ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 11, 1986 By Steve Newton When Britain's Boys Don't Cry open for Platinum Blonde at Expo Theatre this Monday and Tuesday (July 14 and 15), it's a sure thing that their current hit "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" will be a highlight of the set. A funky rocker … Continue reading The one-hit wonders behind “I Wanna Be a Cowboy” got Lemmy in their video for a bottle of vodka
That time Tony Iommi told me about that Spinal Tap moment with Stonehenge props on Black Sabbath’s Born Again tour
I'm pretty sure these are the smaller Stonehenge props Iommi mentions at the very end of the excerpt. By Steve Newton Previously I've offered up audio excerpts from my 1984 interview with Tony Iommi in which the Black Sabbath guitarist talked about blowing up singer Ian Gillan's boat during recording sessions for Born Again, and … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me about that Spinal Tap moment with Stonehenge props on Black Sabbath’s Born Again tour
Back in the ‘Wack Vol. 10: Hydra hasn’t had a bad response yet
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CHILLIWACK PROGRESS, DEC. 29, 1982 By Steve Newton Christmas Eve is traditionally a time for taking in the congenial aura of well-lit trees and jingling yuletide melodies, but sights and sounds of quite another sort had patrons of Casanova's Cabaret in jolly spirits last Friday night. The upbeat, racy rhythms of … Continue reading Back in the ‘Wack Vol. 10: Hydra hasn’t had a bad response yet
Albert Lee on going country in England and finding his “natural” gig with the Everly Brothers
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 11, 1986 By Steve Newton In the world of music, jolly old England is famous for a number of things. The Beatles for instance. And rock guitar heroes like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck. But country music is not one of Brittania's specialties, and it never has been. Luckily … Continue reading Albert Lee on going country in England and finding his “natural” gig with the Everly Brothers
Jon Bon Jovi in 1986: “As long as there’s a plug, we’ll plug it in.”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 11, 1986 By Steve Newton When New York rockers Bon Jovi flew into Vancouver to record their third album, it didn't take long for them to become attached to the place. "The first night we got there we were into the Embassy and the Metro," says singer Jon Bon Jovi. "And … Continue reading Jon Bon Jovi in 1986: “As long as there’s a plug, we’ll plug it in.”
That time Gord Downie told me about Bill Barilko and the story behind the Tragically Hip’s “50 Mission Cap”
By Steve Newton I did my second interview with the Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie in November of 1992, one month after the release of the Fully Completely album. As you may already know, that's the best Hip album ever, partly because of the uber-Canadian song "50 Mission Cap", which mentions a hockey card and … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me about Bill Barilko and the story behind the Tragically Hip’s “50 Mission Cap”
The Purge: Election Year strikes the franchise out
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 1, 2016 By Steve Newton Sorry James DeMonaco, writer-director of the Purge movies: that's three strikes now. You're out! In 2013 DeMonaco kickstarted the franchise--based on the shaky premise that one day each year all crime in the U.S.A. is legal--with the home-invasion horrors of The Purge. The next year he ramped up the … Continue reading The Purge: Election Year strikes the franchise out
Teenage girls battle for Mike Reno’s sweaty headband when Loverboy plays Vancouver
chris cameron photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 4, 1986 By Steve Newton Local rock heroes Loverboy played to a near-capacity Expo Theatre last Monday (June 30), the first of three nights at the 4,000-seat facility. The last time the group had played here was four years ago, when they were backed up … Continue reading Teenage girls battle for Mike Reno’s sweaty headband when Loverboy plays Vancouver
The Full Susan: Tedeschi talks Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall II, David Bowie, and Warren Haynes
By Steve Newton I don't get out to that many concerts anymore. With the Big Six-O on the horizon, I've become a real picky bastard when it comes to live shows. But there are a few select bands I never want to miss when they play Vancouver: the Drive-By Truckers and Gov't Mule are tied at … Continue reading The Full Susan: Tedeschi talks Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall II, David Bowie, and Warren Haynes
That time Robert Plant told me he wasn’t “a dumb cluck who wears tight jeans and sings fast songs about women’s parts”
By Steve Newton I often wish I could have started my journalism career 10 years earlier than I did--like in 1972 instead of '82. Then maybe I would have had the chance to pull a Cameron Crowe and interview Led Zeppelin on its 1973 North American tour or some crazy-ass shit like that. But whoa … Continue reading That time Robert Plant told me he wasn’t “a dumb cluck who wears tight jeans and sings fast songs about women’s parts”
Humble guitar master Allan Holdsworth always struggles to pay the rent
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 4, 1986 By Steve Newton Today he's regarded by critics and musicians alike as one of the most distinctive guitarists in the world. He's been the principal soloist for the likes of U.K., Gong, Bill Bruford, Soft Machine, Tony Williams' Lifetime and Jean-Luc Ponty. And he's one of the few players … Continue reading Humble guitar master Allan Holdsworth always struggles to pay the rent
That time Tony Iommi told me that a second Black Sabbath album with Ian Gillan would probably turn out better than Born Again
By Steve Newton A few days ago I posted a blog that featured a snippet from my 1984 interview with Tony Iommi, in which he talked about blowing up Black Sabbath singer Ian Gillan’s boat during the recording sessions for Born Again. As any Sabbath fan knows, the band only made one album with Gillan … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me that a second Black Sabbath album with Ian Gillan would probably turn out better than Born Again
That time Gord Downie told me that talking about the Tragically Hip’s new Fully Completely album made him sound like a commercial pitchman
By Steve Newton Back in November of 1992 I did my second interview with Gord Downie, when he called me up to promote the Tragically Hip's new album, Fully Completely, which I firmly believe is their best ever. I started off by observing that it was their most varied album yet, and Downie took it … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me that talking about the Tragically Hip’s new Fully Completely album made him sound like a commercial pitchman