Tag: GM Place

A cringe-inducing Ozzy cashes in on the genius of riff-master Tony Iommi in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 1, 1996 By Steve Newton When Ozzy Osbourne called off his June GM Place show after two-and-a-half songs, the excuse given for his voice lapsing into a pathetic-sounding croak was first described by the concert promoter as a “vocal seizure”, and then by his record label as an “asthma attack”. But … Continue reading A cringe-inducing Ozzy cashes in on the genius of riff-master Tony Iommi in Vancouver

Ozzy Osbourne suffers “asthma attack” onstage in Vancouver, stops show during third song

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 1996 By Steve Newton Heavy-metal maven Ozzy Osbourne has overcome plenty of adversity during his more than 25 years in the hard-rock biz—from life-threatening bouts with booze and drugs to the airplane-crash death of guitarist Randy Rhoads—but he wasn’t able to prevail over the "asthma attack" that forced him to … Continue reading Ozzy Osbourne suffers “asthma attack” onstage in Vancouver, stops show during third song

There’s not a band in the land that can touch the Hip in concert

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 18, 2004 By Steve Newton Has the Tragically Hip finally lost its standing as Canada's top rock band? There's little doubt that Kingston, Ontario's favourite sons have been on a downward slide, popularity-wise, for the last few years. Back in '96, the group came close to selling out the Pacific Coliseum … Continue reading There’s not a band in the land that can touch the Hip in concert

Hyperactive hard-rocker Danko Jones doesn’t even know what sleep is

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 19, 2006 By Steve Newton Danko Jones has no time to snooze. In fact, his current bio claims that he hasn't had a nap since kindergarten. Any time spent in dreamland would just cut into his opportunities to rock your fucking ass off! "I'm firin' on speed right now," claims the … Continue reading Hyperactive hard-rocker Danko Jones doesn’t even know what sleep is

Aerosmith shows Mötley Crüe what rock’s all about

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 20, 2006 By Steve Newton It was billed as a coheadlining tour, but since when is Mötley Crüe equal in status to the mighty Aerosmith? I mean, come on! Aerosmith dropped more killer tunes on Get Your Wings than Motley Crue produced in its entire career! Yet for some strange reason there … Continue reading Aerosmith shows Mötley Crüe what rock’s all about

Eric Clapton gets shown up by Doyle Bramhall II in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 28, 2007 By Steve Newton A few days before attending last Friday's (March 23) Eric Clapton/Robert Cray show, I came across a timely TV broadcast of Taylor Hackford's 1986 concert documentary, Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll. Both Clapton and Cray are featured in it, the former performing the … Continue reading Eric Clapton gets shown up by Doyle Bramhall II in Vancouver

The Police reunite in Vancouver, but is it all about the money?

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MAY 30, 2007 By Steve Newton The Police may be remembered as musical revolutionaries who dragged punk-tinted new wave into the '80s mainstream, but that doesn't mean they didn't commit their share of crimes. Sure, "Message in a Bottle" deserves a spot on the proverbial desert-island jukebox, but hands up everyone … Continue reading The Police reunite in Vancouver, but is it all about the money?

Roger Waters brings the Dark Side to Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 27, 2007 By Steve Newton British rock had a banner year in 1973. The Who released its Mods-versus-rockers masterwork, Quadrophenia, Elton John's career peaked with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and David Bowie took glam to new heights on Aladdin Sane. But the album many feel ruled in '73 … Continue reading Roger Waters brings the Dark Side to Vancouver

ZZ Top, the Pretenders, and Brian Setzer bring ’70s-rock magic to Vancouver

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 29, 2007 I saw some very cool things at the big Jack FM classic-rock triple bill at GM Place last Thursday (August 23). First off, local punk-rock legend Joey "Shithead" Keithley could be seen strolling along the mezzanine, where he was accosted every 10 paces by a wide-eyed fan who … Continue reading ZZ Top, the Pretenders, and Brian Setzer bring ’70s-rock magic to Vancouver

Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie bring the metal to Vancouver

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 24, 2007 Those Ozzy fans sure are a rowdy bunch. I saw one inebriated dude in an Iron Maiden T-shirt attempting to get a mosh pit started right in front of a merch table along the GM Place promenade. Just two or three of his buddies joined in the fracas, … Continue reading Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie bring the metal to Vancouver

After Van Halen’s Vancouver show the jury’s still out on whether Dave or Sammy rule

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 12, 2007 By Steve Newton The vast majority of people at last week's (December 5) Van Halen show appeared to be males between the ages of 30 and 50, eager to reconnect with the unbridled guitar-rock noise that erupted straight outta Pasadena when David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen hooked … Continue reading After Van Halen’s Vancouver show the jury’s still out on whether Dave or Sammy rule