By Steve Newton The guitar world is in mourning today as word of the death of Allan Holdsworth spreads. The British musician died of unknown causes at the age of 70, his daughter Louise posting the news on her Facebook page. I'm not gonna try and explain how phenomenal a player Holdsworth was; you can … Continue reading That time Allan Holdsworth told me that he still struggles to pay the rent every month
That time Gord Downie got all “cunty” when I picked his scab about the Hip’s perplexing lack of success in the States
david bastedo photo By Steve Newton Here's an audio excerpt from the last of the five interviews I did with Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie, back in October of 1996. At the time the Hip was touring behind its fifth full-length album, Trouble at the Henhouse, and were by far the biggest band in Canada. … Continue reading That time Gord Downie got all “cunty” when I picked his scab about the Hip’s perplexing lack of success in the States
That time Yngwie Malmsteen slagged W.A.S.P. and told me that heavy metal is “all crap”
By Steve Newton The first time I interviewed Yngwie Malmsteen was back in December of 1985, when he was opening act on Dio's Sacred Heart tour. Malmsteen was only 22 at the time, full of piss and vinegar--kinda like he is now!--and ready to toss opinions around like they were notes flying off his fretboard. … Continue reading That time Yngwie Malmsteen slagged W.A.S.P. and told me that heavy metal is “all crap”
That time J. Geils told me that his first love was jazz and he wanted to be a white Miles Davis
By Steve Newton As a teenager in the seventies, I absolutely loved the J. Geils Band. I first got turned onto them through the "Live" Full House album of '72, which was just a smokin' concert disc. I was crazy about their versions of old R&B/blues numbers like "First I Look at the Purse" and "Homework", … Continue reading That time J. Geils told me that his first love was jazz and he wanted to be a white Miles Davis
That time I interviewed character actor Brion James, the guy you love to hate
By Steve Newton Back in 1991 I covered the Vancouver filming of a B-movie called Silhouette for Fangoria, and the best thing about that, by far, was that I got to interview character actor Brion James. If you don’t recognize the name Brion James, you’re not alone, but if you’re a fan of genre films … Continue reading That time I interviewed character actor Brion James, the guy you love to hate
Triumph’s Rik Emmett on the merits of the power trio and his secret song for Randy Rhoads
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 11, 1983 By Steve Newton Triumph's Rik Emmett is a man of many moods on guitar. Though best known for supplying the driving rhythms and rapid-fire leads that are trademarks of his group's two-fisted sound, Emmett never hesitates delving into the subtle and contemplative realms of classical and jazz as well. On … Continue reading Triumph’s Rik Emmett on the merits of the power trio and his secret song for Randy Rhoads
Roland Nipp proves himself a Satch-style melody master with In the Cool of the Dawn
By Steve Newton I first got turned onto Roland Nipp--a Canadian guitarist out of Richmond, B.C.--through his 2000 debut album, Blue Room, a multicoloured mix of jazz, blues, and rock stylings that blew me away with its blend of technical prowess and melodic sense. Now Nipp's got a new album out, In the Cool … Continue reading Roland Nipp proves himself a Satch-style melody master with In the Cool of the Dawn
That time I asked Dickey Betts what his fave tune was on the new Allman Brothers album
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Dickey Betts back in July of 1991, the Allman Brothers Band had just released its tenth studio album, Shades of Two Worlds, the second to feature the amazing Warren Haynes from Gov't Mule as co-guitarist. Betts and Haynes wrote four of the eight songs on Shades together, while Betts composed … Continue reading That time I asked Dickey Betts what his fave tune was on the new Allman Brothers album
That time I asked Tim Curry if he was a Stephen King fan and he said he liked The Shining
By Steve Newton I was lucky enough to have been the only journalist who interviewed Tim Curry on the Vancouver set of the two-part TV miniseries It, when I was covering the filming for Fangoria magazine back in 1990. One of the first questions I had for the British actor was whether or not he … Continue reading That time I asked Tim Curry if he was a Stephen King fan and he said he liked The Shining
That time I asked Leslie West about the awesome cowbell on Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen”
By Steve Newton Check out this snapshot of five teenagers on summer vacation in the mid-'70s: That's me and some buddies from Chilliwack Senior High School, class of 1975, one our way up to the annual piss-up-and-puke-off in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. (I'm the geeky one with the fingers in my face, if … Continue reading That time I asked Leslie West about the awesome cowbell on Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen”
That time Ronnie James Dio told me what he really thought of Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen as guitarists
By Steve Newton Back in 1985 I did my only interview with Ronnie James Dio, who was headed to Vancouver on the Sacred Heart Tour, with Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force opening up. At one point in the conversation the legendary heavy-metal crooner compared the guitar-playing abilities of his former bandmate Ritchie Blackmore to those of … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio told me what he really thought of Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen as guitarists
The Void has tons of gore and not much more
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 5, 2017 By Steve Newton The Void is like a cosmic cross between the original Hellraiser, John Carpenter's The Thing, some freaky Lovecraft shit, and that skinless-human Body Worlds exhibition Science World had running a few years back. But I still didn't like it that much. The Sault Ste Marie-shot horror flick … Continue reading The Void has tons of gore and not much more
Rolling Stone can piss right off: here’s the 100 Greatest Guitarists (that I’ve interviewed) and 50 that I haven’t (yet)
By Steve Newton Google “100 greatest guitarists” these days and what shows up at the top is a total joke. It’s the high ‘n’ mighty Rolling Stone‘s list of the so-called finest, posted from 2015. And man does it suck. But what do you expect from the same bozos who oversee the Rock and Roll … Continue reading Rolling Stone can piss right off: here’s the 100 Greatest Guitarists (that I’ve interviewed) and 50 that I haven’t (yet)