ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 20, 2002 By Steve Newton Boy, I sure took a lotta flack from the hipsters in the Straight’s editorial department for wanting to review the Eagles concert last Wednesday (June 12) at GM Place. “Woo-hoo, ‘Hotel California’!” gibed Mike Usinger, high sheriff of all things musical, before inserting … Continue reading Joe Walsh, the Eddie Shack of rock, flies highest at the Eagles’ Vancouver show
King’s X guitarist Ty Tabor is not into chops for chops’ sake
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 20, 2002 By Steve Newton When I reach King’s X guitarist Ty Tabor by phone in Cleveland, he’s just gotten back from doing several weeks of guitar clinics in Southeast Asia, helping to promote his signature series of Yamaha guitars in countries like Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Most … Continue reading King’s X guitarist Ty Tabor is not into chops for chops’ sake
Alice Cooper tours with Trash, talks songwriting, horror, and ’70s rock
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 5, 1990 By Steve Newton When it comes to combining the finer elements of horror and hard rock, Alice Cooper rules. For more than 20 years the King of Nasty Rock has been sating his lust for the macabre and love of heavy music while wreaking havoc on … Continue reading Alice Cooper tours with Trash, talks songwriting, horror, and ’70s rock
Jimmy Thackery pays tribute to Muscle Shoals soulman Eddie Hinton on We Got It
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 13, 2002 Most blues-rock guitarists of note have tales to tell about the first time they heard the likes of Jimi Hendrix or Buddy Guy. But as a teenager growing up in Washington, D.C., Jimmy Thackery actually got to see both those legends perform live. A 17-year-old Thackery … Continue reading Jimmy Thackery pays tribute to Muscle Shoals soulman Eddie Hinton on We Got It
F**k the Oscars, here’s the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards nominees
The 2015 Academy Award nominations were announced today and, as expected, the horror genre got left out in the winter cold to die a slow, painful death. When was the last time those geeks at the Academy even recognized the value of a fright flick? Sure, we all know that Kathy Bates won a Best Actress Oscar for … Continue reading F**k the Oscars, here’s the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards nominees
Jennifer Batten calls Jeff Beck “the greatest guitar player who ever lived”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 2002 By Steve Newton Any guitar freaks lucky enough to have seen Jeff Beck at the Commodore last year will rave about his top-hatted blond accompanist, whose mastery of the guitar-synth almost stole the show from the British rock legend. The waiflike lady was Jennifer Batten, who returns to Vancouver … Continue reading Jennifer Batten calls Jeff Beck “the greatest guitar player who ever lived”
Fingerstyle guitar ace Leo Kottke is deeply attracted to sloth
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 13, 2002 By Steve Newton Ever since he blasted onto the music scene with his 1969 debut on John Fahey’s tiny Takoma label, 6 and 12-String Guitar, Leo Kottke has been acknowledged as one of the greats of fingerstyle acoustic guitar. But that wasn’t his first instrument—or “victim”, … Continue reading Fingerstyle guitar ace Leo Kottke is deeply attracted to sloth
The John Butler Trio just said no to American record labels
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 23, 2002 BY STEVE NEWTON It doesn’t take long to figure out that Australian singer-songwriter and slide-guitar ace John Butler is an issue-oriented kinda guy. In the CD booklet that accompanies his trio’s latest disc, Three, one page is loaded with facts detailing the ongoing destruction of his … Continue reading The John Butler Trio just said no to American record labels
Lemmy Kilmister thinks Motörhead should have its own category by now
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 9, 2002 By Steve Newton I’ve always respected Motörhead for what it’s done over the past quarter-century to further the cause of heavy metal, and for its ability to do so, like Rush, within the confines of the power-trio format. But as far as Motörhead albums go, it’s … Continue reading Lemmy Kilmister thinks Motörhead should have its own category by now
Cracker’s David Lowery on The Big Lebowski, Camper Van Beethoven, and Forever
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 2, 2002 By Steve Newton After a few listens to the new Cracker CD, Forever, I came to the conclusion that the title track—with its infectious jangle and big-toned, Duane Eddy–style guitar riff—was the standout among the disc’s 13 tunes. My overwhelming fondness for that song had me … Continue reading Cracker’s David Lowery on The Big Lebowski, Camper Van Beethoven, and Forever
Don’t mess with Ripley when she’s got the Alien flamethrower in the backyard
go ahead, click on the flame. You'll singe your eyebrows Somebody posted this photo on Reddit of Sigourney Weaver trying out the flamethrower from Alien on the backlot lawn of Shepperton Studios in 1978. They didn't wimp out with CG back then. This was the real deal. Notice no one is standing too close. Director Ridley Scott's decision not … Continue reading Don’t mess with Ripley when she’s got the Alien flamethrower in the backyard
Weezer’s Brian Bell on geek-rock stigmas and Spike Jonze’s scary giraffe
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 25, 2002 By Steve Newton Weezer is one band that really knows how to turn a simple riff into a monster hit. The American power-pop quartet pulled that trick off to career-making effect in ’94 with its hooky single “Buddy Holly”, then did it again last year with … Continue reading Weezer’s Brian Bell on geek-rock stigmas and Spike Jonze’s scary giraffe
Meeting the men behind Freddy Krueger inside Wes Craven’s Nightmare Cafe
During my 13 years as a correspondent for Fangoria magazine I enthusiastically covered the horror beat in Vancouver, visiting the sets of such destined-to-be-awful films as Halloween: Resurrection and Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. But it wasn't just big-screen projects that I wrote about. If there was a horror-related TV series (Poltergeist: The … Continue reading Meeting the men behind Freddy Krueger inside Wes Craven’s Nightmare Cafe