By Steve Newton Welcome to the old-rocker department. You won’t find much in the hip-and-happening realm here, but it’s not all about the kids, ya know. Gregg Allman Southern Blood One of the hardest-hitting musician deaths this year was southern-rock legend Gregg Allman’s passing in May of complications from liver cancer. But he left his millions … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2017
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts back in July of 1991, the band had just released its Shades of Two Worlds album, its second to feature the amazing Warren Haynes as a fully-fledged member. As on the previous year’s Seven Turns album, Betts and Haynes had written or cowritten the vast majority … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me about Gregg Allman’s writer’s block
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 5, 1997 By Steve Newton It beats the hell outta me why the most Canadian rock band of all time had to go and record its historic live album in the all-powerful U.S. of A. Even if Detroit is Rock City, it doesn’t make sense for these proud Canucks to follow … Continue reading Album review: The Tragically Hip, Live Between Us (1997)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 11, 1986 By Steve Newton When New York rockers Bon Jovi flew into Vancouver to record their third album, it didn’t take long for them to become attached to the place. “The first night we got there we were into the Embassy and the Metro,” says singer Jon Bon Jovi. “And … Continue reading Jon Bon Jovi in 1986: “As long as there’s a plug, we’ll plug it in.”
By Steve Newton As we enter a new year I find myself thinking: “Man, there aren’t many singer-songwriters like Warren Zevon around anymore.” That dude was one of a kind, that’s for sure. In my 35-plus years of interviewing musicians, chatting with him has gotta be in my Top 10. Too bad I only got … Continue reading That time Warren Zevon told me that “Werewolves of London” wasn’t as big a hit as people think
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 24, 1987 By Steve Newton England’s Iron Maiden is different than most other heavy metal bands in a lot of ways. For one thing, they can all play their instruments, and very well. Their songs are quite complex, and the lyrics aren’t simple-minded: there are no likes like … Continue reading Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray, age 30, says “it’s good to know we’ve got a few years to go yet”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 11, 1983 By Steve Newton Triumph’s Rik Emmett is a man of many moods on guitar. Though best known for supplying the driving rhythms and rapid-fire leads that are trademarks of his group’s two-fisted sound, Emmett never hesitates delving into the subtle and contemplative realms of classical and jazz as well. On … Continue reading Triumph’s Rik Emmett on the merits of the power trio and his secret song for Randy Rhoads
By Steve Newton FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve worked at the Georgia Straight since ’82 so, yeah, I could be a little biased. I didn’t grow up in Vancouver. I hail from the small Fraser Valley community of Chilliwack, best known for ice storms in the winter, Cultus Lake in the summer, and the rock band Chilliwack … Continue reading You can tell a book by its covers: The Georgia Straight–A 50th Anniversary Celebration
By Steve Newton Back in 1986 I interviewed Metallica’s James Hetfield in his messy Vancouver hotel room. The band had just hired Jason Newsted, who had beaten out a barrage of hopefuls for the prized role of bassist, taking over from the deceased Cliff Burton. At one point Hetfield explained how Metallica had found Newsted, how … Continue reading That time 23-year-old James Hetfield told me that Metallica’s new bassist was “fairly goofy”
I was a big Emerson, Lake & Palmer fan back in the day. Actually, I was mostly a big Brain Salad Surgery fan back in the day, that being 1973.
By Steve Newton I’ve been a big fan of “southern rock” since I first heard the Allman Brothers Band‘s version of “One Way Out” on the Eat a Peach album back in high school. Some of my other fave bands in the seventies were Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Outlaws, Molly Hatchet, and Blackfoot. So when I … Continue reading That time I asked Dickey Betts if the Allman Brothers were the originators of “southern rock”
john scully photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 6, 1987 By Steve Newton Not a lot of people showed up for NRBQ‘s Commodore Ballroom date last Thursday (January 29), but of the 500 or so who did, few went home disappointed. In fact, it’s fair to say that you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’s ever … Continue reading NRBQ tars-and-feathers Vancouver, leaves the Cabbage Patch Kids alone
By Steve Newton So the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame did it again. Today the poorly-named musical dumping ground in Cleveland inducted six acts into its fold, including folkie Joan Baez and rapper Tupac Shakur. Sure, they’re both great at what they do, but are they rock ‘n’ roll? Kinda doubt it. The other … Continue reading Newt’s Rock Hall inducts Warren Zevon, Rick Derringer, Albert Collins, Ronnie Montrose, Gary Moore, and Jethro Tull
