By Steve Newton Fleetwood Mac must really love Vancouver. The Anglo-American pop greats played Rogers Arena less than five months ago, on November 18, before returning for last night's gig at the same venue. Apparently the feeling is mutual, because hordes of Vancouverites were willing to drop $199 (plus service charges and fees) for the … Continue reading Fleetwood Mac brings one helluva drum sound to Vancouver
Tag: Vancouver concert
Interviewing Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon just before they took the throne
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 25, 2003 By Steve Newton There’s a real buzz happening right now about Kings of Leon, a scruffy Tennessee quartet consisting of three brothers and a cousin who are winning praise for their garage-y brand of Southern-flavoured guitar rock. England’s prestigious NME put the band on the cover of its July … Continue reading Interviewing Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon just before they took the throne
Koko Taylor, Queen of the Blues, says Willie Dixon was her right arm
When Koko Taylor was a poverty-stricken youngster she used to find joy in her meagre existence through the music B. B. King liked to play.
Jonny Lang has always wanted to be a singer, and his dream came true a long time ago
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 23, 2003 By Steve Newton In the bio that came with Jonny Lang’s new CD, Long Time Coming, the singer-guitarist describes the album as “a journal of my life for the past two years”. Since one of the song titles is “Happiness and Misery”, you might assume that most of his … Continue reading Jonny Lang has always wanted to be a singer, and his dream came true a long time ago
Coco Montoya was transformed by the sheer soul of Alberts Collins and King
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton Many guitarists can pinpoint a moment in their youth when they knew they were destined for a life in music. For blues-rocker Coco Montoya it happened in 1969, at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. He’d gone there to see Creedence Clearwater Revival and Iron Butterfly, but … Continue reading Coco Montoya was transformed by the sheer soul of Alberts Collins and King
Laid-back legend J.J. Cale on starting out in Tulsa and “discovering oil” with Eric Clapton
If Eric Clapton is indeed God, then J.J. Cale has been collecting a lot more than just pennies from heaven.
Link Wray licks led to Los Straitjackets’ Supersonic Guitars in 3-D
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton Guitarist Eddie Angel was playing at a Nashville club in 1986, opening up for underrated roots-twang merchants Webb Wilder, when his future bandmate, Danny Amis, showed up. During the set, Angel caught the attention of the instrumentally minded Amis with a Link Wray cover, which led … Continue reading Link Wray licks led to Los Straitjackets’ Supersonic Guitars in 3-D
The Hangmen’s Bryan Small is done pawning guitars for drugs
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 4, 2003 By Steve Newton Here’s a happy little comeback story for ya. Back in 1989, singer-guitarist Bryan Small led a rowdy, punk-inspired L.A. rock act called the Hangmen that was hoping to establish itself beyond all the hair bands of the day. The group scored a deal with Capitol Records … Continue reading The Hangmen’s Bryan Small is done pawning guitars for drugs
My first Metallica interview, back when they were too heavy for me
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 15, 1985 By Steve Newton Metallica are the type of band that puts the "heavy" in heavy metal. Actually, drummer Lars Ulrich--who called me from L.A. last week--prefers to call his band's music "speed metal" or "thrash metal". Their sound crew are known as "The Sonic Decapitation Team", and local metal … Continue reading My first Metallica interview, back when they were too heavy for me
Jack Johnson doesn’t mind being called “the Jimmy Buffett of the millennium”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 21, 2003 By Steve Newton Jack Johnson has spent a large part of his life riding the waves in his native Hawaii. He was only 12 when he started surfing the universally revered stretch of beach known as the Pipeline, and before he was out of high school he scored a … Continue reading Jack Johnson doesn’t mind being called “the Jimmy Buffett of the millennium”
Joe Jackson thinks about 10 percent of music is really good stuff
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 21, 2003 By Steve Newton If you liked catchy, hook-infested pop-rock back in 1979, there’s a good chance you tapped a toe or two to Joe Jackson’s debut album, Look Sharp!. From the cynical hit single “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” to the postpunk rave-up “Got the Time”, the … Continue reading Joe Jackson thinks about 10 percent of music is really good stuff
George Thorogood, no longer a dick, says you gotta have songs about the women
The last time I interviewed blues-rocker George Thorogood over the phone, back in 1993, he acted like a real dick.
Nirvana plays the Town Pump in Vancouver (two days after the Beat Farmers)
Twenty-five years ago today—on March 12, 1990—Nirvana played Vancouver's Town Pump on a double-bill with fellow Seattle grunge-rockers Tad. Remember that amazing gig? I don't. For some strange reason I didn't go, although a year later I'd return to the fabled Gastown venue to review Tad, and then six months after that, the mighty Pearl Jam. I've been … Continue reading Nirvana plays the Town Pump in Vancouver (two days after the Beat Farmers)