Scott Ian says today’s version of Anthrax will be the only version of Anthrax until there is no Anthrax

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 19, 2012 By Steve Newton Last year American thrash-metal band Anthrax released Worship Music, its first album in eight years. It was also the first one to feature singer Joey Belladonna—the group’s singer in its mid-’80s heyday—in over two decades. So would that qualify it as a “comeback” album? According to … Continue reading Scott Ian says today’s version of Anthrax will be the only version of Anthrax until there is no Anthrax

Dan Wilson’s journey from Trip Shakespeare to Pleasure to Semisonic led to a Great Divide

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton There are all kinds of stories about bands being threatened by lawsuits over their names, but you can add another one to the list with the case of Minneapolis power-pop trio Semisonic. They were touring Midwest clubs as Pleasure last year when, out of the blue, … Continue reading Dan Wilson’s journey from Trip Shakespeare to Pleasure to Semisonic led to a Great Divide

An electrifying Lenny Kravitz blows the Cult off the stage in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 16, 1992 By Steve Newton When I saw local singing sensation Sarah McLachlan pick up her coat and leave the press box after Lenny Kravitz’s opening slot for the Cult, I thought: “Geez, she could have stuck around for a couple of rockin’ Cult tunes.” But, as it turned out, the … Continue reading An electrifying Lenny Kravitz blows the Cult off the stage in Vancouver

Steve Vai takes Devin Townsend on in a fierce guitar duel but doesn’t let the home team win

kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 7, 1993 By Steve Newton Vancouver vocalist Devin Townsend caused a minor uproar (and prompted a few letters to the editor) when I interviewed him a few weeks back. Some folks didn’t appreciate the 21-year-old’s caustic view of the music industry or his offhand remarks regarding the guitar … Continue reading Steve Vai takes Devin Townsend on in a fierce guitar duel but doesn’t let the home team win

Doobie Brothers deliver the goods but can’t pull a big crowd in Vancouver on the Brotherhood Tour

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

Bittersweet Gin Blossoms encounter UFOs and Alice Cooper in their ‘hood

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 29, 1996 By Steve Newton If there were such a thing as a Webster’s Dictionary of Pop Music, you could probably look up the word bittersweet and find a picture of Arizona’s Gin Blossoms nearby. Like fellow southerner Matthew Sweet and local buddies the Odds—who will tour with the Gin Blossoms … Continue reading Bittersweet Gin Blossoms encounter UFOs and Alice Cooper in their ‘hood

Axl stays cool and Slash plays hot as Guns N’ Roses slay Vancouver on the Use Your Illusion Tour

Brian May signed my backstage pass; Slash wasn’t around ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 1, 1993 By Steve Newton The first time I saw Guns N’ Roses perform, the band was opening for Iron Maiden at the Pacific Coliseum, shortly after the release of 1987’s Appetite for Destruction debut. This was several months before tunes like … Continue reading Axl stays cool and Slash plays hot as Guns N’ Roses slay Vancouver on the Use Your Illusion Tour

Bob Rock gets the Payola$ back together for a Mick Ronson-inspired raveup in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 20, 1994 By Steve Newton Ya gotta like that Bob Rock guy. When he gets tired of producing platinum-plus CDs for bands like Metallica and Mötley Crüe, he forms his own group, Rockhead, and gets back to his ’70s-rock roots with melodic, radio-friendly sing-along tunes such as “Bed of Roses” and … Continue reading Bob Rock gets the Payola$ back together for a Mick Ronson-inspired raveup in Vancouver

Paul Rodgers proves that he’s the world’s best guy at going “Whoa-yeaah!” in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 20, 1993 By Steve Newton The first time I saw Paul Rodgers perform live was back in the ’70s, when Bad Company played the Pacific Coliseum on the Running with the Pack tour. I didn’t see him again until last Friday (May 14), but lemme tell ya—the guy is still one … Continue reading Paul Rodgers proves that he’s the world’s best guy at going “Whoa-yeaah!” in Vancouver

Warren Haynes on the Allman Brothers reunion, Dickey Betts’ signature sound, and Where It All Begins

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 27, 1994 By Steve Newton Word on the street is that the Allman Brothers Band is playing some of the finest, most intense gigs of its illustrious career. And according to people who have seen the group recently, it’s not just the best-known members—Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman—who are making things … Continue reading Warren Haynes on the Allman Brothers reunion, Dickey Betts’ signature sound, and Where It All Begins

Aerosmith shows love for cancer kid and Tojo’s sushi in Vancouver

kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 27, 1994 By Steve Newton The most memorable moment of Aerosmith’s latest Vancouver concert didn’t occur when Steven Tyler came tearing out in multicoloured rags to kick-start the show with a screech at the beginning of “Eat the Rich”. Nor was it when bare-chested guitar … Continue reading Aerosmith shows love for cancer kid and Tojo’s sushi in Vancouver

Weed-loving Black Crowes bring their pro-pot stance to Vancouver on the High as the Moon Tour

@shotbykevin ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 5, 1992 By Steve Newton About an hour into the Black Crowes’ sold-out Queen Elizabeth Theatre show last Wednesday (October 28), the Atlanta blues-rock sextet rolled out a brand-new tune for its exuberant fans, most of whom had been standing up the whole time, cheering like mad. … Continue reading Weed-loving Black Crowes bring their pro-pot stance to Vancouver on the High as the Moon Tour

Tom Cochrane dedicates “Big League” to Stan Smyl in Vancouver on the Mad Mad World Tour

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 7, 1991 By Steve Newton Tom Cochrane wasn’t kidding when he told me a couple of weeks back that his new rhythm section worked like a high-performance engine. The former Streetheart team of drummer Matt Frenette and bassist Spider Sinneave was scary last Monday night (November 4), with … Continue reading Tom Cochrane dedicates “Big League” to Stan Smyl in Vancouver on the Mad Mad World Tour