That time 20-year-old Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach sang me a line from his Schooner beer commercial

By Steve Newton Way the hell back in 1989 I did an interview with Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach. That was less than a month after the release of the band’s self-titled debut album, which would go on to sell five-million copies and spawn the hits “Youth Gone Wild”, “18 and Life”, and “I Remember You”. … Continue reading That time 20-year-old Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach sang me a line from his Schooner beer commercial

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

That time I asked Alex Van Halen about his earliest memories of jamming with Eddie

By Steve Newton I haven’t interviewed that many drummers over the years–mainly because I like talking to guitarists more–but when Van Hagar was heading to Vancouver for a show in 1995 and the opportunity came to chat with Alex Van Halen I didn’t turn it down. And boy was I glad I didn’t, because he … Continue reading That time I asked Alex Van Halen about his earliest memories of jamming with Eddie

That time I asked Mick Mars if Mötley Crüe were softening on Theatre of Pain, then told him that I liked their debut album best

By Steve Newton Way the hell back in November of 1985 I interviewed Mick Mars at his Vancouver hotel before a show on Mötley Crüe‘s Theatre of Pain tour. I was quite the little metalhead back then, and I liked my tunes with a bit of bite, so at one point in the conversation I … Continue reading That time I asked Mick Mars if Mötley Crüe were softening on Theatre of Pain, then told him that I liked their debut album best

That time Tommy Aldridge told me that he “wasn’t a fan” of Brian Downey’s drum parts with Thin Lizzy

By Steve Newton As far as seeing concerts goes, I’ve been very lucky to have been situated in Vancouver since the early ’80s. It’s a major stopping point for bands touring North America–just a quick scoot across the border from Seattle–and being a music writer meant most of the shows were free. Only a few … Continue reading That time Tommy Aldridge told me that he “wasn’t a fan” of Brian Downey’s drum parts with Thin Lizzy

That time Tommy Aldridge told me why Black Oak Arkansas wasn’t mentioned in his bio

By Steve Newton When it came to hard rock drummers in the ’70s, there were a couple who particularly turned my crank. One was Cozy Powell, mainly for his work with Rainbow, and the other was Tommy Aldridge, mainly for his work with Black Oak Arkansas and the Pat Travers Band. (In the ’80s he’d … Continue reading That time Tommy Aldridge told me why Black Oak Arkansas wasn’t mentioned in his bio

That time Mike Fraser told me what it was like recording AC/DC without Malcolm Young

By Steve Newton There were a lot of rumours circulating back in 2018–some started by yours truly–about AC/DC making a new album in Vancouver with Mike Fraser. And those rumours were proven true with the release in November 2020 of Power Up. The band’s previous album, 2014’s Rock or Bust, was the first one not … Continue reading That time Mike Fraser told me what it was like recording AC/DC without Malcolm Young

Album review: Georgia Satellites, In the Land of Salvation and Sin (1989)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 1, 1989 By Steve Newton You’ve gotta like a band like the Georgia Satellites–they know what they do best, and the just keep doin’ it. On their first two albums they made pulverizing boogie-blues their one-and-only forte, and on their excellent third album they’ve not only kept the faith–they’ve become better … Continue reading Album review: Georgia Satellites, In the Land of Salvation and Sin (1989)

That time Lemmy from Motörhead told me that Jimi Hendrix was “the best you’ll ever have”

By Steve Newton I was just listening to an old interview I did with Lemmy Kilmister back in 2002 and came upon a bit where he talks about being a roadie for Jimi Hendrix back in the day. Having never seen Hendrix in concert myself, I had to ask Lemmy if he was really as … Continue reading That time Lemmy from Motörhead told me that Jimi Hendrix was “the best you’ll ever have”

That time Buddy Guy told me about Muddy Waters bringing him sandwiches when he was hungry

By Steve Newton Here’s an interesting tidbit from the first interview I did with Buddy Guy, back in 1991. At one point in the conversation I asked Buddy about this story in his record-company bio about the time he was starving in Chicago and Muddy Waters “force-fed him salami sandwiches”. Have a listen: To hear … Continue reading That time Buddy Guy told me about Muddy Waters bringing him sandwiches when he was hungry

That time I asked Buddy Guy why he was such a huge influence on Clapton and Beck

By Steve Newton Buddy Guy is one of the most influential guitar players of all time, having been a major inspiration for the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck. When I did my first interview with Guy, back in August of 1991, he had just released his album Damn … Continue reading That time I asked Buddy Guy why he was such a huge influence on Clapton and Beck

Eric Clapton stopped the car when he heard Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar solo on “Let’s Dance”

By Steve Newton Where were you when you first heard Stevie Ray Vaughan‘s killer guitar playing on David Bowie’s 1983 hit single, “Let’s Dance”? It was definitely the type of thing that caught your ear, because you sure as shit didn’t hear much Albert King-style soloing on commercial radio up until that point. According to … Continue reading Eric Clapton stopped the car when he heard Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar solo on “Let’s Dance”

Album review: Joe Satriani, Flying in a Blue Dream (1989)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 15, 1989 By Steve Newton Joe Satriani is the ultimate hero for air guitarists. When he burst on to the mainstream recording scene with the all-instrumental Surfing With the Alien last year, his high-voltage attack had people everywhere going, “What the hell is that?” Not since Eddie Van Halen’s appearance had … Continue reading Album review: Joe Satriani, Flying in a Blue Dream (1989)