jeff sutherland photos By Steve Newton Everybody's favourite Canadian guitar-rock band from the '90s--well, mine anyway--kicked off its 15-date Canadian tour with a show at the Commodore last night. Last April all four original members of the Age of Electric--singer-guitarists Todd Kerns and Ryan Dahle, bassist John Kerns, and drummer-vocalist Kurt Dahle--reunited for their first … Continue reading The Age of Electric kicks off Canadian tour with killer Vancouver gig
Tag: Vancouver
Drummer Steve Smith gave up Journey’s arena rock to gain Vital Information
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 27, 1987 By Steve Newton It's a long way, in musical terms, from the commercial rock of Journey to the improvisational jazz of Vital Information. But for drummer Steve Smith, who appears at the Town Pump Friday (March 27) with Vital Information, it was a route that had to be taken. … Continue reading Drummer Steve Smith gave up Journey’s arena rock to gain Vital Information
Nick Feldman on how Wang Chung gave William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A. a deeper dimension
"[William Friedkin] approached us and said 'Just read the script, go into the studio for a week, and be brilliant. Be spontaneous.'"
David Lee Roth comes out of his shell in Vancouver on the Eat ‘Em and Smile tour
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 12, 1986 By Steve Newton David Lee Roth's concert at the Pacific Coliseum last Sunday (December 7) should go down as one of the loudest gigs the old hockey rink has ever hosted. We're talking precautionary Kleenex in the ears, no less. Luckily, for those tough enough to handle … Continue reading David Lee Roth comes out of his shell in Vancouver on the Eat ‘Em and Smile tour
That time I asked bass goddess Tal Wilkenfeld what her career highlight was and she thought about it really…really…hard
By Steve Newton Back in 2016 I interviewed bass-guitar superstar Tal Wilkenfeld on the phone before going to see her gig at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver--which was wicked, by the way. What a band she's got! At one point in the conversation I asked Tal--realizing that she'd already accomplished a helluva lot for someone … Continue reading That time I asked bass goddess Tal Wilkenfeld what her career highlight was and she thought about it really…really…hard
That time I asked Metallica’s 23-year-old James Hetfield who his fave metal bands were
By Steve Newton Back in 1986 I met James Hetfield in his hotel room in Vancouver, and we talked for a bit about heavy metal, the death of Cliff Burton, new bassist Jason Newsted, and Metallica's latest album, Master of Puppets. I'm not sure which day in '86 the interview happened, but it was sometime … Continue reading That time I asked Metallica’s 23-year-old James Hetfield who his fave metal bands were
That time Jeff Beck told me that John McLaughlin was “the greatest player around”
me 'n Jeff By Steve Newton In my 35 years of writing about rock musicians I've never been as psyched as I was back in January 2001 when I got the chance to interview Jeff Beck. He was heading to Vancouver for a rare club appearance at the historic Commodore Ballroom, and I contacted him in … Continue reading That time Jeff Beck told me that John McLaughlin was “the greatest player around”
Van Halen kicks Vancouver’s ass before new singer Sammy Hagar channels Hugh Hefner backstage
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 31, 1986 By Steve Newton Things started off pretty bad at Van Halen's B.C. Place concert last Thursday (October 23). But they got progressively better as the night wore on. And by the end of the show there were no complaints at all. The reason for the poor start was the reincarnation of Vancouver's … Continue reading Van Halen kicks Vancouver’s ass before new singer Sammy Hagar channels Hugh Hefner backstage
Bass virtuoso Tal Wilkenfeld raves about her band before they blow Vancouver away
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON OCT. 15, 2016 By Steve Newton Tal Wilkenfeld played the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver a couple nights ago, and man, did she impress. Aside from the stunning bass playing she's best known for, the 29-year-old showed great promise as a singer-songwriter as well. My wife kept raving about the poetry in her … Continue reading Bass virtuoso Tal Wilkenfeld raves about her band before they blow Vancouver away
Bass superstar Tal Wilkenfeld only had three CDs to her name as a kid, but Hendrix was one of them
By Steve Newton When I interviewed bass goddess Tal Wilkenfeld back in the fall of 2016, in advance of a show at Vancouver's Biltmore Cabaret, I asked her what kind of music she was first drawn to in her life. Considering what an amazing musician she's become, I figured her childhood would have been overflowing … Continue reading Bass superstar Tal Wilkenfeld only had three CDs to her name as a kid, but Hendrix was one of them
That time I asked bass goddess Tal Wilkenfeld how she got so goddamn good
By Steve Newton Sometimes when I listen to a musician perform I wonder to myself, "How did they get so goddamn good?" And sometimes--if I meet said musician in my capacity as a music writer--I'll just flat out ask them how they got so goddamn good. I did it with guitarist Guthrie Govan in 2015, and … Continue reading That time I asked bass goddess Tal Wilkenfeld how she got so goddamn good
Kim Mitchell says “It’s 1986! Wouldn’t you be shakin’ like a human being?”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 22, 1986 By Steve Newton When Kim Mitchell plays Expo Theatre this Monday (August 25), one of the cooler tunes emanating over the Expo grounds is sure to be his "Go For Soda". Mitchell had a big hit with the song last year, but it wasn't just the blue-jeaned, party-hearty fans … Continue reading Kim Mitchell says “It’s 1986! Wouldn’t you be shakin’ like a human being?”
That time Malcolm Young told me what inspired AC/DC’s “Bedlam in Belgium” and how “music tames the beast”
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson at their Vancouver hotel room in 1983 it was less than two months since the release of AC/DC's eighth internationally released studio album, Flick of the Switch. One of the more intriguing tracks on the LP, the third one to feature Johnson on vocals, was "Bedlam … Continue reading That time Malcolm Young told me what inspired AC/DC’s “Bedlam in Belgium” and how “music tames the beast”