ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 25, 1993 By Steve Newton I’d never heard the Wallflowers until about a week ago, when a fellow Straight contributor suggested I might like their rootsy style—the Black Crowes meet The Band. After rounding up a copy of the group’s self-titled 1992 debut, I fell under the spell of 22-year-old singer/songwriter … Continue reading The Wallflowers’ Jakob Dylan says he’s not here to talk about his dad
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 1, 1984 By Steve Newton The memories of his days in Ritchie Blackmore‘s Rainbow are not joyous ones for Tony Carey. The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist was a member of the band for three years, and played keyboards on the Rainbow Rising and Live on Stage albums before leaving in disgust … Continue reading Tony Carey rips into Rainbow after “A Fine, Fine Day”, just before “The First Day of Summer”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 27, 1990 By Steve Newton Robert Plant threw me for a loop at the Coliseum last Friday (September 21). From the lacklustre sound of his latest album, Manic Nirvana, I had the impression that the 42-year-old rock legend had drifted off into boring-old-fartsville, never to return again. I even expected the … Continue reading Robert Plant gets the Led out and holds his own with the Black Crowes in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 12, 1990 By Steve Newton I don’t go to a lot of thrash-metal gigs—the overall effect is just too monotonous and ugly-sounding for these ears weaned on the melodic hard-rock of the ’70s. But once in a while a band with a strong thrash element comes along which … Continue reading Scatterbrain helps keep thrash out of the trash
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 22, 1984 By Steve Newton “Well that’s artistic licence,” remarked guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour. Over the phone from Toronto, Gilmour expanded on the motive behind “Murder”, a song from his new LP About Face which contains the line, “By your own admission, you raised up the knife.” “If I’d left a gun … Continue reading David Gilmour from Pink Floyd tells me “we don’t do drug songs”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 20, 1984 By Steve Newton Help I’m steppin’ into the twilight zone/The place is a madhouse, feels like being cloned/My beacon’s been moved under moon and star/Where am I to go now that I’ve gone too far/Soon you will come to know, when the bullet hits the bone Anyone who’s … Continue reading Golden Earring’s Barry Hay on touring with the Who and getting beaten up with Ronnie Van Zant
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 27, 1992 By Steve Newton Would you let somebody punch you in the face for 300 bucks? Considering that knuckle sandwiches sometimes come for free, 300 smackers might not sound too bad. Then again, it depends who’s on the other end of the fist. And whether or not dental coverage … Continue reading Pantera’s Vinnie Paul explains what makes Phil Anselmo so “Fucking Hostile” on Vulgar Display of Power
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 6, 1992 By Steve Newton What makes a rock writer desperate to score the reviewer’s assignment for a Red Hot Chili Peppers show? Could it be the group’s incendiary brand of primitive thrash-funk, or the fact that their live appearances are known far and wide for their unbridled energy and uncontrolled … Continue reading Call me a hick from Chilliwack, but I ain’t never seen no spiral haircut before
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 29, 1992 By Steve Newton The Windy City is not generally regarded as a rock ’n’ roll hotbed. The U.S.A.’s third-largest metropolis seems much better known for Bulls, Bears, and Blackhawks than big-selling boogie bands. “It’s not exactly a boom town for music,” admits Trouble guitarist/songwriter Rick Wartell. “But it seems … Continue reading Trouble guitarist Rick Wartell steals riffs from Chicago blues bands
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 5, 1994 By Steve Newton When I was in my early 20s, I made what for me was a major investment. I bought a near-new, shiny black Fender Stratocaster. The fact that I couldn’t even play guitar at the time didn’t matter; I figured anything that cool-looking had to sound good, … Continue reading Aussie guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel on playing with Chet Atkins and looking after Lenny Breau
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 21, 1991 By Steve Newton Twice during Van Halen’s show at B.C. Place last Wednesday (November 13), shaggy-maned vocalist Sammy Hagar apologized for having throat problems and not being able to sing up to par. The second time, he added, “But the band’s hot, and that’s all that counts.” Yeah, sure, … Continue reading Eddie’s off-the-cuff raunch blasts save Van Halen’s ass while Jimmy Page watches from the wings
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 28, 2011 By Steve Newton British guitar legend Jeff Beck blew away the sold-out crowd at the Centre in Vancouver last night, performing his Stratified renditions of everything from the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” to The Wizard of Oz‘s “Over the Rainbow”. But his amazing licks wouldn’t have seemed … Continue reading Jeff Beck, the world’s greatest rock guitarist, knocks the socks off a sold-out crowd in Vancouver
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 19, 1989 By Steve Newton The first time Bon Jovi played B.C. Place, in the summer of ’87, the band drew 22,000 fans. Last Thursday (May 11) the New Jersey rockers could only pull in 18,000. Does that mean the masters of mainstream metal are on the way … Continue reading Bon Jovi brings New Jersey to Vancouver, Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe crash the party
