ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 27, 2000 Powerman 5000’s current record-company bio opens with a quote from vocalist Spider One, in which he explains that “being in a band is as close as I could get to being a superhero.” Now, I’ve seen a lot of bands, but never any that were capable—U2’s … Continue reading Rob Zombie’s kid brother Spidey One is Powerman 5000’s superhero
Robert Cray speaks on Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 20, 2000 By Steve Newton Since barging onto the North American music scene in 1986 with the double-platinum Strong Persuader album, Robert Cray has proven himself a formidable purveyor of guitar-drenched blues and soul. And with five Grammy Awards to his credit—including one for his latest CD, Take … Continue reading Robert Cray speaks on Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters
Deborah Coleman was wowed by the blues grooves of Hooker, Wolf, and Waters
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 20, 2000 There are a helluva lot of lead guitarists in the world, and a tidy portion of them are blues pickers. Increasingly, that category includes females, from veteran slide specialist Bonnie Raitt to 14-year-old blues-rock sensation Shannon Curfman. But for some reason there aren’t many black female … Continue reading Deborah Coleman was wowed by the blues grooves of Hooker, Wolf, and Waters
All’s busted-boner anthem “She Broke My Dick” is, sadly, autobiographical
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 6, 2000 Some bands try hard to capture in their music the beauty of love, the power of romance, the mystery of enchantment. Not All, though. The veteran punk rockers have a song on their new CD, Problematic, called “She Broke My Dick”. “Getting it on with [bleeped … Continue reading All’s busted-boner anthem “She Broke My Dick” is, sadly, autobiographical
Guitar freak Roland Nipp shows his stuff on The Blue Room
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 6, 2000 Roland Nipp is nuts about guitar. Even before sampling the local picker’s tasty instrumental CD, The Blue Room, I could tell from scanning his bio that he’s a six-string aficionado. Among those mentioned in his extensive list of influences are such primo players as Joe Satriani, … Continue reading Guitar freak Roland Nipp shows his stuff on The Blue Room
The Rolling Stones deliver like legends as the Steel Wheels Tour hits Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 10, 1989 By Steve Newton In what was surely the biggest Vancouver concert event of the '80s, the Rolling Stones hit Vancouver for two nights last week amid a flurry of hype and much groveling for tickets. Now that Jagger and the boys have gathered up their money-bags (they play the … Continue reading The Rolling Stones deliver like legends as the Steel Wheels Tour hits Vancouver
Bordello of Blood sets up shop on Vancouver’s old Expo 86 site
By Steve Newton So I was looking through my collection of old Fangoria magazines last night, searching for a story I wrote to post for Halloween, and came across a set-visit piece from back in '95 on the Tales from the Crypt movie, Bordello of Blood. Now, that vampire movie really sucked, but going on … Continue reading Bordello of Blood sets up shop on Vancouver’s old Expo 86 site
The Saw franchise celebrates 10 years of blood ‘n’ guts and money
Ten years ago today the first Saw movie was released, marking Hollywood's entry into the so-called "torture porn" sweepstakes. And what a windfall it's been! The original Saw of 2004 has so far grossed (good word) over $100 million on its $1.2 million-dollar budget. Its success led Saw's makers to release one sequel every year until 2010, when Saw 3D added a couple … Continue reading The Saw franchise celebrates 10 years of blood ‘n’ guts and money
Ten recommended horror flicks now streaming on Netflix Canada
Halloween is fast approaching, and everyone who's coughed up their 8 bucks a month for Netflix is no doubt scanning the Horror section to see what's available. Decent scary movies are hard to find, so here's a quick rundown of 10 now streaming on Netflix Canada that I'd wholeheartedly recommend. They're listed in order of … Continue reading Ten recommended horror flicks now streaming on Netflix Canada
Ian Lloyd, the “Brother Louie” guy, says he’s proud of his claim to fame
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 26, 1984 By Steve Newton Ten years ago a New York band called Stories hit it big on North American singles charts with "Brother Louie". The song—a cover of Hot Chocolate's UK hit—made it to No. 1 on Billboard, but despite some fine pop-oriented music on albums like About Us and Travelling Underground, the band … Continue reading Ian Lloyd, the “Brother Louie” guy, says he’s proud of his claim to fame
25-year-old Gordon Downie talks “38 Years Old” on the Tragically Hip’s Up to Here tour
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 20, 1989 By Steve Newton What's the most important element in a new band as far as making it in rock goes? Some might say financial backing, although when you look at groups like Kiss or the Sex Pistols it's pretty clear that image and/or hype are as effective as big … Continue reading 25-year-old Gordon Downie talks “38 Years Old” on the Tragically Hip’s Up to Here tour
Canadian Horror Show in Vancouver features icky Michael Ironside
The last time the Georgia Straight chatted with Vince D'Amato, back in the fall of 2003, he was busy overseeing the gruesome torture of his fiancée at his mom’s house in Burnaby. D’Amato was directing an extremely low-budget ($3,000) horror flick called Human Nature, and his bride-to-be, Nicole Hancock, portrayed an unfortunate victim. That set visit turned into … Continue reading Canadian Horror Show in Vancouver features icky Michael Ironside
Ouija is by-the-numbers horror leading nowhere
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 23, 2014 I remember Ouija. When I was a kid in the late '60s my older sister would use our "weegee board" to try to conduct séances and communicate with the dead. I was never into it. "Leave the dead alone," was my motto. Plus, I didn't have much faith … Continue reading Ouija is by-the-numbers horror leading nowhere