ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 9, 1992 By Steve Newton Any idea how many rock-hungry holidayers you can squeeze into UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium? Well, probably not one single body more than the 30,000 who packed the venue for last Wednesday’s (July 1) Great Canadian Party. There were massive line-ups for food and drink, and painfully long … Continue reading Spinal Tap crashes the Great Canadian Party to teach “Bitch School”
Tag: Tragically Hip
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
David Gogo recalls his first encounter with Stevie Ray Vaughan
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 2, 1991 By Steve Newton A lot of people dream about meeting their favourite musicians, and sometimes those dreams even come true. For this scribbler, that first magic moment came when I ran into Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham at the Pacific Coliseum back in ’78. After his … Continue reading David Gogo recalls his first encounter with Stevie Ray Vaughan
Bobby Baker thinks the Tragically Hip are better players and songwriters on new Road Apples
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 21, 1991 By Steve Newton I wasn’t expecting such a cheery tone from Tragically Hip lead guitarist Bobby Baker when he called recently from the band’s hometown of Kingston, Ontario. When the band played Vancouver last—at the Trade & Convention Centre’s New Year’s Eve bash—the crowd pelted the band with beer … Continue reading Bobby Baker thinks the Tragically Hip are better players and songwriters on new Road Apples
Trailer Park Boys director Mike Clattenburg revels in Canuck rock
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 4, 2006 By Steve Newton Helix isn't normally a band that comes to mind as one of Canada’s finest musical exports. But as director Mike Clattenburg proved in Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, its song “Heavy Metal Love” is the ideal backdrop for slow-mo footage of a skanky trailer-park chick descending … Continue reading Trailer Park Boys director Mike Clattenburg revels in Canuck rock
Matt Andersen’s Weightless energized by Hip producer Berlin
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 26, 2014 By Steve Newton Steve Berlin first got noticed on the music scene as a saxophonist for the Blasters, and later on Los Lobos, but in recent years he's been known just as much for his producer credits, having helmed records by such diverse artists as Susan Tedeschi, Deer Tick, … Continue reading Matt Andersen’s Weightless energized by Hip producer Berlin
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