That time Dave Mustaine called out trendy jackasses while Megadeth toured behind Cyptic Writings

By Steve Newton When it comes to the so-called “Big Four” of American heavy-metal acts–Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax–I tend to pick Metallica as my fave. But I do like a few Megadeth tunes as well, “Symphony of Destruction” being particularly hard to beat. I’ve interviewed band leader Dave Mustaine three times, the first being … Continue reading That time Dave Mustaine called out trendy jackasses while Megadeth toured behind Cyptic Writings

That time Jake E. Lee of Badlands told me that hearing Van Halen got him back into hard rock

By Steve Newton Millions of rock fans around the world were mesmerized by Van Halen‘s sheer rockingness when it blasted onto the music scene in the late seventies. And Jake E. Lee was mightily impressed as well. When I interviewed Lee back in 1992 before a Badlands show in Vancouver we got to talking about … Continue reading That time Jake E. Lee of Badlands told me that hearing Van Halen got him back into hard rock

That time Walter Trout told me that his spirit was in his Stratocaster

By Steve Newton I interviewed blues-rock guitar wizard Walter Trout back in 2003, before he played a gig at Vancouver’s much-missed blues mecca, the Yale Hotel. At one point in the conversation he told me about his fierce, undying love for his 1973 “Strat-o-caster”. Have a listen: To hear my full, 24-minute interview with Walter … Continue reading That time Walter Trout told me that his spirit was in his Stratocaster

That time Stevie Ray Vaughan told me about his love of sixties blues

By Steve Newton Stevie Ray Vaughan wrote (and co-wrote) some damn fine songs, but he didn’t mind covering somebody else’s tunes either. When I did my second interview with him in 1990 his latest album was In Step, which included covers of sixties blues tunes by Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, and Willie Dixon. When I … Continue reading That time Stevie Ray Vaughan told me about his love of sixties blues

That time Alice Cooper told me that he would blow “clone bands” like Ratt and Mötley Crüe off the stage

me ‘n the coop. @shotbykevin By Steve Newton When I was a teenager in the early ’70s, Alice Cooper was god. I couldn’t get enough of his nasty image and the killer guitar-rock on albums Love It to Death, Killer, School’s Out, Billion Dollar Babies, and Muscle of Love. I lost interest somewhat after he … Continue reading That time Alice Cooper told me that he would blow “clone bands” like Ratt and Mötley Crüe off the stage

That time I told Ace Frehley that I thought the first Kiss album was the best Kiss album

By Steve Newton I was crazy about Kiss when their first album dropped back in the Year of Our Lord, 1974. I was 16 at the time, which is all you need to know. I think it’s their best album–love “Strutter”, “Deuce”, “Black Diamond”–so when the opportunity came to interview Ace Frehley back in 2008 … Continue reading That time I told Ace Frehley that I thought the first Kiss album was the best Kiss album

That time John Petrucci told me that the members of Dream Theater grew up idolizing Iron Maiden

By Steve Newton When I interviewed Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci back in June of 2010 his group was opening for Iron Maiden on its Final Frontier World Tour. So when I hooked up with Petrucci before a gig near Denver, Colorado I had a lot of questions related to the connections between his band … Continue reading That time John Petrucci told me that the members of Dream Theater grew up idolizing Iron Maiden

That time I asked Joe Satriani why he chose Ibanez guitars instead of Strats and Les Pauls

By Steve Newton I’ve interviewed Joe Satriani eight times because, hey, nobody plays guitar like Satch. He’s one of a kind. The last time I interviewed him was in 2018, and the first time was way the funk back in January of 1990, when he was touring behind his stunning Flying in a Blue Dream album. … Continue reading That time I asked Joe Satriani why he chose Ibanez guitars instead of Strats and Les Pauls

That time 29-year-old Steve Vai told me that he suffered making “For the Love of God”, but that blowjobs also do the trick

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Steve Vai when he was touring with Whitesnake in May of 1990, but I was more interested in talking about his brand-new solo album, Passion and Warfare. I was particularly blown away by the track “For the Love of God”, which still stands up as one … Continue reading That time 29-year-old Steve Vai told me that he suffered making “For the Love of God”, but that blowjobs also do the trick

That time I called up 22-year-old Jeff Healey and asked him about his role in the upcoming bouncer flick Road House

By Steve Newton I was fortunate enough to have interviewed Canadian guitar wizard Jeff Healey three times. Man could that guy wail on the Strat! The first interview took place in June of 1988, when he was just 22, and still three months away from releasing his incredible debut album, See the Light. When I … Continue reading That time I called up 22-year-old Jeff Healey and asked him about his role in the upcoming bouncer flick Road House

That time I told Edgar Winter that my fave tune on They Only Come Out at Night was “Round & Round”

By Steve Newton The Edgar Winter Group blew my 15-year-old ass away when it released They Only Come Out at Night in November of 1972. I mean, Rick Derringer and Ronnie Montrose together on the same album? Seventies guitar-rock heaven! “Free Ride” and “Frankenstein” were the big radio hits on that album, but I’ve always … Continue reading That time I told Edgar Winter that my fave tune on They Only Come Out at Night was “Round & Round”

That time Steve Kilbey told me that the Church “rocks like a bitch” on the Gold Afternoon Fix Tour

By Steve Newton Back in June of 1990 I interviewed Steve Kilbey of Aussie pop-rock band the Church. The quartet was touring behind its Gold Afternoon Fix, the followup to its hugely successful Starfish album, which you may remember for the catchy tune “Under the Milky Way”. At one point in the conversation I asked … Continue reading That time Steve Kilbey told me that the Church “rocks like a bitch” on the Gold Afternoon Fix Tour

That time Joe Bonamassa complained to me about Rolling Stone’s ranking of Robert Johnson on its 100 Greatest Guitarists list

By Steve Newton I did the second of my three interviews with American blues-rock guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa in December of 2011, when he was touring behind his Dust Bowl album. Shortly before our chat Rolling Stone had published its 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list, so we spent some time ridiculing that, and … Continue reading That time Joe Bonamassa complained to me about Rolling Stone’s ranking of Robert Johnson on its 100 Greatest Guitarists list