By Steve Newton I realize I've mentioned it before--maybe more than once--but holy crap do I love J.J. Cale. He left us in 2013, but my fondness for the guy hasn't dwindled at all since he shuffled off this mortal coil. He was the personification of laidback cool--not to mention criminally underrated guitar prowess. My … Continue reading That time J.J. Cale told me that any help I could give him, he’d appreciate
Hollywood wins the War for the Planet of the Apes
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 12, 2017 By Steve Newton I've harboured a peculiar fondness for the Planet of the Apes movies ever since I saw the 1968 original at Chilliwack's historic--and since demolished--Paramount Theatre at age 11. Even then I could tell that it was pretty dumb, but I had a thing about "gorillas"--even if … Continue reading Hollywood wins the War for the Planet of the Apes
That time Circus Magazine’s editorial department sent me a rejection letter :(
By Steve Newton Back on July 10, 1981, somebody at Circus Magazine sent me a rejection letter. They could have at least signed it. Back in the seventies I devoured Circus. It was a total fanzine, but it really covered the bands I was interested in. On any given issue you'd see capitalized band names like … Continue reading That time Circus Magazine’s editorial department sent me a rejection letter 🙁
Girls go wild for unlikely teen idol Robert Smith as Vancouver gets a dose of the Cure
chris cameron photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 17, 1987 By Steve Newton Robert Smith, leader of the British pop group the Cure, is not your typical teen idol. You couldn't call him cute--in fact his pale, disheveled demeanor makes him look like he spent the last night up a tree. But that didn't stop a steady … Continue reading Girls go wild for unlikely teen idol Robert Smith as Vancouver gets a dose of the Cure
Little Steven Van Zandt’s social conscience rings loud and clear on Freedom–No Compromise
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 17, 1987 By Steve Newton Little Steven Van Zandt has carved out a significant niche for himself in the music world by putting his politics front and centre on his records. But it was not always so for the former member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, who plays a central role … Continue reading Little Steven Van Zandt’s social conscience rings loud and clear on Freedom–No Compromise
From Bon Jovi in a stadium to Killer Dwarfs in a club: it’s just another night in Vancouver circa 1987
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 10, 1987 By Steve Newton Jon Bon Jovi had a novel way to describe the horrendous sound in B.C. Place last Thursday (July 2). "I've fallen in love in Vancouver more times than there's echo comin' out of these speakers," said the 25-year-old sex symbol, sounding more than pleased with the … Continue reading From Bon Jovi in a stadium to Killer Dwarfs in a club: it’s just another night in Vancouver circa 1987
That time I asked Link Wray if he’d sign the Ear of Newt guitar
By Steve Newton It's a sunny Saturday afternoon and I'm not quite up to mowing the lawn yet, so I figure I'll just post another audio excerpt from my one-and-only conversation with American guitar legend Link Wray. It's from just over 20 years ago--June 21, 1997, to be precise--when Link was in Dallas, on a … Continue reading That time I asked Link Wray if he’d sign the Ear of Newt guitar
Jon Bon Jovi talks strippers, scenery, and hype as Slippery When Wet tops the charts
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 26, 1987 By Steve Newton Talk about moving up in the world! It was a little more than a year ago that New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi played the now-defunct Embassy on Davie. They were in town recording their Slippery When Wet album, and they wanted to see how the new … Continue reading Jon Bon Jovi talks strippers, scenery, and hype as Slippery When Wet tops the charts
Garaj Mahal guitarist Fareed Haque says music teachers just show you how to teach yourself
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 22, 2003 By Steve Newton Fareed Haque is one of those guitarists who’s always on the lookout for new ways to challenge himself. As a child, extensive travels and lengthy stays in Spain, France, Iran, Pakistan, and Chile exposed him to many different styles of music. By the time he was … Continue reading Garaj Mahal guitarist Fareed Haque says music teachers just show you how to teach yourself
Annihilator’s bizarre path in metal has given Jeff Waters “the funnest job in the world”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 8, 2017 By Steve Newton When Jeff Waters picks up the phone at his home in Ottawa to talk about his metal band, Annihilator, and plug its upcoming (June 15) show at Vancouver's Rickshaw Theatre, I remind him that we go way back. I last interviewed him in 1990, just after … Continue reading Annihilator’s bizarre path in metal has given Jeff Waters “the funnest job in the world”
Wide Mouth Mason’s Shaun Verreault says work your butt off live, then get good management
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 29, 1997 By Steve Newton When it came time to record his band’s major-label debut last year, Wide Mouth Mason singer-guitarist Shaun Verreault took the old adage “Go west, young man” to heart. With bassist Earl Pereira and drummer Safwan Javed in tow, Verreault left the flatlands of … Continue reading Wide Mouth Mason’s Shaun Verreault says work your butt off live, then get good management
Seattle beats Portland as Flop’s unsullied exuberance outdoes Everclear’s grating thrash-punk in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 20, 1994 By Steve Newton After being seduced by several catchy tunes on the latest Flop album, Whenever You’re Ready, I was definitely ready to check out the quartet’s energized brand of thrash-pop in a live setting. But my enthusiasm for the new music put together by these former members of … Continue reading Seattle beats Portland as Flop’s unsullied exuberance outdoes Everclear’s grating thrash-punk in Vancouver
Moist releases Creature, opens for Neil Young, and waits for reality to set in
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 17, 1996 By Steve Newton Whenever I feel like getting a rise out of my 16-year-old niece, all it takes is a quick mention of her former fondness for New Kids on the Block. So what if she was only in Grade 3 at the time of the … Continue reading Moist releases Creature, opens for Neil Young, and waits for reality to set in