Tag: Colin James

Canadian blues-roots great Colin Linden is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 15, 1993 By Steve Newton When major-label recording artists do interviews to promote a new release, they usually go on about how it’s the best one they’ve ever made, how making it sapped all the artistic energy their souls could muster—that sort of thing. Then there’s Colin Linden, who plays the … Continue reading Canadian blues-roots great Colin Linden is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet

Keith Richards’ other great band kicks out all the jams in Vancouver

kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 21, 1993 By Steve Newton The Rolling Stones have owned the Granville Mall of late. A couple of months back Ronnie Wood played the Commodore; now Keith Richards has ripped things up a few doors down at the Orpheum. Maybe Mick Jagger will continue the trend and drop … Continue reading Keith Richards’ other great band kicks out all the jams in Vancouver

Guitar superstar Jeff Healey steals the six-string spotlight from Robert Cray and Colin James in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 10, 1992 By Steve Newton The PNE isn’t normally the type of place you’d go to save money, but Vancouver blues-rock fans who paid just $7.50 (plus fair admission) to see guitar heroes Robert Cray, Jeff Healey, and Colin James last Thursday (September 3) got themselves a heckuva good deal. They … Continue reading Guitar superstar Jeff Healey steals the six-string spotlight from Robert Cray and Colin James in Vancouver

Spinal Tap crashes the Great Canadian Party to teach “Bitch School”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 9, 1992 By Steve Newton Any idea how many rock-hungry holidayers you can squeeze into UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium? Well, probably not one single body more than the 30,000 who packed the venue for last Wednesday’s (July 1) Great Canadian Party. There were massive line-ups for food and drink, and painfully long … Continue reading Spinal Tap crashes the Great Canadian Party to teach “Bitch School”

Even Bruce Allen would have loved the Tragically Hip in Vancouver on the Road Apples tour

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 18, 1991 By Steve Newton The first time I heard Bruce Allen’s late-night talk show on CFOX, I heard the Big A comment: “Colin James for five nights at the Commodore? Why?” Was Allen jealous because Loverboy might never have had enough over-19 fans to accomplish the feat? Did he fear that … Continue reading Even Bruce Allen would have loved the Tragically Hip in Vancouver on the Road Apples tour

David Gogo recalls his first encounter with Stevie Ray Vaughan

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 2, 1991 By Steve Newton A lot of people dream about meeting their favourite musicians, and sometimes those dreams even come true. For this scribbler, that first magic moment came when I ran into Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham at the Pacific Coliseum back in ’78. After his … Continue reading David Gogo recalls his first encounter with Stevie Ray Vaughan

ZZ Top’s Vancouver fans wimp out while that little ol’ band from Texas delivers

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 4, 1990 By Steve Newton ZZ Top has always been one of the coolest bands in the land. Those wacky beards, those nifty suits, those fuzzy guitars—not to mention those barnstormin’ boogie tunes that make you wanna rock ’n’ roll all night and party every day. But after last Tuesday’s (October … Continue reading ZZ Top’s Vancouver fans wimp out while that little ol’ band from Texas delivers

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

Five years after Odds called it quits, Craig Northey is still in the game

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 24, 2005 By Steve Newton Craig Northey is best known for his work with Odds, the whimsically rockin' local quartet that spent most of the '90s churning out some of the most enchanting, Beatlesque pop this city has ever heard. Since Odds called it quits in 2000, he's stayed deeply involved … Continue reading Five years after Odds called it quits, Craig Northey is still in the game

Colin James shines bright on the talent-packed Limelight

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 24, 2005 By Steve Newton On Limelight, his new, Juno Award-worthy CD, Colin James pulls off a sharp cover of Bob Dylan's "Watchin' the River Flow", but the coolest thing about that track is what happens at the end of it. Just as the final strains of the 12-bar-blues number fade … Continue reading Colin James shines bright on the talent-packed Limelight