By Steve Newton When Uli Jon Roth first came to prominence as a member of the Scorpions, he was strictly a Strats and Marshalls kinda guy. It was no wonder, since his main influence and greatest inspiration has always been Jimi Hendrix. But nowadays you won't find Strats and Marshalls in Roth's onstage arsenal, because … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth talks guitars and amps, why he’s forsaken his idol’s Strat/Marshall plan
Uli Jon Roth invented the Sky guitar because 24 frets weren’t enough
By Steve Newton German guitar legend Uli Jon Roth plays Vancouver this Saturday (March 19) on a bill with fellow six-string sensations Jennifer Batten and Andy Timmons. The show is part of Uli Jon Roth's Ultimate Guitar Experience, a tour that promises to be a perfect warmup for the Generation Axe show in April, which … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth invented the Sky guitar because 24 frets weren’t enough
That time Uli Jon Roth told me that Yngwie Malmsteen was “one of the alltime greats”, but that he wasn’t impressed by speed
By Steve Newton When Uli Jon Roth called me up in 2016 to promote his Ultimate Guitar Experience show in Vancouver, we ended up chatting about some of the other guitar tours he's been on, like the G3 European Tour back in 1998, when he shared the stage with Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker, who … Continue reading That time Uli Jon Roth told me that Yngwie Malmsteen was “one of the alltime greats”, but that he wasn’t impressed by speed
Uli Jon Roth recalls the friction between Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker on the 1998 G3 European tour
By Steve Newton Back in 2016 I had a nice chat with German guitar maestro Uli Jon Roth. As we were talking about Uli Jon Roth's Ultimate Guitar Experience--the tour he was on with Jennifer Batten and Andy Timmons--I mentioned a previous guitar tour he was part of, the G3 European Tour of 1998. That … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth recalls the friction between Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker on the 1998 G3 European tour
That time Uli Jon Roth told me that he’d most like to jam with David Gilmour, Ritchie Blackmore, and Jeff Beck
By Steve Newton Back in 2016 I interviewed Uli Jon Roth for the first time ever, and made sure to ask him one of the more burning questions guitar-freaks might have for the legendary picker. I knew he'd played with some of the world's greatest guitarists over the years--heck, at the time he was touring … Continue reading That time Uli Jon Roth told me that he’d most like to jam with David Gilmour, Ritchie Blackmore, and Jeff Beck
Prog-rock legend Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake & Palmer dies at 71
By Steve Newton It's a very sad day for fans of progressive rock. Keith Emerson, founding member and keyboardist for British trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died last night at his home in Santa Monica at the age of 71. According to the Santa Monica police, Emerson suffered a self-inficted gunshot wound to the … Continue reading Prog-rock legend Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake & Palmer dies at 71
10 Cloverfield Lane is the best scary movie of 2016 (so far)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 10, 2016 By Steve Newton I've reviewed five horror flicks this year, and not one of them--including the much ballyhooed The Witch--has blown me away. So I'm very happy to report that 10 Cloverfield Lane did exactly that. It's the best scary movie of 2016 (so far). The good stuff starts when Michelle (Mary … Continue reading 10 Cloverfield Lane is the best scary movie of 2016 (so far)
Black Sabbath gets all Paranoid at final Vancouver gig
By Steve Newton Every Black Sabbath freak has his fave Sabbath album. I for one have long trumpeted the supreme awesomeness of 1975's Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath. Others point to the band's spooky self-titled debut of 1970 as its pinnacle achievement. But most of the Sabbath fans I've encountered tend to regard Paranoid--also released in 1970--as the heavy-metal … Continue reading Black Sabbath gets all Paranoid at final Vancouver gig
Even the kids in Def Leppard can’t make Uriah Heep feel old
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 15, 1983 By Steve Newton Next Wednesday (July 20) at the Pacific Coliseum original Heepsters Mick Box and Lee Kerslake on guitar and drums will be joined by bassist Trevor Bolder, keyboardist John Sinclair, and singer Peter Goalby to give us Uriah Heep '80s-style. Performing material from their new album Head … Continue reading Even the kids in Def Leppard can’t make Uriah Heep feel old
Ian Anderson goes solo while keeping Jethro Tull intact
"I find equal measures of interesting and loathing for what I hear on the radio. I mean, there is some shocking stuff about..."
Rank and File splits from Slash, connects with Everlys
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 7, 1986 By Steve Newton A lot of Rank and File's Vancouver fans were thrown for a loop when the Los Angeles-based band was booked for two nights at the Town Pump. They hadn't expected to see the Kinman brothers and company in such close surroundings, especially since the last time … Continue reading Rank and File splits from Slash, connects with Everlys
The Go-Go’s bring the sunny sounds of Vacation to Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 27, 1982 By Steve Newton In contrast to the denim and T-shirt crowd [for Blue Oyster Cult] at the Coliseum Sunday, miniskirts and Hawaiian patterns were the popular thing the night before (August 21) when the Go-Go's brought their catchy brand of fun-time music up from the California … Continue reading The Go-Go’s bring the sunny sounds of Vacation to Vancouver
Marillion moves beyond cult status with Misplaced Childhood and “Kayleigh”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 7, 1986 By Steve Newton Yessongs. Brain Salad Surgery. Selling England By the Pound. Do those album titles ring a bell? They should if you remember back to 1973. At that time, 'progressive' rock was big around the world and its foremost practitioners were British bands such as Yes, Emerson, Lake … Continue reading Marillion moves beyond cult status with Misplaced Childhood and “Kayleigh”