ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 27, 1990 By Steve Newton Robert Plant threw me for a loop at the Coliseum last Friday (September 21). From the lacklustre sound of his latest album, Manic Nirvana, I had the impression that the 42-year-old rock legend had drifted off into boring-old-fartsville, never to return again. I even expected the … Continue reading Robert Plant gets the Led out and holds his own with the Black Crowes in Vancouver
Tag: 1990
Melissa Etheridge says there’s another part of her that is brave and crazy
"I’ve been reading a book called The Vampire Chronicles and it’s really passionate. And that’s the side of me that I want to keep working.”
Guitar hero Tony MacAlpine praises the phrasing of George Lynch
It seems like every time you turn around, there’s a new hard-rock guitar wizard riffing out in your face. “Shredders” these guys are called.
My one and only interview with legendary bluesman Albert King
A young guitarist named Gary Moore also picked up on the feel and technique of the blues, and his biggest idol was Albert King.
The London Quireboys pulverize Vancouver (and Long John Baldry) with irresistible barroom boogie
With Long John Baldry grooving along from the wings, the Quireboys pulverized the crowd with a raggedy brand of rhythm ’n’ boogie.
The Black Crowes are from Atlanta, but 23-year-old frontman Chris Robinson says that he never cared for southern rock
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 9, 1990 By Steve Newton Chris Robinson, of Atlanta, Georgia, was nine years old when southern-rock heroes Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded the historic live album One More from the Road at that city's Fox Theatre. Robinson was a little young for concerts at the time, but even if he'd been of age, … Continue reading The Black Crowes are from Atlanta, but 23-year-old frontman Chris Robinson says that he never cared for southern rock
My interview with Stevie Ray Vaughan the month before his death
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 19, 1990 By Steve Newton On the honker from Montreal, Stevie Ray Vaughan is a tad disoriented. It's 7:30 p.m. his time, but he's still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I just woke up," he explains. "Hope I'm not late. I looked at my watch and realized that I didn't … Continue reading My interview with Stevie Ray Vaughan the month before his death
Scatterbrain brings its inventive thrash-funk to Vancouver, but the crowd at Club Soda hardly cares
“If you like us—cheer,” coaxed Scatterbrain lead vocalist Tommy Christ. “If you don’t like us—boo. But don’t sit there!”
The Church catches a buzz with its Gold Afternoon Fix
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 28, 1990 By Steve Newton The title of the latest Church album could be taken a couple of different ways, depending on whether you gravitate more toward the hippie or the yuppie lifestyle. For ’60s counter-culture rejects, the phrase Gold Afternoon Fix might conjure images of lazy mid-days spent soaking up … Continue reading The Church catches a buzz with its Gold Afternoon Fix
Steve Vai talks Frank Zappa, dream states, blowjobs, and Passion & Warfare
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 7, 1990 By Steve Newton In rock guitar circles, Steve Vai is the type of personality that Entertainment Tonight might giddily term hot. Walk into any magazine shop, glance at the rock ’n’ roll section, and chances are you’ll see the handsome, raven-haired guitarist grinning wickedly from a cover or two, his … Continue reading Steve Vai talks Frank Zappa, dream states, blowjobs, and Passion & Warfare
Splatter king Tom Savini brings “dead things” to life remaking Romero
By Steve Newton When Tom Savini's remake of George Romero's zombie classic The Night of the Living Dead came out in 1990 I did a phone interview with the gore-FX guru. That was cool. Blood and guts aren’t pretty. Neither is brain matter. But when it comes to the horror genre, those type of bodily components … Continue reading Splatter king Tom Savini brings “dead things” to life remaking Romero
Horror review: Tales From the Darkside
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 11, 1990 By Steve Newton In the wrap-around story that ties the three Tales From the Darkside together, former Blondie vocalist Deborah Harry plays a typical American housewife planning a dinner party. The film opens with her returning home from the supermarket with the fixin's--the main course is … Continue reading Horror review: Tales From the Darkside
Horror review: The First Power
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 20, 1990 By Steve Newton In recent years, horror moviedom's best-known villains have been masked avengers or burned-up baddies, but there has been the odd attempt to give evil a human face. Rutger Hauer did it perfectly well as the unstoppable blond phantom of The Hitcher, while Terry … Continue reading Horror review: The First Power