ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 28, 1999 By Steve Newton NEW YORK—Michael Stipe is best-known as the singer for Athens, Georgia, guitar-rock greats R.E.M., the band he’s fronted since 1980. But he’s got another life as a film producer that only industry insiders and dedicated movie buffs are aware of. His mostly overlooked foray into film … Continue reading Michael Stipe can’t stop calling Being John Malkovich audacious
Blackie member Colin Linden loves the rigours of the road and the confines of the console
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 21, 1999 By Steve Newton Canadian guitar great and singer-songwriter Colin Linden has spent a large part of his life travelling this country’s highways and byways in pursuit of gigs. He’s also spent a huge portion of time holed away in recording studios, making his own records, producing other artists, and … Continue reading Blackie member Colin Linden loves the rigours of the road and the confines of the console
Feedback and cheerleaders “turn shit into solid gold” for the Matthew Good Band
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 30, 1999 By Steve Newton Matthew Good is doing pretty well for a guy who was lugging stuff around in the shipping-and-receiving department of Army & Navy six years ago. His band’s 1997 album, Underdogs, has gone way past platinum in Canada, having sold roughly 140,000 copies so far. And now … Continue reading Feedback and cheerleaders “turn shit into solid gold” for the Matthew Good Band
Jeff Beck’s astonishing Vancouver show crushes the myth that Clapton is God
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 23, 1999 By Steve Newton Apart from an arena show with Rod Stewart in the ’80s, it had been nearly 25 years since fans of Jeff Beck last saw him play here, so the anticipatory vibe that surged through the Queen E around 9 p.m. last Saturday (September 18) was understandable. … Continue reading Jeff Beck’s astonishing Vancouver show crushes the myth that Clapton is God
Kelly Joe Phelps earns raves from the Edge, Steve Earle, and Bill Frisell
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 16, 1999 By Steve Newton When singer-songwriter-guitarist Kelly Joe Phelps released his second album, Roll Away the Stone, in 1997, it didn’t take long for the accolades to come rolling in. Q magazine gave it four stars, Blues Revue hailed it as “the acoustic blues album of the year”, and Musician … Continue reading Kelly Joe Phelps earns raves from the Edge, Steve Earle, and Bill Frisell
Slash, Myles Kennedy, and the Conspirators deliver the concert of a lifetime in Vancouver
photos by Jet Sutherland By Steve Newton As I write this it's been over 12 hours since Slash left the stage at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, and my ears are still ringing loudly. It sounds like rock 'n' roll. Holy crap was that an awesome show! I've been reviewing rock gigs for nearly 35 years, and … Continue reading Slash, Myles Kennedy, and the Conspirators deliver the concert of a lifetime in Vancouver
Slash’s Vancouver gig tonight promises plenty of Guns N’ Roses–and the return of Todd “Dammit” Kerns
If the setlist from Slash's show in San Francisco two nights ago is any indication, his Vancouver fans are in for a whole lotta GN'R action tonight.During his show at the Fillmore the top-hatted guitar hero led his group the Conspirators, featuring vocalist Myles Kennedy, in no less than six Guns N' Roses numbers, including one … Continue reading Slash’s Vancouver gig tonight promises plenty of Guns N’ Roses–and the return of Todd “Dammit” Kerns
Tom Petty’s new songs soar and his oldies roar at the Heartbreakers show in Vancouver
By Steve Newton Along with the obligatory old hits, and tunes from his new number-one album, Tom Petty has been including some choice covers on his current tour. As well as opening shows with the Byrds' riotous "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star", his last three West Coast dates have seen … Continue reading Tom Petty’s new songs soar and his oldies roar at the Heartbreakers show in Vancouver
Les Finnigan figures all fingerstyle guitarists should learn Yes’s “Mood For a Day”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 16, 1999When you lift Les Finnigan’s Stories Without Words CD out of its clear plastic tray, you expect to see a picture of the 28-year-old fingerstyle guitarist-composer, or maybe some production notes, in the space behind it. Instead there’s a black-and-white snapshot of a severely mangled guitar case … Continue reading Les Finnigan figures all fingerstyle guitarists should learn Yes’s “Mood For a Day”
Alice Cooper proves himself the undisputed King of Nasty Rock in Vancouver
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 16, 1999 By Steve Newton In my recent interview with Alice Cooper he claimed that the set list for his current tour “includes all of the hits”, but time constraints rarely allow a performer—especially one who’s been around for nearly 30 years—to live up to that claim. Still, even … Continue reading Alice Cooper proves himself the undisputed King of Nasty Rock in Vancouver
Removal doesn’t need no stinkin’ vocalists, and no song titles either
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 9, 1999Local rock trio Removal doesn’t do things the way most recording groups do. For example, on its new CD, Hello, My Name Is Irrelevant, the band doesn’t have any actual song titles, per se. All I can say is that my favourite tunes are “Irr 2.06”, “Irr … Continue reading Removal doesn’t need no stinkin’ vocalists, and no song titles either
Alice Cooper on KISS, Marilyn Manson, Johnny Rotten, and the Peter Pan syndrome
“We have a little Canadian in us, you know," says Cooper. "I mean, we weren’t druggies—the band drank beer!"
Mike Campbell’s instro-rock medley steals the show from Tom Petty in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 9, 1999 By Steve Newton I’ve seen Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform in Vancouver four times now. The first time—one of the most memorable concert experiences of my life—was at the Commodore Ballroom in ’78, just after the release of the band’s sophomore album, You’re Gonna Get It. The second … Continue reading Mike Campbell’s instro-rock medley steals the show from Tom Petty in Vancouver