Rock Hall finally inducts Deep Purple; could Rory, Link, Johnny, and Maiden be far behind?

By Steve Newton Well, those bozos down at the highly slaggable Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally came to their senses. Twenty-two years after it first became eligible for induction, legendary British hard-rockers Deep Purple finally gained admittance into the Cleveland institution’s hallowed halls. I guess the powers-that-be finally broke down and played Machine Head … Continue reading Rock Hall finally inducts Deep Purple; could Rory, Link, Johnny, and Maiden be far behind?

Billy Gibbons gets rude ‘n’ bluesy in Vancouver on ZZ Top’s Afterburner Tour

mila geran photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 20, 1985 By Steve Newton Shortly before his death, somebody asked Jimi Hendrix if he knew of any up-and-coming guitarists to watch out for. One of the players Hendrix mentioned was Billy Gibbons. Sixteen years later, Gibbons is living up to Jimi’s expectations. At the moment, his guitar … Continue reading Billy Gibbons gets rude ‘n’ bluesy in Vancouver on ZZ Top’s Afterburner Tour

Michael Bruce’s deletion from Super Duper Alice Cooper is a bloody travesty

By Steve Newton Finally got around to watching the 2014 documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper for the first time the other night, and it was awesome: except for the part where they refused to even mention the name “Michael Bruce”. For the uninitiated, Bruce was the rhythm guitarist for the Alice Cooper Band during its first … Continue reading Michael Bruce’s deletion from Super Duper Alice Cooper is a bloody travesty

Backstage at AC/DC with Angus Young, Scotty Bad, and my autographed copy of Powerage, Malcolm’s fave

By Steve Newton Holy crap is Angus Young tiny! Hey, sorry about that outburst. It’s just that whenever I spy this backstage snap from 2001 I can’t help but think that I’m literally twice the size of him–width-wise, anyway. Me and my buddy Scotty Bad look like freakin’ WWF wrestlers compared to that legendary pipsqueak. … Continue reading Backstage at AC/DC with Angus Young, Scotty Bad, and my autographed copy of Powerage, Malcolm’s fave

Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2012

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 13, 2012 By Steve Newton Sorry, I’m just not into the Gangnam style. Neil Young and Crazy Horse Psychedelic Pill The Can-Am rock legend gets back together with his favourite combo for a platter that, while not in the league of Crazy Horse offerings like Zuma and Ragged Glory, still delivers … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2012

Ian Anderson goes solo while keeping Jethro Tull intact

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 2, 1984 By Steve Newton Sitting on a park bench, eyeing little girls with bad intent Snot running down his nose, greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes Hey Aqualung Longtime fans of Jethro Tull will recall the above lyrics from the unsavoury tale of a corrupt degenerate named Aqualung. That tune, with … Continue reading Ian Anderson goes solo while keeping Jethro Tull intact

Geddy Lee on Neil Peart’s personal struggles, shaping his lyrics, and loving Rush

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 5, 2002 By Steve Newton Rush’s latest CD, Vapor Trails, may be its best recording ever, and since the Canuck prog-rock trio now has 17 studio releases to its credit, that’s saying something. But the album would never have been made if drummer-lyricist Neil Peart hadn’t had the inner strength to … Continue reading Geddy Lee on Neil Peart’s personal struggles, shaping his lyrics, and loving Rush

David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour helps Frampton come alive again

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 21, 1987 By Steve Newton Old rockers never die, they just play guitar for David Bowie. At least, that’s what Peter Frampton was doing at B.C. Place last Saturday. But Frampton and Bowie actually go back a long way–all the way back to the art school they used to attend in … Continue reading David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour helps Frampton come alive again

Kate Bush on David Gilmour, Pink Floyd, and the new Hounds of Love

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 6, 1985 By Steve Newton When Kate Bush was 15 years old, she thought it would be nice if she could get some of her songs published. There was a friend of her family who knew someone that was looking for talent to encourage and produce. That someone came and heard … Continue reading Kate Bush on David Gilmour, Pink Floyd, and the new Hounds of Love

Mötley Crüe plays Vancouver on the Theatre of Pain tour, Nikki Sixx cranks AC/DC backstage

mila geran photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 22, 1985 By Steve Newton “Excuse me women…I mean ladies,” said Nikki Sixx as he pushed through the hordes of groupies backstage at the Coliseum last week (November 12). The Mötley Crüe bassist wasn’t zeroing in on anyone in particular–his aim was the group’s massive … Continue reading Mötley Crüe plays Vancouver on the Theatre of Pain tour, Nikki Sixx cranks AC/DC backstage

My one and only interview with blues legend Albert Collins, who wanted to meet Clapton real bad

kirk west photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 27, 1985 By Steve Newton Musician Magazine calls him “the most powerful blues guitarist in the world.” He has won awards from the Montreaux Jazz Festival, the French Academie du Jazz, and the Memphis Blues Foundation, and received three Grammy nominations. He is known as “The Icepicker”, “The … Continue reading My one and only interview with blues legend Albert Collins, who wanted to meet Clapton real bad

Rob Halford loves what Iron Maiden does with three guitars, but he’s “content” with what Priest does with two

By Steve Newton I interviewed Rob Halford a couple of weeks ago in advance of Judas Priest’s upcoming shows at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, and we had a pretty nice chat. We go way back, to that time he called me up to promote the Defenders of the Faith tour in ’84. At one point we … Continue reading Rob Halford loves what Iron Maiden does with three guitars, but he’s “content” with what Priest does with two

.38 Special’s Donnie Van Zant on the origins of southern rock and the drive of Jacksonville bands

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 2, 1982 By Steve Newton .38 Special’s July 5 gig at the Kerrisdale Arena has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales, and according to lead singer Donnie Van Zant “it’s a real shame”. The show would have been the band’s second Vancouver appearance. Their latest album, Special … Continue reading .38 Special’s Donnie Van Zant on the origins of southern rock and the drive of Jacksonville bands