By Steve Newton Yesterday Aerosmith announced its farewell tour, a five-month jaunt beginning September 2 in Philadelphia and winding up January 26 in Montreal. Unfortunately, they didn't bother to pencil in a date for Vancouver--the city that was instrumental to their huge comeback success in the late '80s and early '90s. The band recorded three … Continue reading Aerosmith snubs Vancouver with farewell tour announcement
Tag: Bruce Fairbairn
Vancouver’s Raymond May shoots for the big time with Bruce Allen-backed debut LP
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 15, 1988 By Steve Newton Music and money. The two don't always go hand in hand. Just ask your typical Vancouver musician. But when they do mix in this city, chances are there's a guy named Bruce Allen bringing them together. Raymond May, the latest upstart to come out of the … Continue reading Vancouver’s Raymond May shoots for the big time with Bruce Allen-backed debut LP
That time Alex Van Halen told me that his band switched producers in ’94 because they didn’t want to make For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Part 2
At one point I asked Alex how Van Halen came to work with Bruce Fairbairn, which led to some interesting commentary on the producer's role.
Album review: Mick Ronson, Heaven and Hull (1994)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 27, 1994 By Steve Newton From his early-'70s glory-and-glitter days as the muscular, platinum-haired axeman in David Bowie's Spiders from Mars to his workmanlike late-'80s club gigs with Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson always proved himself a rock guitarist of the highest order. When Ronson succumbed to cancer on April 29 of … Continue reading Album review: Mick Ronson, Heaven and Hull (1994)
Kiss lip-synchs and air-guitars its way through “Psycho Circus” for a Halloween episode of Millennium
Paul, Ace, and Newt on the set of Millennium. Would it have killed them to smile? ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 1, 1998 By Steve Newton A rocking Halloween came early for a couple of hundred lucky Vancouverites at the Rage nightclub last Tuesday (September 29). American glam-metal kings Kiss were in town, … Continue reading Kiss lip-synchs and air-guitars its way through “Psycho Circus” for a Halloween episode of Millennium
Album review: Aerosmith, Pump (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 6, 1989 By Steve Newton Some bands grow old gracefully, mellowing with age, but not Aerosmith. On Pump, the follow-up to the band's 1987 comeback album Permanent Vacation, the bad boys from Boston are as rude 'n' rowdy as ever. And nobody does it better. Pump kicks off … Continue reading Album review: Aerosmith, Pump (1989)
Album review: Aerosmith, Permanent Vacation (1987)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 18, 1987 By Steve Newton "If you grew up in the '70s you liked Aerosmith." That's what Peter Buck of R.E.M. wrote in the liner notes to his band's version of Aerosmith's "Toys in the Attic," and Buck knows of which he speaks. With albums like Get Your … Continue reading Album review: Aerosmith, Permanent Vacation (1987)
That time I did the Toddcast Podcast, with a little help from Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ronnie James Dio, Gregg Allman, and Bruce Fairbairn
By Steve Newton I can't believe I opened for Corey Hart today! Okay, it wasn't like I warmed up the audience for the "Sunglasses at Night" guy on his Back from the '80s Seeking Cash Tour or anything. But I did make my first-ever guest appearance on a podcast, so that's pretty cool. Todd Hancock--the … Continue reading That time I did the Toddcast Podcast, with a little help from Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ronnie James Dio, Gregg Allman, and Bruce Fairbairn
AC/DC-in-Vancouver news-breaker talks recording rumours, the Warehouse connection, and the magic of Malcolm Young
By Steve Newton I've interviewed hundreds of rock musicians over the past 35 years, but I've only been interviewed myself a few times--most of those discussions taking place earlier this year when local Tragically Hip fans like Jody Vance and Drex wanted to know about the book I'd just written about Gord Downie. But I was on … Continue reading AC/DC-in-Vancouver news-breaker talks recording rumours, the Warehouse connection, and the magic of Malcolm Young
AC/DC in Vancouver: Mike Fraser spotted with Brian Johnson and Phil Rudd, maybe calling Cliff Williams on his phone?
photo courtesy Glenn Slavens and Crystal Lambert (cgrocker18@gmail.com) ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUGUST 15, 2018 By Steve Newton Hardcore AC/DC fans and photographic rumour-spreaders Glenn Slavens and Crystal Lambert are at it again. The dynamic Vancouver duo--he has the camera, she has the pad--have shared another photo with Ear of Newt that furthers the idea … Continue reading AC/DC in Vancouver: Mike Fraser spotted with Brian Johnson and Phil Rudd, maybe calling Cliff Williams on his phone?
Album review: Bon Jovi, New Jersey (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 21, 1988 By Steve Newton There are hundreds of hard rock bands out there that are just as good as Bon Jovi. Unfortunately for them, they don't have Bon Jovi's talent for coming up with tunes that are both radio-friendly and capable of hooking into the mass consciousness … Continue reading Album review: Bon Jovi, New Jersey (1988)
Album review: Blue Öyster Cult, Imaginos (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 9, 1988 By Steve Newton Few rock 'n' roll bands can fuse raunchy guitars and menacing vocals and still come up with really beautiful music. But New York's Blue Öyster Cult has done that on more than a dozen albums since 1972. The latest boasts the same hard-hitting, … Continue reading Album review: Blue Öyster Cult, Imaginos (1988)
Album review: Krokus, The Blitz (1984)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 14, 1984 By Steve Newton Metal maniacs could do a lot worse than pick up the latest vinyl from Swiss headbangers Krokus. Recorded at Vancouver' s Little Mountain Sound and engineered by Payola$ guitarist Bob Rock, The Blitz captures better than any of their previous LPs the raw fire … Continue reading Album review: Krokus, The Blitz (1984)