By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Steve Vai in May of 1990, when he was just 29. He had just released his solo album Passion and Warfare, and was touring with Whitesnake, which was then basking in the glory of its multiplatinum Slip of the Tongue album. Before Whitesnake Vai had played … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Vai if he was daunted by stepping into Eddie Van Halen’s shoes with David Lee Roth
That time I asked Billy Gibbons if he’d play “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers” for me in Vancouver
By Steve Newton Just finished watching that ZZ Top documentary on Netflix, That Little Ol' Band from Texas, and it was pretty cool. I especially liked the way it focused on their formation and early albums, 'cause 1973's Tres Hombres has always been my fave. At one point in the movie the band rips into … Continue reading That time I asked Billy Gibbons if he’d play “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers” for me in Vancouver
That time I asked Steve Morse if the success of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai boded well for instrumental-rock artists
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Steve Morse for the first time in May of 1991, the American instrumental-rock scene was making great strides. While Morse himself was winning over critics with his Southern Steel album, both Joe Satriani and Steve Vai were heading toward gold-album status with their most recent discs, Flying in a … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Morse if the success of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai boded well for instrumental-rock artists
That time Stevie Ray Vaughan told me about the labour of love he’d never live to see released
By Steve Newton I did my second interview with Stevie Ray Vaughan six weeks before he died in that goddamned helicopter crash, which was itself less than a month before the release of Family Style, the album he'd always wanted to make with his big brother Jimmie. At one point in the conversation I asked … Continue reading That time Stevie Ray Vaughan told me about the labour of love he’d never live to see released
That time I called up Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and asked for “Mr. Ugly Stinky”
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea back in 1996 I was instructed to call his Phoenix hotel and ask for "Mr. Ugly Stupid", the moniker he goes by when he’s on the road. But when the receptionist answered I tried pulling a fast one and switched it to “Mr. … Continue reading That time I called up Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and asked for “Mr. Ugly Stinky”
That time Geoff Tate told me that making Queensrÿche’s prog-metal masterpiece, Operation: Mindcrime, was a “magical” experience
By Steve Newton Queensrÿche's Operation: Mindcrime is one of my favourite progressive hard-rock albums of all time. It's right up there with Rush's best work, if you ask me. When I did my first interview with Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate back in 1991 the band was touring behind its hit Empire album, but playing Mindcrime … Continue reading That time Geoff Tate told me that making Queensrÿche’s prog-metal masterpiece, Operation: Mindcrime, was a “magical” experience
That time Stevie Ray Vaughan told me that he gets most nervous playing in front of just one person
By Steve Newton When you play guitar as stunningly well as Stevie Ray Vaughan did, a lot of people see you. Countless numbers of music fans have watched the Texas blues-rock legend tear up the frets since he blasted onto the scene with the Texas Flood album in 1983. When I interviewed Stevie for the … Continue reading That time Stevie Ray Vaughan told me that he gets most nervous playing in front of just one person
God bless Chuck Leavell’s piano solo on the Allman Brothers’ “Southbound”
By Steve Newton As most readers of Ear of Newt have probly figured out by now, I'm something of a guitar freak. I just love the sound of a guitar, especially when it's in the hands of someone really, really good. (I also spell the word probably as "probly" because that's how it sounds to me, … Continue reading God bless Chuck Leavell’s piano solo on the Allman Brothers’ “Southbound”
That time I asked Steve Morse if winning readers-poll awards in guitar mags meant much to him
By Steve Newton There's a good reason I dragged the world-famous Ear of Newt Guitar to Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom one night back in 1991 when the Dixie Dregs were playing on a bill with Ronnie Montrose. It's because Steve Morse was the guitarist in the Dixie Dregs, and I really wanted to score his autograph, … Continue reading That time I asked Steve Morse if winning readers-poll awards in guitar mags meant much to him
That time Carlos Santana told me pot should be legal and “it’s all fun once you get past the fear”
By Steve Newton Carlos Santana is one of the most amazing guitar players of all time. Everybody knows that. But he's also got it goin' on in the humanity department. He knows what's important in life, it seems. I interviewed Santana in 2011, and at one point in the conversation I asked him if he … Continue reading That time Carlos Santana told me pot should be legal and “it’s all fun once you get past the fear”
That time Stevie Ray Vaughan called me up and explained what it was like touring with Joe Cocker
By Steve Newton As a blues fan and guitar freak, I thank my lucky stars that I got to interview Stevie Ray Vaughan. Twice! This was the second time, when he called me up from Montreal just six weeks before that goddamn helicopter crash took him away. I started the conversation off by asking what … Continue reading That time Stevie Ray Vaughan called me up and explained what it was like touring with Joe Cocker
That time Rick Richards from the Georgia Satellites told me how much he loved the Faces
By Steve Newton The Georgia Satellites were one of my fave bands of the '80s. A lot of folks only know them from their big hit, "Keep Your Hands to Yourself", but I much preferred tunes like "Railroad Steel", "Red Light", and especially "Battleship Chains". The first time I interviewed lead guitarist and sometime vocalist … Continue reading That time Rick Richards from the Georgia Satellites told me how much he loved the Faces
That time a drunk Andy McCoy from Hanoi Rocks sang me a bit of “All the Young Dudes”
By Steve Newton Back in February of 1984, 10 months before a drunk-driving Vince Neil killed Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle, I interviewed that band's lead guitarist/main songwriter Andy McCoy and bassist Sami Yaffa. They were both pretty wasted, and shouldn't have been doing interviews, but at one point in the conversation McCoy proved he was … Continue reading That time a drunk Andy McCoy from Hanoi Rocks sang me a bit of “All the Young Dudes”