ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 1, 1993 By Steve Newton A lot of bands know how to play to a crowd, but not many bands know how to be played by a crowd. Vermont’s Phish is one of the latter. Band members came up with the idea of throwing beach balls out into the audience—each one … Continue reading Mike Gordon says Phish is happy with the current situation
Tag: 86 Street Music Hall
Layne Staley says “No booze for yooz” as Alice in Chains goes all-ages in Vancouver
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 23, 1992 By Steve Newton What does it mean when a venue loses its liquor licence and a concert is changed from an all-you-can-drink show to an “all-ages” event? Does it mean that anyone who goes can act like a 16-year-old and get away with it? I guess … Continue reading Layne Staley says “No booze for yooz” as Alice in Chains goes all-ages in Vancouver
Guitar hero Michael Schenker goes acoustic and his fans are fine with it
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 12, 1992 By Steve Newton When Michael Schenker was only 15, he met up with Scorpions singer Klaus Meine. Just a year later, he was laying down the white-hot guitar licks for the Scorpions’ debut album, Lonesome Crow. But Schenker’s early musical accomplishments were not without their price, as the teen … Continue reading Guitar hero Michael Schenker goes acoustic and his fans are fine with it
Chicken suits and Mozart tunes are the Scatterbrain way
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 12, 1991 By Steve Newton When a group of musicians perform a composition by an artist as renowned as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, you might expect them to deliver it in a dignified manner, in a way meant to show the utmost respect for the composer. Then again, if your band’s called … Continue reading Chicken suits and Mozart tunes are the Scatterbrain way
Cadillac Tramps don’t let shady pasts colour their future
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 28, 1991 By Steve Newton Nowadays, the words “L.A. rockers” bring to mind frightful visions of leather, make-up, dyed hair, and half-assed musicianship. But according to Cadillac Tramps lead singer Mike “Gabby” Gaborno, the L.A. glam-rock vision is something of a myth. “MTV kind of messed up a lot of the … Continue reading Cadillac Tramps don’t let shady pasts colour their future
Marshall Crenshaw shows Vancouver that life’s too short–and pretty precious too
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 25, 1991 By Steve Newton Balding and bespectacled, Marshall Crenshaw looks more like a mild-mannered librarian (and a couple of rock critics I know) than the type to rip up a nightclub with tune after tune of jarring, picture-perfect pop. But, as the Detroit-bred, New York-based rocker proved at his first … Continue reading Marshall Crenshaw shows Vancouver that life’s too short–and pretty precious too
Divinyls are attracted to the seamier side of things
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 11, 1991 By Steve Newton Mark McEntee first met Christina Amphlett, his partner in the Divinyls, after seeing her perform in a religious choir at the Sydney Opera House. That’s right—we’re talking about the same Christina Amphlett who melts TV sets everywhere by prancing lewdly and lasciviously stroking … Continue reading Divinyls are attracted to the seamier side of things
Men Without Hats celebrate the good things in life
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 4, 1991 By Steve Newton From the sound of past pop ditties like “Safety Dance” and “Pop Goes the World”, you wouldn’t have expected Men Without Hats to eventually emerge as guitar-oriented hard-rockers. But even though the thundering power chords of the band’s latest single/video, “Sideways”—title track on the Montreal group’s … Continue reading Men Without Hats celebrate the good things in life
That time J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. didn’t feel like doing an interview
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 1991 By Steve Newton J. Mascis is a man of few words—and many pauses, sighs, and yawns. That’s when he’s being interviewed, anyway. In concert, with his band Dinosaur Jr., Mascis creates quite a ruckus, as should be the case when the band plays 86 Street next Saturday (June 22). … Continue reading That time J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. didn’t feel like doing an interview
Al Walker’s ’72 Strat has been carved up by the best
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 18, 1991 Al Walker’s blues-rock trio, Rock Party, came about as close as you can get to taking home the top prize in last year’s Demo Listen Derby battle of the bands. And if it weren’t for the type of headgear that judge Paul Dean wore to the … Continue reading Al Walker’s ’72 Strat has been carved up by the best
Queen City Kids reunite to conjure that ’80s prairie-rock vibe
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 28, 1991 By Steve Newton John Donnelly likes to rock. But between producing things like Band Warz, Guitar Warz, and Vocal Warz for the PromoCo arm of Feldman and Associates, the 33-year-old father of two doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to steal the spotlight. That’ll all change … Continue reading Queen City Kids reunite to conjure that ’80s prairie-rock vibe
Vancouver’s Sacred Blade is not your typical thrash act
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 14, 1991 Of all the last-minute surprises to befall a young metal band, being called on to replace a monstrously popular act like Metallica must be one of the most daunting. But that’s the type of challenge Vancouver’s Sacred Blade took on, no questions asked, one night in … Continue reading Vancouver’s Sacred Blade is not your typical thrash act
The London Quireboys pride themselves on “proper” rock ‘n’ roll
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 19, 1990 By Steve Newton There are some bands out there that are just made to play in bars—they have that certain something that demands you sip a frosty cold one while wallowing in their raucous boogie noise. The Beat Farmers are one of those, the Georgia Satellites another. And a … Continue reading The London Quireboys pride themselves on “proper” rock ‘n’ roll