The Scorpions and Alice Cooper bring melodic ’70s-style hard-rock to Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 11, 1996 By Steve Newton It was such a scorcher last Sunday (July 7), I found it impossible to pull myself out of our plastic kids’ pool and get down to the Coliseum in time for the start of the Scorpions/Alice Cooper concert. I completely missed the 25-minute opening set by … Continue reading The Scorpions and Alice Cooper bring melodic ’70s-style hard-rock to Vancouver

Ozzy Osbourne suffers “asthma attack” onstage in Vancouver, stops show during third song

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 1996 By Steve Newton Heavy-metal maven Ozzy Osbourne has overcome plenty of adversity during his more than 25 years in the hard-rock biz—from life-threatening bouts with booze and drugs to the airplane-crash death of guitarist Randy Rhoads—but he wasn’t able to prevail over the "asthma attack" that forced him to … Continue reading Ozzy Osbourne suffers “asthma attack” onstage in Vancouver, stops show during third song

One band ain’t enough for Limblifter and Age of Electric’s Ryan Dahle

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 4, 1996 Most rockers would be happy being in one major-label recording band, touring around the country and heading into the studio when the time is right to make another album. But after spending seven years in Age of Electric, and getting signed to MCA Records in Canada … Continue reading One band ain’t enough for Limblifter and Age of Electric’s Ryan Dahle

The Refreshments chickened out from calling themselves Pop Enema

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 27, 1996 By Steve Newton When Arizona rockers the Refreshments were starting out, they would do most anything to get a crowd interested. They used to play gigs in shower caps, water wings, and senior’s sunglasses, and give away candies and chocolate milk to first dancers. Hey, you … Continue reading The Refreshments chickened out from calling themselves Pop Enema

I Mother Earth guitarist Tanna happy to echo Lifeson, Santana

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 23, 1996 If you happened to walk into a house party while the last song on the new I Mother Earth CD was playing, you could be excused for taking a big swig of your beer, raising it in a toast, and proclaiming: “Man, that Carlos Santana can … Continue reading I Mother Earth guitarist Tanna happy to echo Lifeson, Santana

Buffalo Brothers pay the price for that sweet Hammond B-3 sound

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 16, 1996 The members of London, Ontario, rock quartet Buffalo Brothers come from all over the largest of the Canuck provinces. Drummer Glen Gamble grew up in Brantford, bassist Jeff Fountain hails from North Bay, keyboardist Michael Bonnell calls Sault Sainte Marie home, and singer-guitarist Shaun Sanders is … Continue reading Buffalo Brothers pay the price for that sweet Hammond B-3 sound

Ex-Cars guitarist Elliot Easton denies going mercenary for Fogerty-less CCR

  ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton When a band calling itself Creedence Clearwater Revisited comes to the Pacific Coliseum on Friday (May 3), former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty will not be along for the ride. The lifeblood of the original CCR had been drained during a … Continue reading Ex-Cars guitarist Elliot Easton denies going mercenary for Fogerty-less CCR

Garbage’s Shirley Manson doesn’t think punters give a f*** who Butch Vig is

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton Usually when a band is on the lookout for a singer, its members will put the word out by advertising in a music paper, requesting demo tapes or offering appointments for auditions. The three founders of Garbage—Duke Erickson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig—didn’t bother with any … Continue reading Garbage’s Shirley Manson doesn’t think punters give a f*** who Butch Vig is

Bad Religion frontman more impressed by D.O.A. than the Sex Pistols

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton Who would have guessed that the same punk-rock music that was big in the late ’70s would be all the rage in the middle of the ’90s? Just five years ago, the announcement of a Sex Pistols reunion tour would have been scoffed … Continue reading Bad Religion frontman more impressed by D.O.A. than the Sex Pistols

Dan Wilson’s journey from Trip Shakespeare to Pleasure to Semisonic led to a Great Divide

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton There are all kinds of stories about bands being threatened by lawsuits over their names, but you can add another one to the list with the case of Minneapolis power-pop trio Semisonic. They were touring Midwest clubs as Pleasure last year when, out of the blue, … Continue reading Dan Wilson’s journey from Trip Shakespeare to Pleasure to Semisonic led to a Great Divide

Chili Peppers bass god Flea won’t answer to Mr. Ugly Stinky

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 11, 1996 By Steve Newton That Flea guy is a real character. For my phone interview with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ wildman bassist, I was instructed to call and ask for Mr. Ugly Stupid, the moniker Flea goes by when he’s on the road. But I started feeling a tad … Continue reading Chili Peppers bass god Flea won’t answer to Mr. Ugly Stinky

Cracker’s riveting rock thrives with killer sound at the Commodore

kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 11, 1996 By Steve Newton As well as being the most visually appealing place to see a rock concert in Vancouver, the Commodore Ballroom is noted for its consistently strong sound, but I’ve never heard a better-sounding gig than that performed by Virginia-based alternative-poppers Cracker last Friday (April … Continue reading Cracker’s riveting rock thrives with killer sound at the Commodore