That time Alex Van Halen told me which drummer first blew him away with style and feel

By Steve Newton Everybody has their favourite all-time rock drummer. Mine, for example, was the Who's Keith Moon, who won me over forever with his frenzied work on Quadrophenia. Many others point to the precise timekeeping of Led Zeppelin skinbasher John Bonham. When I interviewed Alex Van Halen back in 1995 he told me that Moon … Continue reading That time Alex Van Halen told me which drummer first blew him away with style and feel

Album review: Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won (2003)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 5, 2003 By Steve Newton Back in June of 1972, when these live recordings were made at the L.A. Forum and Long Beach Arena, I wasn’t a big Led Zeppelin fan. I was too busy reaming my ears with then-new LPs like Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4, Deep Purple’s … Continue reading Album review: Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won (2003)

Bonham tours behind The Disregard of Timekeeping and Jason reflects on his dear old dad

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 22, 1989 By Steve Newton In September of 1980, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham died of asphyxiation due to choking on his vomit after consuming a massive amount of vodka. A year before that tragedy--which stopped the much-loved band in its tracks--Led Zeppelin performed a major outdoor concert at Knebworth, England, … Continue reading Bonham tours behind The Disregard of Timekeeping and Jason reflects on his dear old dad

Jason Bonham calls Led Zeppelin biography “a load of exaggerated stories”

"How can a guy who was so fucked-up on heroin and alcohol remember exactly word-for-word or situation-for-situation what happened back then?"

Jason Bonham says his father was a regular guy who just happened to be in Led Zeppelin

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 24, 2010 By Steve Newton John Bonham is often called the greatest rock drummer who ever lived. And whether you agree with that assessment or not—I’m a Keith Moon man, myself—you’ve gotta admit that “Bonzo” was a master of the groove. Thirty years after his alcohol-related death at the age of … Continue reading Jason Bonham says his father was a regular guy who just happened to be in Led Zeppelin