That time Live’s Chad Taylor told me that the beauty of music is that it’s not held back by anything

By Steve Newton Back on February 24, 1997, I interviewed guitarist Chad Taylor before his band, Live, played a sold-out show at a Vancouver nightclub called the Rage. That was nine days after the release of the band’s fourth album, Secret Samadhi, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over … Continue reading That time Live’s Chad Taylor told me that the beauty of music is that it’s not held back by anything

That time Leslie Knauer of Precious Metal told me how Donald Trump screwed her band over

By Steve Newton I interviewed Precious Metal vocalist Leslie Knauer in March of 1991, when the L.A. based glam-metal band was touring behind its third and final album. That self-titled release featured a remake of Jean Knight’s 1971 hit “Mr. Big Stuff”, and the group had shot a video for it featuring former (and possibly, … Continue reading That time Leslie Knauer of Precious Metal told me how Donald Trump screwed her band over

That time Phil Caivano of Blitzspeer told me that L.A.’s metal scene sucked compared to New York’s

By Steve Newton I interviewed Blitzspeer singer-guitarist Phil Caivano in March of 1991, when the New York City metal band was touring behind its debut album, which was actually a live EP. The quartet would break up two years later after releasing the studio album Saves, and Caivano would go on to join Monster Magnet, … Continue reading That time Phil Caivano of Blitzspeer told me that L.A.’s metal scene sucked compared to New York’s

10 minutes on the phone with Alex Lifeson of Rush in 1992

By Steve Newton Alex Lifeson called me up from a tour stop in Fresno, California, on January 25, 1992, while Rush was on the road with Primus, showcasing tunes from their latest album, Roll the Bones. I asked him about the musical progression Rush had taken over the years, his early influences on guitar, and … Continue reading 10 minutes on the phone with Alex Lifeson of Rush in 1992

That time Lars Ulrich called me up from Cincinnati and told me that Metallica wasn’t doing bad for a buncha drunks

By Steve Newton I did my third interview with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich in April of 1997, when the band was touring behind its sixth studio album, the five-times-platinum Load. He called me up from backstage at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum, where the band was playing the second night of a double-header, with openers Corrosion of … Continue reading That time Lars Ulrich called me up from Cincinnati and told me that Metallica wasn’t doing bad for a buncha drunks

That time I asked Rik Emmett what it was like being a solo artist after 13 years with Triumph

By Steve Newton I did my third interview with Rik Emmett in September of 1990, when he was promoting his debut solo album, Absolutely, which went gold in Canada. Two years earlier he’d left the popular Canadian power trio Triumph, so when he called from his home in Mississauga I asked him was it was … Continue reading That time I asked Rik Emmett what it was like being a solo artist after 13 years with Triumph

That time blues guitar great Bill Perry told me why it only took him six days to record and master his new debut album

By Steve Newton Back in October of 1996 I did my one and only interview with New York blues-rocker Bill Perry, who called me up from a roadside pay phone in Iowa. At the time Perry was touring in support of his debut release, Love Scars, which blew me away with its intense, Gary Moore-type … Continue reading That time blues guitar great Bill Perry told me why it only took him six days to record and master his new debut album

Bill Coon considers Oliver Gannon the godfather of jazz guitar in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 17, 2021 By Steve Newton Vancouver jazz artist Bill Coon started playing guitar in his early teens, thanks in large part to his brother David. His elder sibling—currently the leader of New Brunswick’s Green Party—had a cheap acoustic six-string that, despite its high action, young Bill took a real shining to. … Continue reading Bill Coon considers Oliver Gannon the godfather of jazz guitar in Vancouver

That time AC/DC producer Bruce Fairbairn requested some Chip & Pepper swag for the band, adding “these guys are small”

By Steve Newton Big things come in small packages, so they say, and in the world of hard rock there isn’t anything bigger than AC/DC. But man are those guys tiny–or some of them are, at least. I mean, check out this backstage photo from an AC/DC concert in 2001. That’s me on the right … Continue reading That time AC/DC producer Bruce Fairbairn requested some Chip & Pepper swag for the band, adding “these guys are small”

Robin Trower to release 50th anniversary edition of Bridge of Sighs, the best rock album of 1974

By Steve Newton There were a ton of amazing albums released in 1974, and you can trust me on that, ’cause I was standing right there, wide-eyed, watching it happen. That was the year I turned 17, and as a music obsessed kid my world revolved around the latest rock releases to fill the stacks … Continue reading Robin Trower to release 50th anniversary edition of Bridge of Sighs, the best rock album of 1974

That time Tommy Aldridge called me up from the Whitesnake tour and explained how it was different working for David Coverdale than Ozzy Osbourne

By Steve Newton In April of 1990 hard-rock drum legend Tommy Aldridge called me up from the road in Minneapolis, where he was playing that night with his latest band, Whitesnake. The group was touring behind its eighth studio album, Slip of the Tongue, the one with “Fool For Your Loving 89”. I actually preferred … Continue reading That time Tommy Aldridge called me up from the Whitesnake tour and explained how it was different working for David Coverdale than Ozzy Osbourne

That time I asked Steve Vai if he was daunted by stepping into Eddie Van Halen’s shoes with David Lee Roth

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Steve Vai in May of 1990, when he was just 29. He had just released his solo album Passion and Warfare, and was touring with Whitesnake, which was then basking in the glory of its multiplatinum Slip of the Tongue album. Before Whitesnake Vai had played … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Vai if he was daunted by stepping into Eddie Van Halen’s shoes with David Lee Roth

That time I asked ex-David Lee Roth bassist Billy Sheehan if he would jump at the chance to join Van Halen

By Steve Newton Back in August of 1989 I interviewed American bass god Billy Sheehan, who was promoting the new, self-titled debut album by his latest band, Mr. Big. The previous year Sheehan had been playing with Steve Vai in David Lee Roth‘s band, so as the conversation was winding down I asked him whether–if … Continue reading That time I asked ex-David Lee Roth bassist Billy Sheehan if he would jump at the chance to join Van Halen