Def Leppard makes a triumphant in-the-round return to Vancouver on the Hysteria tour

kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 7, 1988 By Steve Newton Being a rock critic is not all fun and games. "Sure, Steve," you're probably saying, "all those free concerts and backstage brewskies must be real tough." Okay, so there are worse occupations, but like anything else it can get boring. … Continue reading Def Leppard makes a triumphant in-the-round return to Vancouver on the Hysteria tour

Philly’s Cinderella finds a bluesier vibe on Heartbreak Station

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 28, 1991 By Steve Newton Mandolin, Jew’s harp, pedal steel guitar—those aren’t the kind of instruments you normally find in a hard-rock band’s arsenal. But you’ll find those and plenty more being utilized to great effect on the latest Cinderella album, because the band with the cutesy name has come a … Continue reading Philly’s Cinderella finds a bluesier vibe on Heartbreak Station

100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong….or can they?

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 9, 2004 By Steve Newton I remember once seeing a poster that was just a picture of a turd and a sentence that read something like Eat Shit: 100,000,000 Flies Can't Be Wrong. That's what came to mind when I first laid eyes on the new, five-disc Bon Jovi boxed … Continue reading 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong….or can they?

Horror review: Cry_Wolf

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 22, 2005 Cellphones bug the hell out of me. It's bad enough that your life is continually threatened by distracted drivers jabbering away on them. Now you've got teen-oriented slasher flicks with plots revolving around today's wireless technology. "Can you kill me now?" Cry_Wolf kicks off in traditional horror fashion, … Continue reading Horror review: Cry_Wolf