Roy Buchanan on turning down the Rolling Stones, loving Van Halen, and being flattered by Jeff Beck

me ‘n Roy at the Town Pump, February 10, 1986 ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 7, 1986 By Steve Newton Not many guitarists can say they were invited to join the Rolling Stones. Not many can say they turned the offer down either. But Roy Buchanan–quite possibly the best white blues guitarist in the world–can say … Continue reading Roy Buchanan on turning down the Rolling Stones, loving Van Halen, and being flattered by Jeff Beck

Rock Hall proves worthless yet again, overlooks Johnny Winter, Rory Gallagher, and Link Wray

By Steve Newton The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominated 15 artists for induction today, but neither Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, nor Link Wray were among them. Instead, Jan Wenner and his tonedeaf buddies chose such legendary rockers as the Spinners, Janet Jackson, the J.B.’s, and Chic. Janet Jackson instead of Johnny Winter? Chic instead … Continue reading Rock Hall proves worthless yet again, overlooks Johnny Winter, Rory Gallagher, and Link Wray

Sonny Landreth says he’s sure Johnny Winter will make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day

By Steve Newton In a few hours I’m heading out to see Louisiana slide-guitar ace Sonny Landreth play a gig in Vancouver. If you’re a fan of Sonny, you may know that his latest album, Bound By the Blues, features a tribute to one of his musical heroes, Johnny Winter, called “Firebird Blues”. You may also … Continue reading Sonny Landreth says he’s sure Johnny Winter will make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day

David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour bites Georgia Satellites fans in Van

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 21, 1987 By Steve Newton Fans of the Georgia Satellites who were expecting to see the hard-rocking Atlanta band open for David Bowie at the scheduled time of 7 pm last Saturday (August 15) were in for a rather nasty surprise. The Satellites’ gig was pushed ahead to 6:30 pm so … Continue reading David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour bites Georgia Satellites fans in Van

Backstage at AC/DC with Angus Young, Scotty Bad, and my autographed copy of Powerage, Malcolm’s fave

By Steve Newton Holy crap is Angus Young tiny! Hey, sorry about that outburst. It’s just that whenever I spy this backstage snap from 2001 I can’t help but think that I’m literally twice the size of him–width-wise, anyway. Me and my buddy Scotty Bad look like freakin’ WWF wrestlers compared to that legendary pipsqueak. … Continue reading Backstage at AC/DC with Angus Young, Scotty Bad, and my autographed copy of Powerage, Malcolm’s fave

Michael Bruce’s deletion from Super Duper Alice Cooper is a bloody travesty

By Steve Newton Finally got around to watching the 2014 documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper for the first time the other night, and it was awesome: except for the part where they refused to even mention the name “Michael Bruce”. For the uninitiated, Bruce was the rhythm guitarist for the Alice Cooper Band during its first … Continue reading Michael Bruce’s deletion from Super Duper Alice Cooper is a bloody travesty

Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion

By Steve Newton Back in January I blogged about the “major concert news” that my old buddy’s cover band, Cold Chain, was gonna play the 40-year reunion for my Chilliwack Senior High School class of 1975. At the time I put a request in for what was probably my fave tune that year, Ian Hunter’s … Continue reading Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion

Sonny Landreth on first hearing Johnny Winter: “Holy shit, man, this is awesome!”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 15, 2016 By Steve Newton When Sonny Landreth connects his glass slide to the strings of his Strat, there’s always a good chance a blues-drenched tone will emerge—perhaps blended with zydeco strains befitting the guitarist’s home state of Louisiana. A blues freak since day one, Landreth composed a love letter to … Continue reading Sonny Landreth on first hearing Johnny Winter: “Holy shit, man, this is awesome!”

The best hit single Bob Seger never had

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 6, 2015 By Steve Newton In case you weren’t aware, American rock legend Bob Seger is playing Vancouver tomorrow night. He turns 70 in two months, so who knows how long he’s gonna keep touring. If you haven’t seen him yet, now might be the time. The first time I saw … Continue reading The best hit single Bob Seger never had

The Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner on junk culture, Aussie rockers, and Mars Needs Guitars!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 29, 1985 By Steve Newton One of the wildest rock and roll sounds to come up from Down Under recently is that of the Hoodoo Gurus. Just last year the Aussie foursome released their debut album, Stoneage Romeos, a thoroughly rocking blend of pop/punk, Merseybeat, and psychedelia–all slapped on a two-guitar … Continue reading The Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner on junk culture, Aussie rockers, and Mars Needs Guitars!

Dio brings medieval fantasy and better-than-Ozzy vocals to Vancouver, Yngwie just shows off

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 3, 1986 By Steve Newton Heavy metal veteran Ronnie James Dio played his own game of Dungeons & Dragons at the Pacific Coliseum last Saturday (December 28)–and 5,000 or so of his young fans came out winners. The show started when curtains surrounding the stage were pulled to reveal a 60-by-40-foot … Continue reading Dio brings medieval fantasy and better-than-Ozzy vocals to Vancouver, Yngwie just shows off

Rob Halford loves what Iron Maiden does with three guitars, but he’s “content” with what Priest does with two

By Steve Newton I interviewed Rob Halford a couple of weeks ago in advance of Judas Priest’s upcoming shows at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, and we had a pretty nice chat. We go way back, to that time he called me up to promote the Defenders of the Faith tour in ’84. At one point we … Continue reading Rob Halford loves what Iron Maiden does with three guitars, but he’s “content” with what Priest does with two

Billy Gibbons gets rude ‘n’ bluesy in Vancouver on ZZ Top’s Afterburner Tour

mila geran photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 20, 1985 By Steve Newton Shortly before his death, somebody asked Jimi Hendrix if he knew of any up-and-coming guitarists to watch out for. One of the players Hendrix mentioned was Billy Gibbons. Sixteen years later, Gibbons is living up to Jimi’s expectations. At the moment, his guitar … Continue reading Billy Gibbons gets rude ‘n’ bluesy in Vancouver on ZZ Top’s Afterburner Tour