By Steve Newton One of the biggest regrets of my career in rock journalism--and there aren't that many, believe it or not--was never getting the opportunity to interview Eddie Van Halen. I did get to chat with his big brother Alex once, and he gave me a really great interview, but it just wasn't the … Continue reading Eddie Van Halen: what Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth, Jake E. Lee, Leslie West, and brother Alex told me about “the king”
That time Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell told me that he got paid less than the road crew in Dio
By Steve Newton I interviewed Irish guitar hero Vivian Campbell in September of 1992, three weeks after his 30th birthday. Five months earlier he'd joined Def Leppard, one of the world's most popular rock bands, apparently being chosen over the likes of John Sykes, Gary Hoey, and Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden. So no wonder … Continue reading That time Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell told me that he got paid less than the road crew in Dio
That time Colin James told me that playing electric slide-guitar was a challenge for him
By Steve Newton Back in August of 1995 I interviewed Canadian blues-rocker Colin James, who I'd been a fan of since his self-titled 1988 debut album. At the time he was touring behind his fourth album, Bad Habits, which saw him playing quite a bit of slide guitar on tunes like "Real Stuff" and "Walkin' … Continue reading That time Colin James told me that playing electric slide-guitar was a challenge for him
Devin Townsend, 19, scores opening gig for Michael Schenker with his first band, Gray Skies
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 19, 1992 By Steve Newton Decisions, decisions. Tearing open the shrink-wrap from a tape by a local band called Gray Skies, I see that one side of the six-song demo is labelled the Juvenile Side, while the other promises the Dyslexic Side. Just as I’m ready to go … Continue reading Devin Townsend, 19, scores opening gig for Michael Schenker with his first band, Gray Skies
That time Kim Simmonds told me that Eric Clapton was the greatest white blues guitar player he’d ever seen
By Steve Newton I was a huge Foghat fan in the seventies. I couldn't get enough of their hard-driving boogie-blues on albums like Energized and Rock and Roll Outlaws. When I learned that most of their original members had come from a band called Savoy Brown I went and checked them out as well, and … Continue reading That time Kim Simmonds told me that Eric Clapton was the greatest white blues guitar player he’d ever seen
That time Joe Satriani told me how an unsolicited Mastercard application got Not of This Earth off the ground
By Steve Newton You know how you're always getting those unsolicited credit-card applications in the mail? The ones that say "Dear [insert your name here]. You've been approved for a shitload of money, so just sign up here." Well, Joe Satriani got one of those once, and it turned out to be exactly what he … Continue reading That time Joe Satriani told me how an unsolicited Mastercard application got Not of This Earth off the ground
That time I asked Alex Van Halen what the best thing was about being in Van Halen
By Steve Newton Here's the last excerpt I'm gonna post from my 1995 interview with Alex Van Halen. I'd like to thank author Greg Renoff for his help in getting these audio clips to the hardcore Van Halen fans. I highly recommend his book Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved … Continue reading That time I asked Alex Van Halen what the best thing was about being in Van Halen
That time Tom Cochrane railed against the “trendy bullshit” in pop music after Red Rider released Neruda
By Steve Newton I've interviewed Canadian rocker Tom Cochrane half a dozen times over the years. I was a fan long before he hit it big with "Life is a Highway" in 1991. The first time we talked was in April of 1983, three months after the release of Red Rider's fine Neruda album, the … Continue reading That time Tom Cochrane railed against the “trendy bullshit” in pop music after Red Rider released Neruda
That time Roger Glover told me that he felt very bitter towards Deep Purple’s Mark III lineup, didn’t like Burn much
By Steve Newton Deep Purple is one of my all-time favourite bands. As a teenager in the seventies I grew up on albums like Fireball, Made in Japan, and Burn. Forget Clapton: Ritchie Blackmore was God in my books. So it was cool when, while still in my 20s, I got to interview Purple bassist … Continue reading That time Roger Glover told me that he felt very bitter towards Deep Purple’s Mark III lineup, didn’t like Burn much
Hendrix’s 1970 Hawaiian happening captured in new film and previously unreleased Live in Maui album
By Steve Newton Hardcore Jimi Hendrix freaks with a hankering for some previously unreleased music by the master have something to look forward to. On November 20, Experience Hendrix L.L.C. and Sony Music's Legacy Recordings will release a brand new feature-length documentary titled Music, Money, Madness...Jimi Hendrix in Maui, along with the previously unheard album … Continue reading Hendrix’s 1970 Hawaiian happening captured in new film and previously unreleased Live in Maui album
That time I asked Taj Mahal which blues artists were making him smile lately
By Steve Newton I've interviewed American blues great Taj Mahal (real name Henry Saint Clair Fredericks) a couple of times. The first time was back in November of 2001, before he headed to Vancouver for a solo acoustic show at the historic Commodore Ballroom. At one point in the conversation I asked the 59-year-old Grammy-winner … Continue reading That time I asked Taj Mahal which blues artists were making him smile lately
That time I asked Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready what he thought was so great about Neil Young
By Steve Newton I like Pearl Jam a lot. And I really love Neil Young. So when those two got together for the Mirror Ball album back in 1995 I was in hog heaven. I would listen to my favourite track, "I'm the Ocean", over and over again. When I interviewed Pearl Jam guitarist Mike … Continue reading That time I asked Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready what he thought was so great about Neil Young
That time Steve Vai told me that his body language changes a lot when he’s playing rock ‘n’ roll
By Steve Newton When I did my first interview with Steve Vai, back in May of 1990, he had just released his sophomore solo album, Passion and Warfare, a technically dazzling instrumental guitar opus. At the same time, he was also touring with Whitesnake, whose straightforward, radio-friendly rock tunes were not nearly as challenging to … Continue reading That time Steve Vai told me that his body language changes a lot when he’s playing rock ‘n’ roll