Paul Pigat has been told that Cousin Harley are like “the Motorhead of rockabilly”

adam pw smith photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 23, 2021 By Steve Newton When COVID-19 killed concerts last year, professional musicians who relied heavily on revenue from live shows were put in financial peril. That fact wasn’t lost on Vancouver guitar ace Paul Pigat, who normally chocks up plenty of gigs with his bands Cousin … Continue reading Paul Pigat has been told that Cousin Harley are like “the Motorhead of rockabilly”

That time I asked Gary Moore if he’d ever write a song about “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland

By Steve Newton I did my one and only interview with Irish guitar legend Gary Moore on May 11, 1984. Five months earlier the Provisional wing of the Irish Republican Army had exploded a car bomb outside Harrods department store in central London, killing three police officers and three civilians, and injuring 90 people. (The … Continue reading That time I asked Gary Moore if he’d ever write a song about “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland

Shaun Verreault deploys three slides at once to explore new ways of playing guitar

christopher edmonstone photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 16, 2021 By Steve Newton Over the last few months I’ve been checking in with Vancouver’s top guitar players to find out how, as professional musicians, they’ve been coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in October Scott Smith of Terminal Station explained how he was recording artists at … Continue reading Shaun Verreault deploys three slides at once to explore new ways of playing guitar

Vancouver shredder Dave Martone gets emotional thinking about his hero Eddie Van Halen

edgar barseghyan photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 18, 2020 By Steve Newton When the global pandemic hit last March, Vancouver guitarist Dave Martone was doing pretty well financially. He wasn’t living in a mansion like the guy from Nickelback, mind you, but he was busy as hell, playing an average of 35 gigs a month, … Continue reading Vancouver shredder Dave Martone gets emotional thinking about his hero Eddie Van Halen

That time I asked Long John Baldry who his favourite blues people were these days and he went with Stevie Ray Vaughan

By Steve Newton I did my one and only interview with blues legend Long John Baldry on September 8, 1985, shortly after he’d moved to Vancouver, where he would remain until his death 20 years later. Ten days earlier I’d gone to an incredible Vancouver concert by another blues legend, Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose third … Continue reading That time I asked Long John Baldry who his favourite blues people were these days and he went with Stevie Ray Vaughan

That time Sean Costello told me about recording with Susan Tedeschi at 17 and playing with Derek Trucks at 12

anthony pepitone photo By Steve Newton Sean Costello is one of those guitarists who blows you away with his amazing talent and then you look around and he’s gone. The fast-rising blues guitarist and singer-songwriter –who suffered from bipolar disorder–died of an overdose 16 months after I interviewed him in December of 2006. He was … Continue reading That time Sean Costello told me about recording with Susan Tedeschi at 17 and playing with Derek Trucks at 12

Album review: Steve Stevens, Memory Crash (2008)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 8, 2008 By Steve Newton Steve Stevens is best known as the raven-haired foil to platinum-blond pop-punk icon Billy Idol; he’s the leather-clad Les Paul–lover whose incendiary solos lit up Idol hits like “Rebel Yell” and “White Wedding”. But Stevens also moonlights as an instrumental rock-guitar virtuoso, and … Continue reading Album review: Steve Stevens, Memory Crash (2008)

Album review: Drive-By Truckers, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark (2008)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 20, 2008 By Steve Newton When long-time member (and major songwriting force) Jason Isbell left the Drive-By Truckers last year, some fans worried that the southern rock–influenced alt-country act might falter a step or two. No freakin’ way: it just recruited another wicked guitarist, pedal-steel specialist (and original … Continue reading Album review: Drive-By Truckers, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark (2008)

Album review: John Fogerty, Revival (2007)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 1, 2007 By Steve Newton There’s nothing sweeter in the world of rock ‘n’ roll than the sound of John Fogerty railing against warmongers, as he’s been doing so successfully ever since Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” blasted onto the radio back in ’69. On Revival, his best … Continue reading Album review: John Fogerty, Revival (2007)

Album review: Robert Plant/Alison Krauss, Raising Sand (2007)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 18, 2007 By Steve Newton You may be wondering what Led Zeppelin‘s grizzled old blues-metal crooner was doing making a collaborative CD with a country-roots superstar. Was Robert Plant hanging out with Alison Krauss so she would play fiddle on the newfangled Cajun version of “Stairway to Heaven” … Continue reading Album review: Robert Plant/Alison Krauss, Raising Sand (2007)

Album review: Judas Priest, Angel of Retribution (2005)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 3, 2005 By Steve Newton Metalheads the world over have no doubt been pulling the metal-studded wristbands out of the attic in anticipation of the new Judas Priest CD, iron-lunged screamer Rob Halford‘s first recording with the core lineup since 1990’s Painkiller. I for one have been searching … Continue reading Album review: Judas Priest, Angel of Retribution (2005)

Album review: Velvet Revolver, Contraband (2004)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 24, 2004 By Steve Newton Every time I see that oft-shown video from last year’s Guns N’ Roses riot of a Vancouver cop smashing an innocent guy’s teeth out, I can’t believe it. It’s not that I can’t picture our boys in blue pulling those types of stunts … Continue reading Album review: Velvet Revolver, Contraband (2004)

That time I asked Roger Hodgson why he left Supertramp anyway

By Steve Newton Like most kids growing up in the seventies who were into prog rock, I liked Supertramp. Probably not as much as my sisters did, though. They were crazy about Supertramp. I interviewed one of the band’s two main guys, singer-songwriter-guitarist Roger Hodgson, in March of 1998, long after he’d quit the group … Continue reading That time I asked Roger Hodgson why he left Supertramp anyway