ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 11, 1990 By Steve Newton Steve Earle’s got a headache—a real doozie. The whirlwind promotional tour that brought him to Vancouver’s Georgian Court Hotel has taken its toll, and while this scribbler waits in the lobby, Earle’s up in his room, downing aspirins to ease the pain brought on by countless … Continue reading Steve Earle on cops, bikers, jail, Ted Bundy, and The Hard Way
By Steve Newton On December 20, 1993, Blind Melon played Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom. It was a benefit for the Vancouver Food Bank as part of a plea deal stemming from charges against singer Shannon Hoon for an incident that occurred two months earlier when he’d gotten naked on stage and peed into the front row at … Continue reading Blind Melon plays Vancouver, Shannon Hoon holds his piss
By Steve Newton On January 19, 1984, Black Sabbath was scheduled to play the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. The British metal legends were touring behind their new album Born Again, their first and last one to feature Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan. Also in the lineup–though not on the album–was former Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan. The show … Continue reading Black Sabbath cancels Born Again show in Vancouver, Tony Iommi says “If I go deaf I go deaf”
By Steve Newton I’ve interviewed a lot of incredible bluesmen over the years, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Albert Collins, and Roy Buchanan. But far and away the nicest was B.B. King. Famed Vancouver punk-rock photographer Bev Davies snapped this shot of me ‘n’ B.B. in his hotel room at the Plazazz Showroom in … Continue reading B.B. King: The nicest bluesman I ever met
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 3, 1993 By Steve Newton On the way home from the Coliseum after last Sunday’s Bon Jovi show, I flicked on CFOX to hear Bruce Allen‘s talk show, Sound Off. Now, I don’t know if Allen is currently trying to wangle the job of managing the New Jersey … Continue reading Richie Sambora steals the show from Jon as Bon Jovi hits Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 25, 2004 By Steve Newton Reno, Nevada, isn’t the ideal place for a man battling addictions to be, but Metallica main man James Hetfield seems up to the challenge. When he calls from a tour stop in the renowned party town, the newly rehabilitated rocker makes it clear that he wasn’t … Continue reading James Hetfield on addiction, rehab, and channelling the anger with Metallica
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 5, 1993 By Steve Newton Whatever happened to Steve Hackett? Good question. Considering how visible all four of his former bandmates in Genesis have been, Hackett has been conspicuously absent from the music scene. Or at least it seems that way here in North America. But in actual fact, the 43-year-old … Continue reading Steve Hackett says that everyone he’s ever played with in Genesis has managed to write at least one incredible song
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 14, 2007 By Steve Newton As a kid growing up in Long Island, New York, standup bassist Lee Rocker would marvel at Earl Slick’s razor-edged guitar work on the 1974 David Bowie concert album, David Live. He never expected that 10 years later he’d be playing with Slick in a band … Continue reading Lee Rocker goes solo after Stray Cats and Phantom, Rocker and Slick
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 5, 1993 By Steve Newton Big Country? You mean those guys from Scotland who had the guitars that sounded like bagpipes? Didn’t they have a hit song back in ’83 called “In a Big Country”? Yeah, I remember the chorus: “In a big country dreams stay with you, like a lover’s … Continue reading Big Country’s Stuart Adamson plays just what he feels
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 6, 2006 By Steve Newton Chilliwack was the perfect place for a rock-crazed teenager to grow up during the ’70s. Not only could you crank “Free Bird” at full blast without fear of recrimination, but the big-city destination of Vancouver’s Hastings & Renfrew was only an hour away. Whether it was … Continue reading Roger Taylor says Queen hooked up with Paul Rodgers by accident
bev davies photo By Steve Newton On January 21, 1984, B.B. King was in the midst of a two-week stand at the Plazazz Showroom in North Vancouver, and I got the thrill of my blues-loving life when I sat down with him in his hotel room and asked him a bunch of questions. Some of … Continue reading B.B. King plays Vancouver in 1984, Newt gets the scoop (and a photo)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 19, 2004 By Steve Newton Chicago blues great Buddy Guy has played the Commodore Ballroom many times during his 45-year career, but the next time he visits the historic venue he won’t be sporting his trademark black Strat with the big white polka dots. For the first time here, the guitar … Continue reading Buddy Guy dedicated his Blues Singer album to John Lee Hooker
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 8, 2011 By Steve Newton Being from Alabama certainly has its benefits, one being the fact that you can really put your heart into it when you sing the chorus of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s biggest hit. But for Jason Isbell, one of the joys of growing up in northern Alabama was being … Continue reading Alabama’s joys and troubles inspire Jason Isbell’s songs
