Me and My Colonoscopy: the story of a man and his ass

By Steve Newton Normally I just use this site to write about guitar-rock and horror movies and good stuff like that, but I recently had a colonoscopy, so figured I should write about that too, because, you know--what's more hilarious than the thought of somebody pokin' around in your butt, tryna see stuff? And besides, it's like a … Continue reading Me and My Colonoscopy: the story of a man and his ass

King Crimson freak suggests watching the band like it’s an orchestra

By Steve Newton I was a huge fan of prog-rock in the seventies, but for some reason I did not follow King Crimson much. About all I remember about them was the heavy riffs of "21st Century Schizoid Man". Guess I was too busy getting my prog-rock jollies from Yes, Tull, Floyd, Wishbone, and Genesis. … Continue reading King Crimson freak suggests watching the band like it’s an orchestra

Victor Frankenstein breathes new life into Mary Shelley’s classic monster tale

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 25, 2015 By Steve Newton Horror fans who suffered through last year’s abysmal I, Frankenstein—not to mention Dracula Untold, Godzilla, and WolfCop—could be forgiven for giving up on old-school movie monsters. But Victor Frankenstein makes up for all of those, breathing new life into Mary Shelley’s classic tale of mortal man overreaching his bounds. Daniel Radcliffe … Continue reading Victor Frankenstein breathes new life into Mary Shelley’s classic monster tale

The Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner on junk culture, Aussie rockers, and Mars Needs Guitars!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 29, 1985 By Steve Newton One of the wildest rock and roll sounds to come up from Down Under recently is that of the Hoodoo Gurus. Just last year the Aussie foursome released their debut album, Stoneage Romeos, a thoroughly rocking blend of pop/punk, Merseybeat, and psychedelia--all slapped on a two-guitar … Continue reading The Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner on junk culture, Aussie rockers, and Mars Needs Guitars!

Ronnie James Dio: the Lost Interview of 1985, an Ear of Newt exclusive

By Steve Newton On December 20, 1985, Ronnie James Dio called me up at home and we chatted for 20 minutes or so. How cool was that? The legendary heavy-metal artist was doing press promoting his Sacred Heart tour, which was scheduled to play Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum on December 28, with guest Yngwie Malmsteen. We talked … Continue reading Ronnie James Dio: the Lost Interview of 1985, an Ear of Newt exclusive

Mötley Crüe plays Vancouver on the Theatre of Pain tour, Nikki Sixx cranks AC/DC backstage

mila geran photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 22, 1985 By Steve Newton "Excuse me women...I mean ladies," said Nikki Sixx as he pushed through the hordes of groupies backstage at the Coliseum last week (November 12). The Mötley Crüe bassist wasn't zeroing in on anyone in particular--his aim was the group's massive portable tape deck. … Continue reading Mötley Crüe plays Vancouver on the Theatre of Pain tour, Nikki Sixx cranks AC/DC backstage

Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars in 1985: “Without groupies, I probably wouldn’t have been a musician.”

"I love groupies. Without groupies, God, I probably wouldn't have been a musician. Probably go home and be a farmer or somethin'."

The Newt Commute #2: Muddy Waters’ “Champagne and Reefer”

By Steve Newton Couple weeks ago I banged out a little blog about how I played Neil Young's "I'm the Ocean" eight times on my shitty commute. That was kinda fun to write, so while I was cruising into work this morning I kept my mind open for another song-based subject to blather on about. … Continue reading The Newt Commute #2: Muddy Waters’ “Champagne and Reefer”

My one and only interview with blues legend Albert Collins, who wanted to meet Clapton real bad

kirk west photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 27, 1985 By Steve Newton Musician Magazine calls him "the most powerful blues guitarist in the world." He has won awards from the Montreaux Jazz Festival, the French Academie du Jazz, and the Memphis Blues Foundation, and received three Grammy nominations. He is known as "The Icepicker", "The … Continue reading My one and only interview with blues legend Albert Collins, who wanted to meet Clapton real bad

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse earns a single merit badge for gore

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 30, 2015 By Steve Newton These days you can barely swing a chainsaw without hitting a zombie-based movie or TV show, but Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse doesn't further the undead cause one iota. It's a horror-comedy that fails to elicit chuckle one. The prospect of laughs looks good when the … Continue reading Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse earns a single merit badge for gore

I played Neil Young’s “I’m the Ocean” eight times on my shitty commute today

By Steve Newton My morning commute from Delta to Vancouver can really suck—mainly because of a concrete montrosity called the Alex Fraser Bridge—but every now and again I slide in a CD that makes the trip a little less painful. Today I chose Neil Young's Mirror Ball album—that awesome one from '95 that he recorded with the … Continue reading I played Neil Young’s “I’m the Ocean” eight times on my shitty commute today

33 years after the Screaming for Vengeance tour, Priest still sounds pretty rockin’ to the Newt

all crappy iPhone photos by the Newt By Steve Newton The first time I ever saw Judas Priest was at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum on the Screaming for Vengeance tour in 1982. I remember the show well because a week or two before it I did one of my earliest heavy-metal interviews, with bass player Ian Hill. … Continue reading 33 years after the Screaming for Vengeance tour, Priest still sounds pretty rockin’ to the Newt