ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton When a band calling itself Creedence Clearwater Revisited comes to the Pacific Coliseum on Friday (May 3), former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty will not be along for the ride. The lifeblood of the original CCR had been drained during a vicious court battle in … Continue reading Ex-Cars guitarist Elliot Easton denies going mercenary for Fogerty-less CCR
Garbage’s Shirley Manson doesn’t think punters give a f*** who Butch Vig is
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton Usually when a band is on the lookout for a singer, its members will put the word out by advertising in a music paper, requesting demo tapes or offering appointments for auditions. The three founders of Garbage—Duke Erickson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig—didn’t bother with any … Continue reading Garbage’s Shirley Manson doesn’t think punters give a f*** who Butch Vig is
Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin is more impressed by D.O.A. than the Sex Pistols
“All I knew was that throughout its history," says Bad Religion's Greg Graffin, "punk was always given a lot less credit than it deserved."
Dan Wilson’s journey from Trip Shakespeare to Pleasure to Semisonic led to a Great Divide
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton There are all kinds of stories about bands being threatened by lawsuits over their names, but you can add another one to the list with the case of Minneapolis power-pop trio Semisonic. They were touring Midwest clubs as Pleasure last year when, out of the blue, … Continue reading Dan Wilson’s journey from Trip Shakespeare to Pleasure to Semisonic led to a Great Divide
Ressurection Mary strives to blow minds like Mother Love Bone
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 11, 1996 If you’ve ever played in a band, you’ll always remember your very first gig. I remember my first (and only) real gig. It was with a frighteningly inept cover band called Hack City, which was formed through members of the UBC Rockers’ Co-op, class of ’83. … Continue reading Ressurection Mary strives to blow minds like Mother Love Bone
Chili Peppers bass god Flea won’t answer to Mr. Ugly Stinky
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 11, 1996 By Steve Newton That Flea guy is a real character. For my phone interview with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ wildman bassist, I was instructed to call and ask for Mr. Ugly Stupid, the moniker Flea goes by when he’s on the road. But I started feeling a tad … Continue reading Chili Peppers bass god Flea won’t answer to Mr. Ugly Stinky
Cracker’s riveting rock thrives with killer sound at the Commodore
I’ve never heard a better-sounding gig than that performed in Vancouver by Virginia-based alternative-poppers Cracker last Friday.
Everclear’s Art Alexakis channels Angus Young in Vancouver, plays AC/DC’s “Sin City” flat on his back
During a cover of AC/DC’s awesome “Sin City” Alexakis paid homage to Angus Young by playing flat on his back.
Mollys Reach scores free beer after signing with BMG
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 4, 1996 Any new bands wondering how to approach the writing of their bios—those pesky but crucial info sheets sent out to music journalists in the hope of scoring some ink—could take a tip from Edmonton’s Mollys Reach. The secret to winning a rock scribe’s heart, or at … Continue reading Mollys Reach scores free beer after signing with BMG
Ruth Ruth’s free tapes and gratis gigs led to American Recordings debut
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 4, 1996 If you’re a musician, working a day job at a record shop certainly has its perks. First off, you get to listen to music all day. Then maybe you get a discount on CDs. For New York City pop-punks Ruth Ruth, guitarist Mike Lustig’s record-store employment … Continue reading Ruth Ruth’s free tapes and gratis gigs led to American Recordings debut
Scooter’s gutbucket brings a hillbilly vibe to the Deadcats’ surf-punk
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 28, 1996 There’s a warning label on the back cover of the new Deadcats CD, Bucket O’ Love, but it’s not there to caution potential buyers about any explicit lyrics or backwards satanic messages. It’s more just a declaration of the kind of music the local quartet proudly … Continue reading Scooter’s gutbucket brings a hillbilly vibe to the Deadcats’ surf-punk
No Use For a Name has no use for a 10-foot Bio-man monster on stage
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 28, 1996 It seems as if you can hardly get through a TV beer commercial these days without being bombarded by images of speed-crazed snowboarders charging recklessly down the slopes. I feel sorta left out when I see the type of thrill-seekers the Canadian breweries are targeting in … Continue reading No Use For a Name has no use for a 10-foot Bio-man monster on stage
That time I interviewed Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys when he was still just 23-year-old Mike Smith of Sandbox
By Steve Newton Holy snappin' arseholes, as my buddy Scotty Bad used to say back in Chilliwack. While searching through my old interviews from 1996 just now I came across one that I did with Mike Smith of Sandbox. If the name Mike Smith rings a bell, it could be because he's the googley-eyed costar … Continue reading That time I interviewed Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys when he was still just 23-year-old Mike Smith of Sandbox