after that--on September 19, 2008--the band released its fourth album, Only by the Night, which spawned the hit single "Sex on Fire" … Continue reading That time Nathan Followill told me that the Kings of Leon didn’t know a right way or a wrong way to play rock ‘n’ roll when they started
That time I asked Leslie West if he was excited to hook up with Jack Bruce in West, Bruce & Laing
By Steve Newton Most of the music news regarding the passing last month of guitar legend Leslie West has focused on his work with Mountain, and justifiably so, since that band recorded timeless tracks like "Mississippi Queen" and "Nantucket Sleighride" and "Theme for an Imaginary Western". But after Mountain produced those gems West and Mountain … Continue reading That time I asked Leslie West if he was excited to hook up with Jack Bruce in West, Bruce & Laing
That time Todd Kerns told me that AC/DC replacing Brian Johnson with Axl Rose was the most surreal thing he’d heard in a long time
By Steve Newton I've interviewed Todd Kerns a few times, because he's one of my favourite Canadian rockers. A few years ago I actually dubbed him "The Rockingest Canadian Bass Player of the 21st Century," partly because of his unwavering enthusiasm on stage. The title didn't really catch on in the media, but I stand … Continue reading That time Todd Kerns told me that AC/DC replacing Brian Johnson with Axl Rose was the most surreal thing he’d heard in a long time
Ten weeks after Randy Rhoads’ death Ozzy told me that the fallen guitar hero could do anything
I did my first interview with Ozzy Osbourne ten weeks after his guitarist, Randy Rhoads, had perished in a plane crash at the age of 25.
That time Leslie West told me that Ozzy Osbourne said Mountain really turned him on to American rock
By Steve Newton If you liked Black Sabbath in the seventies, you probably liked Mountain as well. Both bands were well versed in the art of the killer riff. Sabbath's Tony Iommi and Mountain's Leslie West were good buddies, as West told me during an interview in 2002. He also said that Ozzy Osbourne once … Continue reading That time Leslie West told me that Ozzy Osbourne said Mountain really turned him on to American rock