Van Halen “rock concert” flyer from early Pasadena High School gig unveiled by author Greg Renoff

By Steve Newton If you're anything like me—and by that I mean an old guy who grew up loving guitar-rock in the seventies—that first Van Halen album of '78 was one of the most amazing things ever. At the time, I could barely comprehend how raunchy it was. Eddie's guitarwork was inconceivably fierce. Diamond Dave's caveman … Continue reading Van Halen “rock concert” flyer from early Pasadena High School gig unveiled by author Greg Renoff

Alice Cooper’s sheer awesomeness steals Mötley Crüe’s thunder in Vancouver

By Steve Newton Mötley Crüe performed its final show in Vancouver last night (November 21). Or so the story goes. Before embarking on its current tour the L.A. sleaze-rock kings got some lawyers to write up a contract wherein they declared that they would never go on the road again after this. That allowed them to charge … Continue reading Alice Cooper’s sheer awesomeness steals Mötley Crüe’s thunder in Vancouver

Flies on Fire fell in love with Canada and the Tragically Hip

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 16, 1992 By Steve Newton Although Flies on Fire have already released two albums full of honest, no-frills guitar rock with major-label distribution on Atco Records, they haven’t yet made much of a name for themselves. But they’re probably better known to Vancouver rock fans than to the … Continue reading Flies on Fire fell in love with Canada and the Tragically Hip

Vancouver bug wrangler Brad McDonald loves cockroaches, fears babies

photo by Alex Waterhouse-Hayward Here's my piece that ran as the cover story in the Georgia Straight's Halloween 2000 issue. By Steve Newton The first time I sat down for a meal in a New York City restaurant, a cockroach scurried across the table. One of the people I was with, the managing editor of North … Continue reading Vancouver bug wrangler Brad McDonald loves cockroaches, fears babies