Raising Hell In Rainbow Country

August 21, 2019August 24, 2019 Keith Sharp

Rockin’ The Rock Manitoulin Island August 17th, 2019 By Keith Sharp The tee shirt said it all. “Arrive. Raise A Little Hell. Leave.” This was the profound effect Vancouver’s Trooper had on the 3,000 plus audience who packed into The Flatrock Event Centre in Little Current, Manitoulin Island, Saturday, August 17th to attend what was the second annual Rockin’ The... Read More

The Simple Plan Charity Foundation Pays Dividends

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019 Music Express

Last month, just a few days before Christmas, the Simple Plan Foundation announced its donations for 2018, for a total of $225,000. More than 30 charitable organizations, all devoted to helping young people in need, received financial support from the Foundation, bringing its total donations to $2.5 million since the FSP was started. The list of recipients shows that the... Read More

Robbie Robertson Announced as Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient at 2019 Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019 Music Express

Canadian Music Week (CMW) is thrilled to announce Robbie Robertson as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. Robbie will be honoured for his exceptional contributions to the music industry at the annual Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards Gala Dinner at Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto on Thursday, May 9, 2019.... Read More

Kick Ass Sass Hits The Bottle

January 14, 2019January 14, 2019 Music Express

Canada’s Queen of Rock Sass Jordan has ventured among the vines and added winemaker to her already-impressive collection of accomplishments. In partnership with Ontario-based Vineland Estates’ Vice President, winemaker, and long-time friend Brian Schmidt, Jordan has launched Kick Ass Sass — a double-dip series into the realm of whites and reds. Available January 1st, 2019 at Vineland Estates, Jordan’s wine... Read More

The Diodes: Crash N Burn Revisted

September 10, 2015September 14, 2015 Keith Sharp

John Catto has taken a brief time out to from a scrambled Diodes rehearsal to spill the dirt on the band’s latest reunion tour which launches Friday at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. Having just flown in from England with band lead vocalist Paul Robinson to join up with original bassist Ian McKay, and drummer John Hamilton who is now playing... Read More

Goddo: There Goes The Neighbourhood!

February 9, 2015February 9, 2015 Keith Sharp

When Goddo front man Greg Godovitz announced he was moving from Toronto to Calgary eight years ago, local promoter Randy Charlton decided to mark the departure by organizing a `Good Riddance’ concert. Eight years later, Godovitz has decided to mark his 50th year in the music biz by returning to Toronto so Charlton has obliged by staging a `There Goes... Read More

The Box – Painting a New Canvas

August 5, 2014August 6, 2014 Keith Sharp

Those of you planning a late summer’s vacation jaunt to the Laurentian Mountains, just north of Montreal, may find yourself in the scenic village of Mont Tremblant. Should you decide to stick your head inside the quaint 806 (Rue de St Jovie) Art Studio you may discover a familiar face manning the cash register. That familiar face belongs to Jean-Marc... Read More

Alias Reunion Gig Sparks Possible Reformation

July 29, 2014July 29, 2014 Keith Sharp

It’s September 2012 and Alias guitarist Steve DeMarchi has agreed to meet with myself to discuss a “Where Are They Now” spotlight feature to run in the debut issue of the newly launched Music Express online magazine about Alias and what has happened to himself, lead vocalist Freddy Curci and the former Heart trio of guitarist Roger Fisher, bassist Steve... Read More

Astrid Young: Emerging From The Shadows

July 15, 2014July 16, 2014 Keith Sharp

Having to deal with the deaths of both her parents; Scott Young and Astrid Mead, just three months apart in 2005, Astrid Young faced a severe self-examination about what motivated her to continue to be creative. Now ensconced in the Prince Edward wine region centred around Picton, Ontario, Neil Young’s half-sister needed time to revive that creative spark she thought... Read More

Streetheart: One Night One Take. From The Vaults – The Original Lineup Captured In Concert

July 7, 2014 Keith Sharp

Call it Streetheart’s `Basement Tapes’ if you will. The originally Regina based band reunited with all of it’s founding members for a brief tour in the fall of 1993 which included a series of shows at the Rolling Stone Cabaret in Winnipeg, MB. Paul Dean, who is now more well known as Loverboy’s lead guitarist and main songwriter, decided to... Read More

Paul Nelson – Working Stiff Back In The Studio

June 23, 2014June 24, 2014 Keith Sharp

Paul Nelson strikes a forlorn figure as he stands by his stricken Stucco Construction truck, parked on a Vancouver roadway, awaiting the arrival of a much-needed battery boost for his vehicle. Nelson has been successfully plying his trade as a Stucco construction plasterer for the past 20 years or so, following his dad’s advice that he’d never be stuck for... Read More

The Many Faces Of Lisa Dal Bello

May 22, 2014May 23, 2014 Keith Sharp

Contrary to the perception that Lisa Dalbello has dropped off the music industry map, she’s still out there and you may hear her more times than you recognize. Yes that is Dalbello singing the Ford Focus commercial or the Cheers detergent commercial or introducing Peter Mansbridge on CBC’s National news program. And yes, that is Dalbello’s distinctive voice being utilized... Read More

Lorraine Segato: Emerging From The Shadows

February 7, 2014February 9, 2014 Keith Sharp

Lorraine Segato may have been out of the recording spotlight for the past 26 years but this doesn’t mean she’s been inactive! Working as an Artistic Direct, film-maker and writer, Lorraine has been developing her many other artistic skills. And although, she hasn’t been in the recording studio since releasing solo albums; her 1990 “Phoenix” and 1998 “Luminous City” releases... Read More

Lawrence Gowan: A Really Strange Animal!

February 6, 2014February 12, 2014 Keith Sharp

The irony that Lawrence Gowan is now a spokesperson for legendary Chicago classic rock band Styx is not lost on the affable Scottish-born singer who original carved out a name for himself in Canada, recording six solo albums in the mid-eighties and early nineties up until the “Best of Gowan” album in 1998. Set to execute a number of phone... Read More

KILLER DWARFS: Nothing Changes But The Haircuts

January 30, 2014January 30, 2014 Keith Sharp

In a few weeks’ time, Oshawa’s Killer Dwarfs will be packing their collective bags and pointing their vehicle southwards, final destination, Miami, Florida where they will board the MSC Divina cruise ship to participate in what is now an annual event called The Monsters Of Rock Cruise. Between March 29th and April 2nd, a ship full of well-heeled passengers will... Read More

THE BEST OF THE BEST (Singles) – Part Two

January 27, 2014January 29, 2014 Keith Sharp

As the manuscript for my Music Express book is undergoing it’s final editing process in preparation for its April 2014 publishing date, I would like to spotlight a few chapters that were omitted from the final publication. One of these chapters was a series of `Best Of’s’ from the time frame that encompassed Music Express (being 1976-1992). This first ‘Best... Read More

THE BEST OF THE BEST (Singles) – Part One

January 9, 2014January 29, 2014 Keith Sharp

Famous Underground Sets Euro Target

November 21, 2013November 22, 2013 Keith Sharp

When it comes to promoting hard rock bands in this country, Canadian groups are wasting their time. So says Nick Walsh, former Juno-award winning lead vocalist of Slik Toxik, now enjoying a renaissance of sorts fronting new rock band, Famous Underground. “People talk about a resurgence of interest in hard rock over here, but in Europe, that interest never went... Read More

Metal Queen Comes of Age – Lee Aaron

December 5, 2012March 11, 2013 Keith Sharp

Lee Aaron downloads the Music Express E magazine and enters a time warp. Enclosed on the site are clips of Lee performing her signature` Metal Queen’ track at the 1984 Music Express Awards in Vancouver as well as her joining in a spirited finale of ‘Dance to the Music‘ with Bill Henderson, Shari Ulrich and Kathi McDonald. “Wow, big hair”... Read More

The Spoons – Nova Heart Transplant

November 27, 2012December 24, 2012 Keith Sharp

Moving into my new apartment on Asquith Road (just behind the Bay Centre at Yonge and Bloor) I noticed a major crack in the dining room wall. Not particularly of the Mike Holmes, Mr. Fixit breed, I decided to cover this offending crack with a large poster – but it needed to be a big poster as it was a... Read More

Category: Where Are They Now?