ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 5, 1994 By Steve Newton When I was in my early 20s, I made what for me was a major investment. I bought a near-new, shiny black Fender Stratocaster. The fact that I couldn't even play guitar at the time didn't matter; I figured anything that cool-looking had to sound good, … Continue reading Aussie guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel on playing with Chet Atkins and looking after Lenny Breau
Bon Jovi brings New Jersey to Vancouver, Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe crash the party
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 19, 1989 By Steve Newton The first time Bon Jovi played B.C. Place, in the summer of '87, the band drew 22,000 fans. Last Thursday (May 11) the New Jersey rockers could only pull in 18,000. Does that mean the masters of mainstream metal are on the way … Continue reading Bon Jovi brings New Jersey to Vancouver, Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe crash the party
Headstones debut with kick-ass Dylan cover while workin’ for MCA
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 20, 1994 By Steve Newton Some hard-rock bands just don’t do justice to the tunes they cover. Great White had a huge hit with its 1989 rendition of Ian Hunter’s classic “Once Bitten Twice Shy”, but the revamped version sucked, for lack of a better word. The mighty … Continue reading Headstones debut with kick-ass Dylan cover while workin’ for MCA
Terrible sadness over an abortion led to All’s regretful “Birthday I.O.U.”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 25, 1993 By Steve Newton We’ve all heard stories about small-town folk who pull up roots and travel to Tinseltown in search of fame and fortune. Well, the members of Yankee rock band All put a new twist on that fabled routine. After years of plugging away as … Continue reading Terrible sadness over an abortion led to All’s regretful “Birthday I.O.U.”
Bon Jovi drops Fairbairn, goes with Rock for Keep the Faith
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 18, 1993 BY STEVE NEWTON Most often when the member of a touring rock band calls the Georgia Straight for an interview in November, it’s from some cold, rain-soaked, godforsaken town in the States. That ain’t the case, however, when Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora reports in from … Continue reading Bon Jovi drops Fairbairn, goes with Rock for Keep the Faith
Down Under slide-guitarist Dave Hole sports an over-the-top style
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 18, 1993 By Steve Newton As a musically inclined teenager living in Perth, Australia, during the 1960s, Dave Hole didn’t get the opportunity to hear much music by the great American bluesmen of the time. One fateful day, however, a member of his teenaged cover band got his … Continue reading Down Under slide-guitarist Dave Hole sports an over-the-top style
Wherein the Newt pines for the ’70s along with a panel of Vancouver rock experts
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 4, 1993 “The music you listen to becomes the soundtrack of your life.” —Mike Bloomfield Ah, the ’70s—what a great decade for rock. I don’t care what anybody says, because, disco aside, the ’70s ruled, man. Back then I could easily name 50 bands that I was crazy … Continue reading Wherein the Newt pines for the ’70s along with a panel of Vancouver rock experts
Steve Vai takes Devin Townsend on in a fierce guitar duel but doesn’t let the home team win
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 7, 1993 By Steve Newton Vancouver vocalist Devin Townsend caused a minor uproar (and prompted a few letters to the editor) when I interviewed him a few weeks back. Some folks didn’t appreciate the 21-year-old’s caustic view of the music industry or his offhand remarks regarding the guitar … Continue reading Steve Vai takes Devin Townsend on in a fierce guitar duel but doesn’t let the home team win
Robert Plant says young girls still whimper as he walks past
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 30, 1993 By Steve Newton Robert Plant is one of the best-known rock stars in the world. He’s certainly one of the best-known rock stars I’ve ever had the opportunity to chat with. So when he calls from New York and I ask him how he’s doing, the last thing I … Continue reading Robert Plant says young girls still whimper as he walks past
Touring with the singer from Led Zeppelin hasn’t given Todd Park Mohr a big head
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 30, 1993 By Steve Newton Not many Vancouver rock fans have heard of Big Head Todd & the Monsters, the Colorado-based trio that warms up the Orpheum on Thursday (October 7). Every Vancouver rock fan has heard of Robert Plant, the fellow who Big Head Todd & the … Continue reading Touring with the singer from Led Zeppelin hasn’t given Todd Park Mohr a big head
The Newt takes a wrong turn on Granville and winds up at a freakin’ jazz show
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 30, 1993 I like guitars a lot. I really do. As a matter of fact, up until last Thursday (Sept. 23), I don’t think I’d ever attended a concert that didn’t feature at least one of those six-stringed glories. So when I sat down at the Vogue and … Continue reading The Newt takes a wrong turn on Granville and winds up at a freakin’ jazz show
Meat Loaf’s bug-eyed antics make Stage Fright less painful to endure
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MAY 7, 2014 As far as movies go, the horror-musical is a strange bird. How many horror freaks want a film’s unstoppable killer to break out in song seconds before committing his evil deed? That ruins the suspense. And how many Broadway devotees want to follow a viewing of Cats with a midnight … Continue reading Meat Loaf’s bug-eyed antics make Stage Fright less painful to endure
Scott Ian says today’s version of Anthrax will be the only version of Anthrax until there is no Anthrax
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 19, 2012 By Steve Newton Last year American thrash-metal band Anthrax released Worship Music, its first album in eight years. It was also the first one to feature singer Joey Belladonna—the group’s singer in its mid-’80s heyday—in over two decades. So would that qualify it as a “comeback” album? According to … Continue reading Scott Ian says today’s version of Anthrax will be the only version of Anthrax until there is no Anthrax