ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 5, 1988 By Steve Newton There’s nothing quite like your favourite bar band in your favourite bar to bring a tired body back to life. After a long haul to Seattle last week to check out the Monsters of Rock show at the Kingdome, I was pretty tired, but it didn’t … Continue reading The Georgia Satellites are my favourite bar band in 1988
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 20, 1987 By Steve Newton Tony MacAlpine is the recent discovery of talent promoter and Guitar Player magazine columnist Mike Varney, and what a find he is. On Edge of Insanity, MacAlpine performs 11 songs that feature him on guitar–with no vocals to get in the way–and he comes up … Continue reading Album review: Tony MacAlpine, Edge of Insanity (1987)
By Steve Newton I did my fourth interview with guitar legend Dickey Betts in August of 2001, when he was touring with the Dickey Betts Band in support of their new album Let’s Get Together. A little over a year earlier he’d been fired by fax by the Allman Brothers, who he’d cofounded back in … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me why he got kicked out of the Allman Brothers Band
By Steve Newton I never thought Lynyrd Skynyrd’s third album, 1975’s Nuthin’ Fancy, was anywhere near as fine as its first two albums, but holy fvck did I love the opening track, “Saturday Night Special”. It boasted a killer main riff by guitarist Ed King, and some seriously kick-ass, southern-fried solos by Gary Rossington. … Continue reading Burt Reynolds’ death two weeks after Ed King’s gets me raving about “Saturday Night Special”
Everybody sings along to the car radio. Whether you can carry a tune or not, it’s pretty hard to hold back if a song like “Back in the USSR” or “Brown Sugar” hits the airwaves while you’re cruisin’.
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)
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 7, 1988 By Steve Newton Being a rock critic is not all fun and games. “Sure, Steve,” you’re probably saying, “all those free concerts and backstage brewskies must be real tough.” Okay, so there are worse occupations, but like anything else it can get boring. You become pretty … Continue reading Def Leppard makes a triumphant in-the-round return to Vancouver on the Hysteria tour
photo courtesy Glenn Slavens and Crystal Lambert (cgrocker18@gmail.com) ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUGUST 15, 2018 By Steve Newton Hardcore AC/DC fans and photographic rumour-spreaders Glenn Slavens and Crystal Lambert are at it again. The dynamic Vancouver duo–he has the camera, she has the pad–have shared another photo with Ear of Newt that furthers the idea … Continue reading AC/DC in Vancouver: Mike Fraser spotted with Brian Johnson and Phil Rudd, maybe calling Cliff Williams on his phone?
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 5, 1988 By Steve Newton About 40,000 people paid $38.50 (Cdn) to see the marathon Monsters of Rock show at the Seattle Kingdome last Wednesday (July 27). My calculator blew up when I tried to figure out the night’s take, but I do know that the Kingdome is capable of holding … Continue reading Van Halen and Scorpions battle it out for stadium-rock supremacy as the Monsters of Rock tour hits Seattle
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 3, 1988 By Steve Newton The politics of rockin’ can be tough on new bands just getting used to the tour circuit. Take for example Guns N’ Roses, who are on the road in support of their first album, and opening for Iron Maiden, who’ve toured the world for 10 years … Continue reading Backstage with Slash and Bruce Dickinson as Guns N’ Roses open for Iron Maiden in Vancouver
By Steve Newton As I’ve no doubt mentioned before, I really like Warren Zevon. I only got to interview him once before his cancer death in 2003, but that one conversation–back in 1992–left a big impression on me. He was just such a smart, funny, no-bullshit kinda guy. I admire him so much that I … Continue reading That time Warren Zevon told me about his cyberpunk-inspired concept album, Transverse City
photo courtesy Glenn Slavens and Crystal Lambert (cgrocker18@gmail.com) By Steve Newton Alright, I’m starting to feel a tad guilty now, posting all these candid AC/DC photos. Actually, it’s only been two now–the first one being yesterday’s rumour-busting shot of Phil Rudd and Brian Johnson yukking it up on the patio deck at Vancouver’s Warehouse Studio. … Continue reading AC/DC exclusive: Angus Young lights up nephew Stevie at the Warehouse in Vancouver
By Steve Newton Went and saw Joe Satriani at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver last night, and holy crap was he smokin’! I must have seen Satch live around 10 times over the years–including on various G3 tours–and I don’t think he’s ever played better. Having such a wicked backing band–guitarist-keyboardist Mike Kenneally, bassist Bryan … Continue reading Meeting with the Alien: hangin’ with Joe Satriani backstage in Vancouver
