That time AC/DC’s Malcolm Young told me that his biggest influences were “the old rockers” and early Clapton

By Steve Newton I love listening to these old soundbites of me hangin’ out with AC/DC‘s Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson at a Vancouver hotel room, sippin’ tea and chattin’ it up. The vast majority of interviews I’ve done since getting into the music-writing game back in ’82 with Vancouver’s Georgia Straight newspaper have been done … Continue reading That time AC/DC’s Malcolm Young told me that his biggest influences were “the old rockers” and early Clapton

That time Brian Johnson joked about going deaf and Malcolm Young added that AC/DC’s fans get most of the volume

By Steve Newton The biggest news in the hard-rock world back in 2016 revolved around AC/DC having to hire Axl Rose to take the place of Brian Johnson for the remainder of its Rock or Bust World Tour. Johnson, the band’s singer since replacing Bon Scott in 1980, had to leave the band–or got tossed … Continue reading That time Brian Johnson joked about going deaf and Malcolm Young added that AC/DC’s fans get most of the volume

That time I asked Mick Ronson what he thought of Great White’s version of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”

@shotbykevin By Steve Newton I graduated from high school in 1975, and, holy crap, was that ever a great year for rock music! Lizzy‘s Fighting, Floyd‘s Wish You Were Here, Zep’s Physical Graffiti, Neil‘s Zuma, Beck‘s Blow By Blow, Seger‘s Beautiful Loser–the list of killer albums went on and on. But none of them thrilled me … Continue reading That time I asked Mick Ronson what he thought of Great White’s version of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”

That time Gregg Allman told me how Allman Brothers roadie Red Dog dared him to redo “Whipping Post”

By Steve Newton When I interviewed Gregg Allman back in February of 1998 he was touring behind his fifth solo release, Searching for Simplicity. That album opened with an unplugged version of “Whipping Post”, the song he wrote for the Allman Brothers‘ debut album in 1969, but which didn’t reach its full potential until it … Continue reading That time Gregg Allman told me how Allman Brothers roadie Red Dog dared him to redo “Whipping Post”

Hangin’ with AC/DC on the Flick of the Switch tour while Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson talk Bon

By Steve Newton I guess one of the cooler in-person interviews I’ve ever done was that time back in October of ’83 when I hung out with three members of AC/DC–singer Brian Johnson, rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, and then-new drummer Simon Wright–at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. The Aussie earbusters were in town to … Continue reading Hangin’ with AC/DC on the Flick of the Switch tour while Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson talk Bon

That time Gord Downie told me that the Tragically Hip would love to make a record every month

By Steve Newton Here’s the last audio excerpt I’m gonna post from the fourth interview I did with Gordon Downie, back in July of ’95. As the interview wound down I asked the legendary Canuck rocker if the Tragically Hip ever got pressure from its record label to crank records out by a particular date. … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me that the Tragically Hip would love to make a record every month

That time the Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie told me that he just loves meeting other musicians–period

By Steve Newton As most Canadian rock fans know, the Tragically Hip ended its final major tour in August of 2016 with a gig in its Kingston hometown that was broadcast (and celebrated) nationwide. Touring has always been at the heart of what the Hip is all about. Sure, making amazing records is a biggie … Continue reading That time the Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie told me that he just loves meeting other musicians–period

Duane Allman and Berry Oakley’s motorcycle deaths couldn’t keep the Midnight Rider off his bike

By Steve Newton I’ve been on a bit of an Allman Brothers bender of late. It started a while back when Gregg had to cancel some shows due to a “serious illness”. He’s feeling much better now, I’ve heard, but I still wanted to send good thoughts while continuously cranking out the four-CD Dreams box … Continue reading Duane Allman and Berry Oakley’s motorcycle deaths couldn’t keep the Midnight Rider off his bike

That time I asked Tony Iommi how Ronnie James Dio compared to Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath

By Steve Newton Since time immemorial–or at least since Dio replaced Ozzy in Sabbath back in ’79–armchair rock critics have debated the merits of the two singers. It’s hard to complain about anything Ozzy did with the band up until the awesome Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath album of 1973; then again, after three spotty LPs, Dio … Continue reading That time I asked Tony Iommi how Ronnie James Dio compared to Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath

Tal Wilkenfeld on life’s defining points, like auditioning for Jeff Beck in an altered state

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 13, 2016 By Steve Newton Tal Wilkenfeld has accomplished an awful lot since emigrating to the U.S. from Australia in 2002 as a teen. She’s performed with jazz greats Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter, and at the age of 20 recorded her 2007 debut album, the all-instrumental Transformation, which … Continue reading Tal Wilkenfeld on life’s defining points, like auditioning for Jeff Beck in an altered state

That time Gord Downie raved to me about Tragically Hip tourmates Change of Heart and the Odds

By Steve Newton One thing I figured out about Gord Downie during the five interviews I did with him between 1989 and 1995 was that he really, really likes musicians. Especially musicians who play in bands. He was always quick to rave about the new groups he’d heard lately, or maybe the ones the Tragically … Continue reading That time Gord Downie raved to me about Tragically Hip tourmates Change of Heart and the Odds

That time Ronnie James Dio got me and my nephew Jeff backstage on the Sacred Heart Tour

By Steve Newton I did my one and only interview with Ronnie James Dio back in December of 1985. The metal legend, 43 at the time, was headed to Vancouver for a show on his Sacred Heart tour, with opening act Yngwie Malmsteen‘s Rising Force. I’d been a fan of his since I first heard Elf … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio got me and my nephew Jeff backstage on the Sacred Heart Tour

The last time I interviewed Marty Friedman he was thrilled to talk about Megadeth; today not so much

By Steve Newton The last time I talked to guitar legend Marty Friedman he couldn’t stop talking about Megadeth. Mind you, that was 24 years ago, when he was a member of Megadeth. Today I interviewed Friedman for the first time since May of 1991–when Megadeth was in the midst of the Clash of the … Continue reading The last time I interviewed Marty Friedman he was thrilled to talk about Megadeth; today not so much