ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 31, 1989 By Steve Newton You might expect--with an uppity-sounding name like the Royal Court of China--that these guys would be yet another panty-waisted synth duo creating namby-pamby dance sounds for high-fashion losers. Wrong-O! These guys come up with some of the best thrashing hard-rock these ears have … Continue reading Album review: The Royal Court of China, Geared & Primed (1989)
Newt’s Top 10 Albums of 2018
By Steve Newton This year I picked some instrumental rock, some hard rock, some southern rock, and some Beatles, but the underlying thread running through most of this stuff is the blues. You just can't beat the blues. Joe Satriani What Happens Next Bay Area guitar wizard hooks up once again with Langley producer Mike Fraser … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 Albums of 2018
Van Halen’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome
By Steve Newton Guess I'm just more of a Dave guy. 20. "Runaround" (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, 1991) 19. "Drop Dead Legs" (1984, 1984) 18. "You Really Got Me" (Van Halen, 1978) 17. "Oh, Pretty Woman" (Diver Down, 1982) 16. "Running With the Devil" (Van Halen, 1978) 15. "Dreams" (5150, 1986) 14. "Everybody Wants Some!!" … Continue reading Van Halen’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome
Overlord is a gift to gorehounds
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 8, 2018 By Steve Newton I’m not sure horror and war go together that well in movies. War is already horrifying enough, and goring it up just seems kinda pointless. But that didn’t stop the makers of Overlord—including hotshot producer J.J. Abrams—from trying their darnedest to find some whacked-out middle ground … Continue reading Overlord is a gift to gorehounds
Rory Gallagher’s longtime bassist on the Irish guitar wizard’s aversion to stardom
By Steve Newton With Christmas 2018 upon us, it's time to be thankful for the musicians who have helped devoted fans of guitar rock have such a wonderful life. Like Rory Gallagher. I for one am grateful for the way the Irish guitar wizard stayed true to himself, how he made the music he wanted, … Continue reading Rory Gallagher’s longtime bassist on the Irish guitar wizard’s aversion to stardom
James Reyne soars as a solo artist after doing the Australian Crawl
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 1988 By Steve Newton Have you ever heard of a fellow named James Reyne? Unless you're from Australia--or were a big fan of the now-defunct Australian Crawl--you probably don't recognize the name. But you will in the future, if Reyne's solo career follows the same pattern that has brought such Aussie bands … Continue reading James Reyne soars as a solo artist after doing the Australian Crawl
Clive Barker on making movies, writing books, and the state of horror in 1988
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 23, 1988 By Steve Newton Horror is big stuff nowadays. Why, just flick your TV on any night and chances are you'll come across War of the Worlds, Monsters, Tales from the Dark Side, or Freddy's Nightmares. Walk into most any video store and you just might find … Continue reading Clive Barker on making movies, writing books, and the state of horror in 1988
John Mayall believes the Bluesbreakers are better than ever on Chicago Line
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 13, 1989 By Steve Newton The biggest aim for most rock musicians when they're starting out is getting on a major label. A major-label signing means that your music is available to the masses. It's the first step on the road to international stardom. But it's not just … Continue reading John Mayall believes the Bluesbreakers are better than ever on Chicago Line
Boston frontman Brad Delp on overcoming lawsuits and staying true to Tom Scholz’s vision
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 16, 1988 By Steve Newton With a debut album that was the fastest-selling release in the history of the recording industry, Boston was to the mid-'70s what Guns N' Roses are to the late '80s. With such uplifting, guitar-heavy tunes as "More Than a Feeling", "Long Time", and "Peace of Mind", … Continue reading Boston frontman Brad Delp on overcoming lawsuits and staying true to Tom Scholz’s vision
That time I asked AC/DC which songs they most liked doing live and Malcolm Young said it was all about the kids
By Steve Newton Okay, this is probably the last audio excerpt I'm gonna post from that old interview I did with AC/DC back in '83, at the start of the Flick of the Switch tour. It's from when I was interviewing Malcolm, Brian, and new drummer Simon Wright, and I asked them which songs they … Continue reading That time I asked AC/DC which songs they most liked doing live and Malcolm Young said it was all about the kids
Rory Gallagher’s unshakeable spirit burns bright in Vancouver with a Band of Friends
all shitty iPhone photos by the Newt By Steve Newton Vancouver's hardcore Rory Gallagher fans came out to pack the Fox Cabaret last night, and they left with their ears well blasted by the Irish guitar legend's deathless, blues-drenched tunes and roughly 123,972 wicked Stratocaster licks. The latter came courtesy Davy Knowles, the 31-year-old picker … Continue reading Rory Gallagher’s unshakeable spirit burns bright in Vancouver with a Band of Friends
Newt’s Rock Hall inducts Mountain, the Cramps, Roy Buchanan, Nazareth, the Georgia Satellites, the New York Dolls, and the Tragically Hip
By Steve Newton As you may have already heard, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2019 a couple of days ago. It includes: Stevie Nicks, the Cure, Def Leppard, the Zombies, Roxy Music, Radiohead, and Janet Jackson. That's right: Janet Freakin' Jackson. That legendary rock and roller finally got … Continue reading Newt’s Rock Hall inducts Mountain, the Cramps, Roy Buchanan, Nazareth, the Georgia Satellites, the New York Dolls, and the Tragically Hip
Rory Gallagher’s former bassist talks vinyl shopping, finding Davy Knowles, and pushing Rory live
bob geldof photo By Steve Newton If you were a fan of Rory Gallagher back in his heyday, you most likely listened to him on vinyl. Impressed by the raucous blues-rock of his previous power trio, Taste, you may have picked up his self-titled solo debut in 1971. Perhaps won over by the catchy vibe … Continue reading Rory Gallagher’s former bassist talks vinyl shopping, finding Davy Knowles, and pushing Rory live