ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 2, 1996 By Steve Newton There are all kinds of stories about bands being threatened by lawsuits over their names, but you can add another one to the list with the case of Minneapolis power-pop trio Semisonic. They were touring Midwest clubs as Pleasure last year when, out of the blue, … Continue reading Dan Wilson’s journey from Trip Shakespeare to Pleasure to Semisonic led to a Great Divide
Tag: 1996
Ressurection Mary strives to blow minds like Mother Love Bone
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 11, 1996 If you’ve ever played in a band, you’ll always remember your very first gig. I remember my first (and only) real gig. It was with a frighteningly inept cover band called Hack City, which was formed through members of the UBC Rockers’ Co-op, class of ’83. … Continue reading Ressurection Mary strives to blow minds like Mother Love Bone
Chili Peppers bass god Flea won’t answer to Mr. Ugly Stinky
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 11, 1996 By Steve Newton That Flea guy is a real character. For my phone interview with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ wildman bassist, I was instructed to call and ask for Mr. Ugly Stupid, the moniker Flea goes by when he’s on the road. But I started feeling a tad … Continue reading Chili Peppers bass god Flea won’t answer to Mr. Ugly Stinky
Cracker’s riveting rock thrives with killer sound at the Commodore
I’ve never heard a better-sounding gig than that performed in Vancouver by Virginia-based alternative-poppers Cracker last Friday.
Everclear’s Art Alexakis channels Angus Young in Vancouver, plays AC/DC’s “Sin City” flat on his back
@shotbykevin ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 4, 1996 By Steve Newton I went to see the 9:15 showing of Dead Man Walking at the Park last Saturday night (March 30), and because of that I missed the 11:15 showing of Naked Man Running at the Commodore. According to sources at the scene, the … Continue reading Everclear’s Art Alexakis channels Angus Young in Vancouver, plays AC/DC’s “Sin City” flat on his back
Mollys Reach scores free beer after signing with BMG
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 4, 1996 Any new bands wondering how to approach the writing of their bios—those pesky but crucial info sheets sent out to music journalists in the hope of scoring some ink—could take a tip from Edmonton’s Mollys Reach. The secret to winning a rock scribe’s heart, or at … Continue reading Mollys Reach scores free beer after signing with BMG
Ruth Ruth’s free tapes and gratis gigs led to American Recordings debut
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 4, 1996 If you’re a musician, working a day job at a record shop certainly has its perks. First off, you get to listen to music all day. Then maybe you get a discount on CDs. For New York City pop-punks Ruth Ruth, guitarist Mike Lustig’s record-store employment … Continue reading Ruth Ruth’s free tapes and gratis gigs led to American Recordings debut
No Use For a Name has no use for a 10-foot Bio-man monster on stage
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 28, 1996 It seems as if you can hardly get through a TV beer commercial these days without being bombarded by images of speed-crazed snowboarders charging recklessly down the slopes. I feel sorta left out when I see the type of thrill-seekers the Canadian breweries are targeting in … Continue reading No Use For a Name has no use for a 10-foot Bio-man monster on stage
That time I interviewed Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys when he was still just 23-year-old Mike Smith of Sandbox
By Steve Newton Holy snappin' arseholes, as my buddy Scotty Bad used to say back in Chilliwack. While searching through my old interviews from 1996 just now I came across one that I did with Mike Smith of Sandbox. If the name Mike Smith rings a bell, it could be because he's the googley-eyed costar … Continue reading That time I interviewed Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys when he was still just 23-year-old Mike Smith of Sandbox
Tom Cochrane gets his Canuck on at the Commodore in Vancouver on the Ragged Ass Road tour
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 22, 1996 By Steve Newton Last July a band calling itself Red Rider—but without Tom Cochrane in the lineup—played the Commodore. Not surprisingly, the turnout was small, and not surprisingly, I wasn’t there. I’ve been a Red Rider fan since day one, but the notion of seeing the … Continue reading Tom Cochrane gets his Canuck on at the Commodore in Vancouver on the Ragged Ass Road tour
Jeff Beck freak and knowledge junkie Mark Fitchett leads Cult of the Wrong Note
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 21, 1996 By Steve Newton Everyone’s heard the stories of starry-eyed youths who journey to Tinseltown with visions of glory and not much else, but they might not have heard about the kid from Richmond who hopped a bus for Hollywood with the dream of becoming a professional guitar player. Mark … Continue reading Jeff Beck freak and knowledge junkie Mark Fitchett leads Cult of the Wrong Note
AC/DC’s onstage antics and rowdy classics undermined by hellish sound on the Ballbreaker Tour
The show ended with a bang as several cannons were rolled out for the trusty concert standby, “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”.
Tom Cochrane handled pressure by taking the honest route down Ragged Ass Road
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 1, 1996 By Steve Newton Tom Cochrane’s “Life Is a Highway” was one of the three most-played songs in North America in 1993, which means that a whole whack of folks heard it, whether they wanted to or not. Cochrane admits that, by way of airplay royalties, the snappy little ditty … Continue reading Tom Cochrane handled pressure by taking the honest route down Ragged Ass Road