By Steve Newton I interviewed guitar legend Steve Howe for the third time in 2017, in advance of a Yes show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. Near the end of the conversation I asked the 70-year-old fretmaster who he’d been listening to in his spare time, which led to him naming some of his … Continue reading Steve Howe lists his favourite guitarists, calls Steve Morse “phenomenal!”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 23, 1990 By Steve Newton When Swedish guitar whiz Yngwie Malmsteen burst onto the hard-rock scene in ’84 with the Rising Force album, he took a lot of people by surprise—and it wasn’t just his funny name (pronounced “Ing-vay”) that did it. Malmsteen was a classically influenced speed-demon, … Continue reading Album review: Yngwie Malmsteen, Eclipse (1990)
kirk west photo By Steve Newton Warren Haynes is one of my alltime favourite guitarists, singers, and songwriters, so any chance I get to interview him I take. I’ve chatted with him five times for stories on Gov’t Mule, and once–back in 1994–when he was speaking as a member of the fabled Allman Brothers Band. … Continue reading Warren Haynes says he’s open to playing with former Allman Brothers bandmate Dickey Betts again
By Steve Newton Hey, how about another audio excerpt from an old interview I did with one of my fave guitarists, Dickey Betts? Back in 1992 I was talkin’ to Dickey about the Allmans’ latest album, An Evening With the Allman Brothers Band: First Set. The disc’s cover photo, taken by the inimitable Kirk West, … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me how sweet the buses were that the Allman Brothers toured in
crappy iPhone photos by the Newt By Steve Newton I’ve seen Roger Waters in concert a few times–although never with Pink Floyd, I hate to say. The first time was in June of 2007 at Vancouver’s GM Place on his Dark Side of the Moon Tour. Then I saw him in December of 2010 at the … Continue reading Roger Waters brings the best of Pink Floyd to Vancouver
By Steve Newton Allman Brothers Band fans (and guitar freaks in general) seem to really enjoy the audio excerpts I’ve been posting from my four interviews with Dickey Betts over the years, so here’s another one. Back in July of ’92 I did my third interview with Dickey, after the band had released its live album … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me that the Allman Brothers transcend generations
photo by the Newt By Steve Newton I wasn’t that excited about going to see Guns N’ Roses at BC Place last night, mainly because I wasn’t sure if they were still gonna have what it takes to pull off killer rock shows like they did back in the nineties. There were concerns about Axl … Continue reading Guns N’ Roses hit the mark in Vancouver by playing covers better than their own
kirk west photo By Steve Newton If you’re a dedicated fan of the Allman Brothers Band, you no doubt own a copy of their historic 1971 live album, At Fillmore East. Of course, that double disc was highlighted by the amazing slide-guitar talents of Duane Allman, who died in a motorcycle crash three months after its … Continue reading That time I asked Dickey Betts if it was tough picking tunes for the Allman Brothers’ live album of ’92
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 18, 1987 By Steve Newton I bought Alice Cooper’s Killer album last month. That’s right, I’m 30 years old, and I went out and laid down $8.99 for the record with “Dead Babies” on it. Now some people might think: “How immature. Doesn’t the guy have any taste?” But I don’t … Continue reading Alice Cooper on horror, censorship, and battling the PMRC with Raise Your Fist and Yell
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 30, 1987 By Steve Newton If there was one band I would have killed (well, maimed anyway) to see in its original lineup, that band would have been Lynryd Skynryd, the pride of Jacksonville, Florida, and arguably the best southern rock band to come along. That wish was shattered forever with the death … Continue reading Album review: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Legend (1987)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 18, 1987 By Steve Newton Not too many bands make it to the 20-year mark. But Scottish rockers Nazareth will reach that milestone next year. Singer Dan McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew, and drummer Darrell Sweet have been kicking royal butt for nigh-on two decades now, and with the … Continue reading Nazareth’s Dan McCafferty says Manny Charlton was writing good tunes for Cinema, so they used ’em
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 16, 1998 By Steve Newton Ever since Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth as Van Halen’s frontman on 1986’s 5150, the band’s legions of followers have been split into the Sam and Dave camps. Roth proponents feel his macho bravado and hog-in-heat performing style suited the group’s early music; Sammy … Continue reading Album review: Van Halen, Van Halen 3 (1998)
By Steve Newton The hard-rock world lost one of its most beloved artists on November 18, 2017, when AC/DC rhythm-guitarist Malcolm Young passed away at the age of 64. Ill health had forced him to leave the band in 2014, and to be confined to a nursing home, where he suffered from dementia. I only met … Continue reading Malcolm Young: the five best quotes I ever got from AC/DC’s rhythm master
