By Steve Newton Oh man, was 1975 ever a great year for rock. Maybe the greatest. Of course, it helped if you turned 18 in '75. I mean, just to name a few, the LPs released that year included Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti, Thin Lizzy's Fighting, Queen's A Night at the Opera, Aerosmith's Toys in … Continue reading Gordon Lightfoot’s Gord’s Gold was the only folk album I ever bought as a teen
Rock Hall finally inducts Link Wray, can Johnny Winter and Rory Gallagher be far behind?
By Steve Newton After ten years of my complaining about Link Wray not being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the boneheads who run the high-falutin' joint in Cleveland finally caved and decided to induct him, in the "musical influence" division. It's about freakin' time. Wray, who pretty well invented the raunchy guitar … Continue reading Rock Hall finally inducts Link Wray, can Johnny Winter and Rory Gallagher be far behind?
Aerosmith snubs Vancouver with farewell tour announcement
By Steve Newton Yesterday Aerosmith announced its farewell tour, a five-month jaunt beginning September 2 in Philadelphia and winding up January 26 in Montreal. Unfortunately, they didn't bother to pencil in a date for Vancouver--the city that was instrumental to their huge comeback success in the late '80s and early '90s. The band recorded three … Continue reading Aerosmith snubs Vancouver with farewell tour announcement
Newt’s top 10 things to do in Metro Vancouver this week, May 1 to 5
Crowded House plays the Orpheum By Steve Newton TUESDAY: Australasian pop band Crowded House, led by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Neil Finn, plays the Orpheum Theatre. If they forget to play "Don't Dream It's Over", you should ask for your money back. TUESDAY: F7 Entertainment Group presents Australian prog-rock guitar wizard Plini at the Rickshaw … Continue reading Newt’s top 10 things to do in Metro Vancouver this week, May 1 to 5
Roger Glover plugs new solo album Mask, keeps mum about Deep Purple reunion
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 7, 1984 By Steve Newton After leaving his band of four years, Rainbow, Roger Glover is back again with the original lineup of seventies supergroup Deep Purple. Glover supplied the bottom end for Purple on such powerful tunes as "Smoke On the Water" and "Highway Star", but often had to stand … Continue reading Roger Glover plugs new solo album Mask, keeps mum about Deep Purple reunion
Five recommended horror flicks now streaming for free on Tubi
By Steve Newton Here's my original reviews of five worthy horror flicks now streaming on Tubi for zero dollars. Take a hike, Netflix. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). Review originally published on March 25, 2004. Bubba Ho-Tep is a horror-comedy about two elderly men at a rundown retirement home--one supposedly Elvis Presley, the other claiming to be … Continue reading Five recommended horror flicks now streaming for free on Tubi
Vancouver celebs groove to Animal Slaves’ primal funk at release party for Dog Eat Dog
bev davies photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 31, 1985 By Steve Newton Animal Slaves threw a record-release party at John Barley's last week to celebrate their new eight-song album Dog Eat Dog. It was the first time I'd seen the Animals Slaves--drummer Roscoe Hales, bassist Rachel Melas, and singer/keyboardist Elizabeth Fischer--but it didn't take long … Continue reading Vancouver celebs groove to Animal Slaves’ primal funk at release party for Dog Eat Dog
Newt’s top 10 Vancouver concerts in May
The Schizophonics play the Biltmore By Steve Newton Australasian pop band Crowded House, led by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Neil Finn, plays the Orpheum Theatre on May 2. If they forget to play "Don't Dream It's Over", ask for your money back. Australian prog-rock guitar wizard Plini plays the Rickshaw Theatre on May 2, with guests Sungazer and Jakub … Continue reading Newt’s top 10 Vancouver concerts in May
Toto’s gang of ace session players wows the crowd in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 10, 1985 By Steve Newton The Toto concert at the Queen E. last Monday (May 6) will have to go down in my personal record book as an all-time favourite. The group's members are some of the most-wanted hired hands in rock, and after Monday's concert I knew why. Toto is … Continue reading Toto’s gang of ace session players wows the crowd in Vancouver
Alpha Yaya Diallo likes to hear millions of guitar players
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 22, 2022 By Steve Newton As a youngster growing up in Guinea, West Africa, Alpha Yaya Diallo took in a lot of culture. His family moved around a lot, and he was exposed to musical influences from the Susu, Maninka, and his own Fulani people. He also spent time in nearby … Continue reading Alpha Yaya Diallo likes to hear millions of guitar players
That time Tony Iommi told me that he didn’t think Ozzy Osbourne needed to record Sabbath tunes for his live album
By Steve Newton Back in January of 1984 I did my first interview with Tony Iommi, while Black Sabbath was touring behind its Born Again album. Fourteen months earlier Sabbath's former frontman, Ozzy Osbourne, had released a double live album, Speak of the Devil, which hit stores just two months before Sabbath's own double live … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me that he didn’t think Ozzy Osbourne needed to record Sabbath tunes for his live album
Newt’s top 10 things to do in Metro Vancouver this weekend, April 28 to 30
Jack de Keyzer plays Blue Frog Studios By Steve Newton FRIDAY: American metal legends Megadeth, featuring guitarist-vocalist Dave Mustaine, play the Abbotsford Centre, with guests Bullet for My Valentine and ONI. FRIDAY: screening at the VIFF Centre of director Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1955 suspense classic Les Diaboliques, starring Simone Signoret and Vera Clouzot. In French with … Continue reading Newt’s top 10 things to do in Metro Vancouver this weekend, April 28 to 30
That time I asked Lars Ulrich about backstage passes for Metallica and, unlike Ronnie James Dio, he kinda blew me off
By Steve Newton Back in May of 1989 I did the second of my four interviews with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. At the time he was in Nagoya, Japan, on the band's Damaged Justice Tour, which was due to hit Vancouver in a couple of weeks. Three years earlier I'd taken my 16-year-old nephew Jeff … Continue reading That time I asked Lars Ulrich about backstage passes for Metallica and, unlike Ronnie James Dio, he kinda blew me off