Search Results for: ramones

That time Night Ranger’s Jack Blades called me up from ZZ Top’s Eliminator tour with fresh memories of scorpion hell

By Steve Newton Night Ranger bassist-vocalist and main songwriter Jack Blades called me up from a truck stop in New Mexico back on January 13, 1984. At the time–two months before the band released its big hit “Sister Christian”–Night Ranger was opening for ZZ Top on the hugely successful Eliminator Tour, with sold-out shows all … Continue reading That time Night Ranger’s Jack Blades called me up from ZZ Top’s Eliminator tour with fresh memories of scorpion hell

That time Roger Glover called and told me that Rainbow was finished, it was time for Deep Purple (again)

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Roger Glover back in August of 1984, two months after the release of his solo album Mask. He called me up from a “kitchen” in Vermont, and told me that he was recording an album there. At first I thought it might be another LP by … Continue reading That time Roger Glover called and told me that Rainbow was finished, it was time for Deep Purple (again)

That time I asked Alice Cooper if he had a personal fave tune on his new album, Trash

By Steve Newton Back in September of 1989 I did my third interview with shock-rock legend Alice Cooper. The Coop was promoting his latest album, Trash, a star-studded affair that included guest appearances by Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Lukather, Kip Winger, Richie Sambora, and four of the guys from Aerosmith. At one point in the … Continue reading That time I asked Alice Cooper if he had a personal fave tune on his new album, Trash

That time I asked House of Lords singer James Christian if there was a lot of pressure living up to Gene “Moneybags” Simmons’ hype

By Steve Newton I interviewed House of Lords frontman James Christian back in November of 1988, when the band was enthusiastically hyping its new, self-titled debut LP. The quintet–which also featured keyboardist Gregg Giuffria from Angel–was signed to Gene Simmons‘ own label, Simmons Records, so there was a big promotional push on the album. At … Continue reading That time I asked House of Lords singer James Christian if there was a lot of pressure living up to Gene “Moneybags” Simmons’ hype

Rick Santers makes power trio Triumph a power quartet on The Sport of Kings Tour

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 26, 1986 By Steve Newton When Canadian power trio Triumph plays the Pacific Coliseum this Sunday (December 28), its long-time fans will be in for a bit of a surprise. For the first time in its 12-year career, the group will be sporting a fourth member, Toronto guitarist Rick Santers. Santers, … Continue reading Rick Santers makes power trio Triumph a power quartet on The Sport of Kings Tour

AC/DC expert Martin Popoff says that meeting Malcolm was one of the biggest highlights of his career

By Steve Newton A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Canadian author Martin Popoff, who is widely regarded as the world’s leading authority on all things hard rock and heavy metal. At one point in the conversation I asked Popoff–whose latest book, AC/DC at 50, looks at the history of that band through 50 milestone … Continue reading AC/DC expert Martin Popoff says that meeting Malcolm was one of the biggest highlights of his career

That time I asked Lars Ulrich about backstage passes for Metallica and, unlike Ronnie James Dio, he kinda blew me off

By Steve Newton Back in May of 1989 I did the second of my four interviews with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. At the time he was in Nagoya, Japan, on the band’s Damaged Justice Tour, which was due to hit Vancouver in a couple of weeks. Three years earlier I’d taken my 16-year-old nephew Jeff … Continue reading That time I asked Lars Ulrich about backstage passes for Metallica and, unlike Ronnie James Dio, he kinda blew me off

Webb Wilder’s twangy roots-rock is more like a shotgun than a sniper

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 8, 1989 By Steve Newton Childhood traumas come in all shapes and sizes–and occur when you least expect them. For Webb Wilder, leader of the crazed Mississippi rock band that sports his name, being kicked off a school bus–clarinet and all–was somewhat of a milestone in a career that brings him … Continue reading Webb Wilder’s twangy roots-rock is more like a shotgun than a sniper

Before he morphed into Reignwolf I asked teenaged guitarist Jordan Cook how he got into the blues

By Steve Newton Back in November of 2001 I interviewed an 18-year-old guitarist from Saskatoon named Jordan Cook. Nowadays Cook is making sizeable waves in the blues-rock world as rowdy, sweat-soaked performer Reignwolf, but back in ’01 he was just touring around Canada with two teenage bandmates trying to make a name for himself. Near … Continue reading Before he morphed into Reignwolf I asked teenaged guitarist Jordan Cook how he got into the blues

Colin Linden charms Vancouver with rollicking tunes from new When the Spirit Comes LP

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 21, 1988 By Steve Newton Bryan Adams was there. I was there. My sisters and brother-in-law were there. And if you’re lucky, you were there too–at the Town Pump, that is, to see the first Vancouver appearance in a long while by Toronto’s slide guitar ace Colin Linden. One of Hogtown’s … Continue reading Colin Linden charms Vancouver with rollicking tunes from new When the Spirit Comes LP

That time Rick Wartell told me that Trouble was going over really well with the thrash-loving Pantera fans

By Steve Newton Back in October of 1992 I interviewed Trouble founder and guitarist Rick Wartell when the Chicago hard-rock quintet was touring with Pantera and heading to Vancouver for a show at the Commodore Ballroom.  At the start of the conversation I mentioned how much I liked his band’s current album, Manic Frustration, and … Continue reading That time Rick Wartell told me that Trouble was going over really well with the thrash-loving Pantera fans

That time I called up 18-year-old Derek Trucks just before he headed out on tour with Joe Satriani

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with slide-guitar legend Derek Trucks in March of 1998, when he was still just 18 years old. I called him up at his home in Jacksonville, Florida, the day before he was due in Texas to kick off a tour with Joe Satriani. He mentioned the possibility … Continue reading That time I called up 18-year-old Derek Trucks just before he headed out on tour with Joe Satriani