ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 1991 By Steve Newton Only 4,000 fans showed up for the Doobie Brothers show last Friday, which is not a particularly impressive turnout for any Coliseum act, least of all one that’s sold as many albums as the Doobies. Maybe the general consensus is that the Doobies aren’t hip—or even … Continue reading Doobie Brothers deliver the goods but can’t pull a big crowd in Vancouver on the Brotherhood Tour
Steve Morse transforms into a different kind of person at night
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 6, 1991 By Steve Newton Guitarist Steve Morse might not be one of the best-known instrumental recording artists around; he’s certainly not as familiar to the general record-buying public as someone like Jeff Beck or Joe Satriani—or even the new-found phenomenon Eric Johnson. But the folks that do know him know … Continue reading Steve Morse transforms into a different kind of person at night
The Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston recalls being nuts in the ’70s
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 6, 1991 By Steve Newton The five members of the Doobie Brothers that pull into the Pacific Coliseum on Friday (June 7) will be the same five guys that posed nearly naked on the racy (for 1972) fold-out sleeve of the breakthrough Toulouse Street album. They’re also the same gang that … Continue reading The Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston recalls being nuts in the ’70s
Marty Friedman says Megadeth is kicking the most butt on the Clash of the Titans tour
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 30, 1991 By Steve Newton Marty Friedman is one happy camper. The Megadeth guitarist is soaking up the sunshine in El Paso, Texas, just hours away from the fifth show in the four-band Clash of the Titans tour of the Lone Star state, and he reports that things have been going … Continue reading Marty Friedman says Megadeth is kicking the most butt on the Clash of the Titans tour
Shadowy Men learned to play by mimicking Alice Cooper and the Sex Pistols
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 16, 1991 By Steve Newton Plenty of rock ’n’ roll groups have risen from unlikely beginnings, but the Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet were shoved into the spotlight in a particularly unusual way—their first gig was the result of a dare to open for the band that shared their Toronto … Continue reading Shadowy Men learned to play by mimicking Alice Cooper and the Sex Pistols
The Kentucky Headhunters are a hillbilly version of the Beach Boys
Anybody out there remember the old Davy Crockett TV show, starring Fess Parker as the coonskin-capped Tennessee woodsman?
David Gogo recalls his first encounter with Stevie Ray Vaughan
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 2, 1991 By Steve Newton A lot of people dream about meeting their favourite musicians, and sometimes those dreams even come true. For this scribbler, that first magic moment came when I ran into Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham at the Pacific Coliseum back in ’78. After his … Continue reading David Gogo recalls his first encounter with Stevie Ray Vaughan
Neil Young & Crazy Horse create a gorgeous, gut-wrenching guitar noise on the Smell the Horse Tour
His long-underrated lead guitar prowess was vividly displayed throughout but particularly during the majestic “Cortez the Killer”.
Al Walker’s ’72 Strat has been carved up by the best
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 18, 1991 Al Walker’s blues-rock trio, Rock Party, came about as close as you can get to taking home the top prize in last year’s Demo Listen Derby battle of the bands. And if it weren’t for the type of headgear that judge Paul Dean wore to the … Continue reading Al Walker’s ’72 Strat has been carved up by the best
Queen City Kids reunite to conjure that ’80s prairie-rock vibe
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 28, 1991 By Steve Newton John Donnelly likes to rock. But between producing things like Band Warz, Guitar Warz, and Vocal Warz for the PromoCo arm of Feldman and Associates, the 33-year-old father of two doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to steal the spotlight. That’ll all change … Continue reading Queen City Kids reunite to conjure that ’80s prairie-rock vibe
Philly’s Cinderella finds a bluesier vibe on Heartbreak Station
Mandolin, Jew’s harp, pedal steel guitar—those aren’t the kind of instruments you normally find in a hard-rock band’s arsenal.
Damn Yankees with the Nuge kicks ass; Bad Company without Paul Rodgers licks it
kevin statham photos ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 21, 1991 By Steve Newton Oh man—talk about going back in time! There was Ted Nugent riffing out on “Cat Scratch Fever” and screeching like he had a severe case of it. There was former Styx guitarist Tommy Shaw whipping his still-blond locks every which way while churning … Continue reading Damn Yankees with the Nuge kicks ass; Bad Company without Paul Rodgers licks it
Tad brings sludgy Seattle-style grunge to Vancouver, skips the chainsaw
Wearing a XXXL black t-shirt sporting the message “Smoke Pot”, singer-guitarist Tad Doyle used his trusty SG/Marshall combo to good effect.