Steven Tyler screeches like a budgie from hell as Aerosmith rocks Vancouver on the Pump tour

By Steve Newton On March 17, 1990, Aerosmith played the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. At the time the band was still putting out pretty decent albums; six months earlier it had released Pump, which boasted rockin’ numbers like “Monkey on My Back”, “Young Lust”, and “The Other Side”. This was before it sold out for … Continue reading Steven Tyler screeches like a budgie from hell as Aerosmith rocks Vancouver on the Pump tour

The Hoodoo Gurus’ Brad Shepherd talks Aussie rock and Magnum Cum Louder

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 3, 1989 By Steve Newton The day afer the San Francisco earthquake, Hoodoo Gurus guitarist Brad Shepherd called me from Oxford, Mississippi. His band was scheduled to play the city by the bay in two weeks, and he wasn’t even sure if the venue they were booked into was still standing. Although … Continue reading The Hoodoo Gurus’ Brad Shepherd talks Aussie rock and Magnum Cum Louder

Southern Culture on the Skids’ Rick Miller loves Link Wray and Danelectros

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 8, 2001 By Steve Newton True to its name, Southern Culture on the Skids has always endeavoured to promote the stereotypical lifestyles of the culturally challenged dwellers in the former Confederate states. On previous CDs like Dirt Track Date and Plastic Seat Sweat, the North Carolina roots-rockers told tales of backwoods … Continue reading Southern Culture on the Skids’ Rick Miller loves Link Wray and Danelectros

After scary times in Bosnia the smalls set their sights on Texas

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 25, 2000 By Steve Newton Last February, Edmonton guitar-rockers the smalls found a unique way to celebrate their 10 years together: they kicked off a month-long European tour with a few dates in that popular wintertime destination, Bosnia-Herzegovina. When bassist-songwriter Corby Lund calls from outside of Winnipeg with the claim that … Continue reading After scary times in Bosnia the smalls set their sights on Texas

The Fixx’s Cy Curnin talks Rupert Hine, Tina Turner, and fear-driven censorship in 1984

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 12, 1984 By Steve Newton “It’s good fun coming up into Canada,” says Fixx vocalist Cy Curnin, who called from Ottawa last week. “You notice a difference moving from America to Canada, in that the audiences are really refreshing up here. They seem to listen a lot more, and at the … Continue reading The Fixx’s Cy Curnin talks Rupert Hine, Tina Turner, and fear-driven censorship in 1984

Kim Mitchell on the re-rise and re-fall of Max Webster

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 2, 2000 By Steve Newton If, like me, you’re a Kim Mitchell fan from way back, you may have been wondering just where the hell he’s been lately. I mean, he hasn’t played Vancouver in nine years, whereas in the ’80s he’d show up regularly to be a wild party and … Continue reading Kim Mitchell on the re-rise and re-fall of Max Webster

13 Engines are runaway locomotives at the Town Pump in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 15, 1991 By Steve Newton 13 Engines once played a gig in Memphis to a total of two people, which is less of a crowd than most bands get at rehearsals. But the Toronto foursome did a heckuva lot better than that at the Town Pump last week (August 7), pulling … Continue reading 13 Engines are runaway locomotives at the Town Pump in Vancouver

Bill Henderson says Chilliwack ripped off its name for the First Nations vibe

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 6, 2000 By Steve Newton It’s a bit weird coming from a small town that has the same name as a popular ’70s rock band. When you admit to having been born and bred in Chilliwack, there’s always some joker who’ll wonder aloud, “Hey, isn’t that where that ‘Crazy Talk’ band … Continue reading Bill Henderson says Chilliwack ripped off its name for the First Nations vibe

Joe Satriani takes a techno turn on new Engines of Creation

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 18, 2000 By Steve Newton I’ve yet to be bitten by the techno bug. You won’t find any discs by the Chemical Brothers or Crystal Method in my collection, or any stashes of Ecstasy in my dresser drawer. But after listening to the new Joe Satriani CD, Engines of Creation, I’m … Continue reading Joe Satriani takes a techno turn on new Engines of Creation

Steve Stevens on covering Sweet, working with Ted Templeman, and becoming an Atomic Playboy

Stevens is the innovative guitarist who was largely responsible for the success of one blond British bombshell by the name of Billy Idol.

Stevie Ray Vaughan says “it’s good to be alive with you” at his final Vancouver show, five weeks before the crash

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 26, 1990 By Steve Newton As far as arena spectacles go, Sunday’s (July 22) Stevie Ray Vaughan/Joe Cocker double-bill was pretty lame. No huge banks of lights, fancy lasers, or explosions. But there didn’t need to be. Those who laid down bucks for the Coliseum show got their money back in … Continue reading Stevie Ray Vaughan says “it’s good to be alive with you” at his final Vancouver show, five weeks before the crash

Eric Carr claims he’s still a fox as Kiss recruits Mark St. John and unleashes Animalize

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 28, 1984 By Steve Newton It was a snowy and cold January afternoon in 1975 when several high school friends and I headed off to the second Vancouver appearance of an up-and-coming rock band named KISS. Almost all of us had our well-worn copy of the group’s first album and tunes … Continue reading Eric Carr claims he’s still a fox as Kiss recruits Mark St. John and unleashes Animalize

Teenage slide-guitar ace Derek Trucks says his goal is not to play like Duane Allman

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN EXPERIENCE HENDRIX MAGAZINE, MAY/JUNE 1998 By Steve Newton Teenage blues-rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd has a great story about how he got inspired to take up guitar. It has something to do with him, as a little kid, watching Stevie Ray Vaughan perform from atop one of the Texas guitar legend’s amp cases. … Continue reading Teenage slide-guitar ace Derek Trucks says his goal is not to play like Duane Allman