ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 29, 1993 By Steve Newton One day about a year ago, I bumped into a guitar-playing acquaintance who was visiting the office to put a free musician’s ad in the paper. He started raving about this “wicked” guitarist he’d seen the night before at Jake O’Grady’s, a guy from Saskatchewan named Jack … Continue reading Jack Semple’s Guitar Warz win delivered confidence and a hook
Guitar god Danny Gatton says Lenny Breau is the biggest humbler of all time
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 22, 1993 By Steve Newton Guitar World magazine called him “the world’s greatest unknown guitarist”. Guitar Player ran his photo on the cover with his face behind a mask, while inside they asked: “What famous guitarist could outplay him?” So how come virtuoso guitarman Danny Gatton is so underexposed? “Well, there’s … Continue reading Guitar god Danny Gatton says Lenny Breau is the biggest humbler of all time
Robben Ford wanted to be a guitar player when he heard Mike Bloomfield
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 22, 1993 By Steve Newton In 1973 the Doobie Brothers recorded a tune called “Ukiah”, about a place in Northern California with “green trees and timberlands; people workin’ with their hands”. Judging by the lyrics, it was a pretty nice place to be. And for Ukiah-raised guitar great Robben Ford, it … Continue reading Robben Ford wanted to be a guitar player when he heard Mike Bloomfield
Bob Rock plays every lick he knows on Rockhead’s “dumb old hard-rock album”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 15, 1993 By Steve Newton The first time I interviewed veteran Vancouver musician and producer extraordinaire Bob Rock, he was in the middle of helming Bitter Sweet & Twisted, the new release by British blues-rockers the Quireboys. The last time we chatted, he was heavily involved in the much-anticipated release by … Continue reading Bob Rock plays every lick he knows on Rockhead’s “dumb old hard-rock album”
Canadian blues-roots great Colin Linden is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 15, 1993 By Steve Newton When major-label recording artists do interviews to promote a new release, they usually go on about how it’s the best one they’ve ever made, how making it sapped all the artistic energy their souls could muster—that sort of thing. Then there’s Colin Linden, who plays the … Continue reading Canadian blues-roots great Colin Linden is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet
Braving Vancouver’s seedy Granville strip for Midnight Matinee in 1988
By Steve Newton One of the first set-visit stories I did for Fangoria was back in 1988, when I went down to Vancouver's Granville Mall to cover a low-budget flick called Midnight Matinee, which is also known as just Matinee, not to be confused with Joe Dante's Matinee of 1993. The movie--which nobody bothered telling … Continue reading Braving Vancouver’s seedy Granville strip for Midnight Matinee in 1988
Hammerbox rides the second wave of the Seattle rock explosion with Numb
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 15, 1993 By Steve Newton The moment I got my hands on the the new Hammerbox release, Numb, I became an instant fan. Later on, I would actually play the music—a brash blend of ’90s alternative guitar-rock and frenzied ’70s punk—and become even more of a devotee, but … Continue reading Hammerbox rides the second wave of the Seattle rock explosion with Numb
Blues survivor Buddy Guy tries slipping in the back door with Feels Like Rain
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 8, 1993 By Steve Newton Back in the ’60s, it is said, Jimi Hendrix was so inspired by Buddy Guy’s guitar playing that he would go to blues clubs and lay a tape recorder at Guy’s feet to capture his performances. Not only Hendrix, but rock greats such as Eric Clapton, … Continue reading Blues survivor Buddy Guy tries slipping in the back door with Feels Like Rain
The Pursuit of Happiness leaves Todd Rundgren for The Downward Road
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 1, 1993 By Steve Newton Recalling the televised carnage of last year’s L.A. riots, it’s hard to believe that a happy-go-lucky Canadian band was simultaneously recording its breezy, good-time pop music within shooting distance of the scary stuff. A grungy thrash or hardcore rap band laying down a soundtrack for anarchy, … Continue reading The Pursuit of Happiness leaves Todd Rundgren for The Downward Road
Horrific hijinx on the Vancouver set of Stephen King’s Needful Things
By Steve Newton One of the most enjoyable set visits I did during my 13-year tenure with Fangoria was for Needful Things, the adaptation of Stephen King's 1991 novel. In December of '92 I journeyed out to North Vancouver and got the scoop on the movie, with much help from the delightful duo of Canadian comedian-actress … Continue reading Horrific hijinx on the Vancouver set of Stephen King’s Needful Things
Axl stays cool and Slash plays hot as Guns N’ Roses slay Vancouver on the Use Your Illusion Tour
The first time I saw Guns N’ Roses it was opening for Iron Maiden, shortly after the release of 1987’s Appetite for Destruction debut.
Mike Gordon says Phish is happy with the current situation
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 1, 1993 By Steve Newton A lot of bands know how to play to a crowd, but not many bands know how to be played by a crowd. Vermont’s Phish is one of the latter. Band members came up with the idea of throwing beach balls out into the audience—each one … Continue reading Mike Gordon says Phish is happy with the current situation
Guelph’s King Cobb Steelie named after the death star of marbles
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 25, 1993 I’ve been thinking a lot lately about little round pieces of glass with pretty colours inside. I’ve got marbles on the brain, and it’s all because of Kevan Byrne of Guelph, Ont., who had to go and name his band King Cobb Steelie. Now, for those … Continue reading Guelph’s King Cobb Steelie named after the death star of marbles