Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson believes metal is a powerful force in the ’90s

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 26, 1992 By Steve Newton More than any other metal tune in 1992, Megadeth’s “Symphony of Destruction” was the one that made this jaded, riff-ravaged semi-headbanger sit up and take notice. Driven by a brutally direct, ’70s-style guitar riff, the sharp-edged cut was a welcome respite from the … Continue reading Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson believes metal is a powerful force in the ’90s

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

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

Chili Peppers bring heat to Vancouver with pogoing Flea after Dave Grohl gets his nipple pinched

kevin statham photos ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 1, 2000 By Steve Newton Nobody rocks like Flea. As soon as the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ hyperkinetic bassist stepped on the GM Place stage last Sunday (May 28), he started churning out monstrous hard-funk licks, and he didn’t slow down until the gig was over. And when … Continue reading Chili Peppers bring heat to Vancouver with pogoing Flea after Dave Grohl gets his nipple pinched

Anthrax singer John Bush looks back on Armored Saint with no regrets

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 2, 1993 By Steve Newton The metal world got quite a shock when it was announced last year that original Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna was leaving the band after 11 successful years. It got even more of a jolt when former Armored Saint vocalist John Bush jumped in to take Belladonna’s … Continue reading Anthrax singer John Bush looks back on Armored Saint with no regrets

Jeff Beck’s astonishing Vancouver show crushes the myth that Clapton is God

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 23, 1999 By Steve Newton Apart from an arena show with Rod Stewart in the ’80s, it had been nearly 25 years since fans of Jeff Beck last saw him play here, so the anticipatory vibe that surged through the Queen E around 9 p.m. last Saturday (September 18) was understandable. … Continue reading Jeff Beck’s astonishing Vancouver show crushes the myth that Clapton is God

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

ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons tells me “them low-down blues ain’t bad”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 1, 1994 By Steve Newton When famous rock guitarists reminisce about their first instruments, the talk tends toward dirt-cheap acoustics with heavy strings set so high off the fretboard that it hurts just to look at them. Not with Billy Gibbons, though. The incomparable guitarman for ZZ Top got an atypical … Continue reading ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons tells me “them low-down blues ain’t bad”

Perfecting the lost art of the backstage meet ‘n’ greet at John Mellencamp in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 20, 1999 By Steve Newton I like John Mellencamp, but my sister Julie and cousin Cory are crazy about him, so I did some serious scroungin’ and wangled three backstage passes to meet the Indiana rocker before he went on stage at GM Place last Saturday (May 15). Now, for those … Continue reading Perfecting the lost art of the backstage meet ‘n’ greet at John Mellencamp in Vancouver

Lemmy doc profiles Motörhead’s “motherf***er” Kilmister

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 16, 2010 By Steve Newton The movie’s tagline reads: “49% motherf**ker. 51% son of a bitch”, so you know it’s gotta be about Motörhead bassist-vocalist Lemmy Kilmister. Lemmy is the feature-length documentary about the life and career of British metal legend Kilmister, which gets its U.K. premiere at the London … Continue reading Lemmy doc profiles Motörhead’s “motherf***er” Kilmister

Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes joins Joe Bonamassa on Deep Purple tribute

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 11, 2012 By Steve Newton Deep Purple fans saddened by the cancer death of keyboardist Jon Lord last month have something to look forward to, as a 40th-anniversary tribute to the group’s biggest album, Machine Head, is scheduled for release this September. On Re-Machined, some of the world’s loudest bands will be covering songs from … Continue reading Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes joins Joe Bonamassa on Deep Purple tribute

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