ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 30, 1999Matthew Good is doing pretty well for a guy who was lugging stuff around in the shipping-and-receiving department of Army & Navy six years ago. His band’s 1997 album, Underdogs, has gone way past platinum in Canada, having sold roughly 140,000 copies so far. And now the … Continue reading Feedback and cheerleaders “turn shit into solid gold” for the Matthew Good Band
Jeff Beck’s astonishing Vancouver show crushes the myth that Clapton is God
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 23, 1999 By Steve Newton Apart from an arena show with Rod Stewart in the ’80s, it had been nearly 25 years since fans of Jeff Beck last saw him play here, so the anticipatory vibe that surged through the Queen E around 9 p.m. last Saturday (September … Continue reading Jeff Beck’s astonishing Vancouver show crushes the myth that Clapton is God
Kelly Joe Phelps earns raves from the Edge, Steve Earle, and Bill Frisell
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 16, 1999 By Steve Newton When singer-songwriter-guitarist Kelly Joe Phelps released his second album, Roll Away the Stone, in 1997, it didn’t take long for the accolades to come rolling in. Q magazine gave it four stars, Blues Revue hailed it as “the acoustic blues album of the … Continue reading Kelly Joe Phelps earns raves from the Edge, Steve Earle, and Bill Frisell
Slash, Myles Kennedy, and the Conspirators deliver the concert of a lifetime in Vancouver
photos by Jet Sutherland By Steve Newton As I write this it's been over 12 hours since Slash left the stage at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, and my ears are still ringing loudly. It sounds like rock 'n' roll. Holy crap was that an awesome show! I've been reviewing rock gigs for nearly 35 years, and … Continue reading Slash, Myles Kennedy, and the Conspirators deliver the concert of a lifetime in Vancouver
Slash’s Vancouver gig tonight promises plenty of Guns N’ Roses–and the return of Todd “Dammit” Kerns
If the setlist from Slash's show in San Francisco two nights ago is any indication, his Vancouver fans are in for a whole lotta GN'R action tonight.During his show at the Fillmore the top-hatted guitar hero led his group the Conspirators, featuring vocalist Myles Kennedy, in no less than six Guns N' Roses numbers, including one … Continue reading Slash’s Vancouver gig tonight promises plenty of Guns N’ Roses–and the return of Todd “Dammit” Kerns
Tom Petty’s new songs soar and his oldies roar at the Heartbreakers show in Vancouver
By Steve Newton Along with the obligatory old hits, and tunes from his new number-one album, Tom Petty has been including some choice covers on his current tour. As well as opening shows with the Byrds' riotous "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star", his last three West Coast dates have seen … Continue reading Tom Petty’s new songs soar and his oldies roar at the Heartbreakers show in Vancouver
Les Finnigan figures all fingerstyle guitarists should learn Yes’s “Mood For a Day”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 16, 1999When you lift Les Finnigan’s Stories Without Words CD out of its clear plastic tray, you expect to see a picture of the 28-year-old fingerstyle guitarist-composer, or maybe some production notes, in the space behind it. Instead there’s a black-and-white snapshot of a severely mangled guitar case … Continue reading Les Finnigan figures all fingerstyle guitarists should learn Yes’s “Mood For a Day”
Alice Cooper proves himself the undisputed King of Nasty Rock in Vancouver
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 16, 1999 By Steve Newton In my recent interview with Alice Cooper he claimed that the set list for his current tour “includes all of the hits”, but time constraints rarely allow a performer—especially one who’s been around for nearly 30 years—to live up to that claim. Still, even … Continue reading Alice Cooper proves himself the undisputed King of Nasty Rock in Vancouver
Removal doesn’t need no stinkin’ vocalists, and no song titles either
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 9, 1999Local rock trio Removal doesn’t do things the way most recording groups do. For example, on its new CD, Hello, My Name Is Irrelevant, the band doesn’t have any actual song titles, per se. All I can say is that my favourite tunes are “Irr 2.06”, “Irr … Continue reading Removal doesn’t need no stinkin’ vocalists, and no song titles either
Alice Cooper on KISS, Marilyn Manson, Johnny Rotten, and the Peter Pan syndrome
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 9, 1999 By Steve Newton Last month, a feature-length movie about four rabid KISS fans, Detroit Rock City, was released across North America. It was basically a Gene Simmons–bankrolled homage to his own band, which took glam metal to the extreme in the ’70s and won over legions … Continue reading Alice Cooper on KISS, Marilyn Manson, Johnny Rotten, and the Peter Pan syndrome
Mike Campbell’s instro-rock medley steals the show from Tom Petty in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 9, 1999 By Steve Newton I’ve seen Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform in Vancouver four times now. The first time—one of the most memorable concert experiences of my life—was at the Commodore Ballroom in ’78, just after the release of the band’s sophomore album, You’re Gonna Get It. The second … Continue reading Mike Campbell’s instro-rock medley steals the show from Tom Petty in Vancouver
Tom Petty will play some of the Newt’s fave tunes in Vancouver
I've seen Tom Petty in concert a bunch of times, and two of those gigs are worthy of my Top 10 Concerts of All Time. Or they would be if I actually compiled my Top 10 Concerts of All Time. I'm saving that one for a rainy day.The first time I saw Petty and his … Continue reading Tom Petty will play some of the Newt’s fave tunes in Vancouver
Mike Campbell is much more than just the guitarist for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 26, 1999 By Steve Newton Mike Campell is the curly-haired guitarist who has been knocking off tasty solos alongside Tom Petty for nearly three decades. In 1970, Campbell was two years out of high school and living in Gainesville, Florida, when the musical partnership that would shape his life took form. … Continue reading Mike Campbell is much more than just the guitarist for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers