Tom Petty’s new songs soar and his oldies roar at the Heartbreakers show in Vancouver

By Steve Newton Along with the obligatory old hits, and tunes from his new number-one album, Tom Petty has been including some choice covers on his current tour. As well as opening shows with the Byrds' riotous "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star", his last three West Coast dates have seen … Continue reading Tom Petty’s new songs soar and his oldies roar at the Heartbreakers show in Vancouver

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers bring Hypnotic Eye to Vancouver this summer

One of my all-time favourite rock bands, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, will play Vancouver this summer. Maybe they're one of your all-time faves too! I mean, who doesn't like "Refugee"? I think it's safe to say that if you don't like "Refugee" you're f***ed in the head! The show takes place August 14 at Rogers … Continue reading Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers bring Hypnotic Eye to Vancouver this summer

David Gilmour from Pink Floyd tells me “we don’t do drug songs”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 22, 1984 By Steve Newton "Well that's artistic licence," remarked guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour. Over the phone from Toronto, Gilmour expanded on the motive behind "Murder", a song from his new LP About Face which contains the line, "By your own admission, you raised up the knife." "If I'd … Continue reading David Gilmour from Pink Floyd tells me “we don’t do drug songs”

The stars came out for Gov’t Mule’s Shout!

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 23, 2013 By Steve Newton What do Elvis Costello, Ben Harper, Dr. John, Grace Potter, Steve Winwood, and Dave Matthews have in common? Well, apart from the fact that they’re all certified rock stars in their own right, they each sang lead on a track on Shout!, the new album from … Continue reading The stars came out for Gov’t Mule’s Shout!