mila geran photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 27, 1985 By Steve Newton "Rock and roll Vancouver," announced Mark Knopfler half-way through Monday's (September 23) Dire Straits show at the Pacific Coliseum. And when his band swung into the twist-and-shout rocker "Walk of Life", the crowd did as they were told. A mass … Continue reading Mark Knopfler’s scintillating guitar steals the show as Dire Straits performs on Brothers in Arms tour
Buddy Guy refuses to play “Boogie Chillen”, gets pissed at Junior Wells, and walks off stage in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 27, 1985 By Steve Newton Buddy Guy and Junior Wells brought their hearty brand of Chicago blues to the Commodore last Friday and Saturday (September 20 and 21). Buddy's backup musicians warmed things up with the Stones' "Miss You" before Guy himself stepped out and tore into a bit of Elmore … Continue reading Buddy Guy refuses to play “Boogie Chillen”, gets pissed at Junior Wells, and walks off stage in Vancouver
Marty Friedman doesn’t get why the Bee Gees are in the Rock Hall and Rory Gallagher isn’t
By Steve Newton If you've been visiting Ear of Newt for the last year or two you've no doubt figured out that I'm not a big fan of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I mean, Jann Wenner and his jackass buddies piss me off the way they totally ignore some of the most … Continue reading Marty Friedman doesn’t get why the Bee Gees are in the Rock Hall and Rory Gallagher isn’t
The last time I interviewed Marty Friedman he was thrilled to talk about Megadeth; today not so much
By Steve Newton The last time I talked to guitar legend Marty Friedman he couldn't stop talking about Megadeth. Mind you, that was 24 years ago, when he was a member of Megadeth. Today I interviewed Friedman for the first time since May of 1991--when Megadeth was in the midst of the Clash of the … Continue reading The last time I interviewed Marty Friedman he was thrilled to talk about Megadeth; today not so much
Backstage at an Arc Angels show with Charlie Sexton, David Gogo, and the blind date I never saw again
By Steve Newton Here's a photo that was taken backstage at the 86 Street Music Hall in Vancouver on July 22, 1992. It was after a show by the Arc Angels, a bluesy band from Austin that featured guitarist-vocalists Charlie Sexton and Doyle Bramhall II along with Stevie Ray Vaughan's old rhythm section, bassist Tommy … Continue reading Backstage at an Arc Angels show with Charlie Sexton, David Gogo, and the blind date I never saw again
’80s rockers Europe and Billy Idol shill for Geico and Bank of America
By Steve Newton Da-da-da-daaa. Da-da-da-da-daaaa. The opening notes of Europe's huge 1986 hit "The Final Countdown" are ingrained in a lot of people's minds--I usually think of how Gob used it in his failed magic act for Arrested Development--and now Geico has copped it for its "It's What You Do" advertising campaign. In the 30-second … Continue reading ’80s rockers Europe and Billy Idol shill for Geico and Bank of America
The Musical Box brings Genesis’ Selling England By the Pound to Vancouver
By Steve Newton The Year of Our Lord, 1973, was a big year for prog-rock. Besides the grandaddy of them all--Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon--'73 also saw such prime prog releases as Hawkwind's Space Ritual, Jethro Tull's A Passion Play, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery. I also recall spending many hours spellbound by the melodic beauty … Continue reading The Musical Box brings Genesis’ Selling England By the Pound to Vancouver
The Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl rides the rock throne to glory at a hellraising show in Vancouver
all crappy iPhone photos by the Newt By Steve Newton Nobody really expects a millionaire rock star to, after breaking his leg falling off a stage, design a special chair--or "rock throne", if you will--that allows him to get around like royalty on stage. Is it a burning need to rock out that compels a fellow … Continue reading The Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl rides the rock throne to glory at a hellraising show in Vancouver
The Visit drives a nail in the coffin of the found-footage format–with a twist!
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 11, 2015 By Steve Newton Will M. Night Shyamalan ever clue in? Just because there's a twist in a movie doesn't mean the movie's any good. Sure, he won us all over with that gotcha moment in The Sixth Sense back in 1999, but by the time of The Village, five years later, … Continue reading The Visit drives a nail in the coffin of the found-footage format–with a twist!
The ferocious fire of Eddie Van Halen lights up early soundboard recording
By Steve Newton Well, hey--good things come in pairs, I suppose. No sooner had I finished blogging about the possibility of the Foo Fighters playing some Van Halen in Vancouver tomorrow than I came across this newly uploaded video of VH performing the Kinks' "All Day and All Of the Night" live at the Pasadena Civic … Continue reading The ferocious fire of Eddie Van Halen lights up early soundboard recording
Will the Foo Fighters blast out some old-school Van Halen riffs in Vancouver?
By Steve Newton The Foo Fighters have been paying respects to some fine classic-rock acts on their current tour. During their last gig, in Scotland on Tuesday, the Seattle guitar-rockers played snippets of Van Halen's "Eruption", Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust", and Big Country's "In a Big Country" during the band introduction. And two days earlier … Continue reading Will the Foo Fighters blast out some old-school Van Halen riffs in Vancouver?
Long John Baldry on Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, and not wanting to be known as The King of Rock and Roll
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 13, 1985 By Steve Newton Long John Baldry is a giant among British blues-rockers--and that's not only because he stands 6 feet 7-1/2 inches tall. In his 26-year career the singer has played with stars such as Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, and Elton John, among many others, and performed on over … Continue reading Long John Baldry on Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, and not wanting to be known as The King of Rock and Roll
Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion
By Steve Newton Back in January I blogged about the "major concert news" that my old buddy's cover band, Cold Chain, was gonna play the 40-year reunion for my Chilliwack Senior High School class of 1975. At the time I put a request in for what was probably my fave tune that year, Ian Hunter's … Continue reading Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion