The Muffins’ Martha Johnson Sets The Pace For World Parkinson’s Month With ‘Slow Emotion’
Rock Icon Billy Idol Announces Rebel Yell Canada 2024 Tour
Legendary Rapper Snoop Dogg Announces Cali to Canada Tour
Andy Kim Steps in for Goodwyn for Planned Acoustic Tour

A Rock Music Epiphany Comes To Life – The First Anniversary of Music Express Digital Magazine

Keith Sharp
A Rock Music Epiphany Comes To Life – The First Anniversary of Music Express Digital Magazine
Call it an epiphany if you will, a moment when that imaginary light bulb flashes above your head. That moment of inspiration came to me late August 2012 while working as a security officer for G4S, one of the world’s biggest security companies. It was that single moment of clarity which lead to the re-birth of Music Express as a... Read More

Killer Dwarfs Officially Open Rockpile East

Keith Sharp
Killer Dwarfs Officially Open Rockpile East
It’s always a good sign when the club runs out of beer! Bar staff were at panic stations Friday October 4th as the newly recreated Rockpile East (formerly the infamous Knob Hill Tavern) opened its doors with a headline concert by the newly revived Killer Dwarfs – and a dwindling stockpile of suds! Led by Russ Graham (who had been... Read More

Goddo at Rockpile East

Keith Sharp
Goddo at Rockpile East
The Pretty Bad Boys are back in the house, reliving past glories formerly generated at their Scarborough home base of The Knob Hill Tavern. Now reconstructed as Rockpile East and reopened the previous evening with The Killer Dwarfs doing the honours Friday October 4th, lead vocalist/bassist Greg Godovitz, guitarist Gino Scarpelli and drummer Doug Inglis made a poignant return to... Read More

Fantasy To Reality – Sean Kelly’s Metal On Ice Book

Keith Sharp
Fantasy To Reality – Sean Kelly’s Metal On Ice Book
Growing up in North Bay Ontario, Sean Kelly fantasized about being a rock star. He dreamed about escaping to Los Angeles, cracking the lineup of an aspiring rock band playing on Sunset Strip and getting scooped up by the A&R guy of a major record label. Then young Sean attended a rock concert in his home town featuring two Canadian... Read More

Keeping The Faith – Power Executes Goddo Rejuvenation

Keith Sharp
Keeping The Faith – Power Executes Goddo Rejuvenation
John Power is determined to set the record straight. Thirty Four years ago he was recruited to be the tour manager of Goddo, hired by the band’s management to help execute two major national tours in support of their “Act Of Goddo” (1990) record release “Goddo was at the peak of their popularity at that time,” noted Power, head of... Read More

Renaissance What Renaissance? – Helix

Keith Sharp
Renaissance What Renaissance? – Helix
Brian Vollmer doesn’t quite buy the observation that there’s a retro rock ‘n roll renaissance currently taking place in Canada. Yes there’s lots of classic 70’s and 80’s rock bands currently back on the circuit but as lead vocalist and sole surviving original member of hard rock band, Helix, Vollmer notes that it’s still a struggle keeping his band operational.... Read More

Rush announce Clockwork Angels Tour DVD!

Keith Sharp
Rush announce Clockwork Angels Tour DVD!
Legendary rock trio Rush have unveiled details for their first new recording since being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. RUSH: Clockwork Angels Tour will be released on November 19. The DVD was filmed and recorded last November at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, during Rush’s highly successful Clockwork Angels Tour. The... Read More

D.O.A – Welcome To Chinatown

Keith Sharp
D.O.A – Welcome To Chinatown
(Sudden Death Records) Vancouver hard-core punkers, D.O.A are celebrating their 35th year anniversary with a new live CD and a farewell tour! Yes, after numerous records and numerous personnel changes, lead vocalist/guitarist Joey (Shithead) Keithley, bassist Dirty Dan Sedan and drummers Jesse Pinner (who performed on the first 12 tracks) and Floor Tom Jones (who did the rest) are wrapping... Read More

Susan Jacks – Against All Odds

Keith Sharp
Susan Jacks – Against All Odds
Ever tune in to one of those classic pop stations that play golden oldies  when they start playing a song from Vancouver’s Poppy Family, either `Which Way You Going Billy’ or `Where Evil Grows’ and you think to yourself, “I wonder whatever happened to Susan Jacks?” Well, Susan Jacks is alive and well… barely, and appreciates your concern. To say... Read More

Heading for the T.Dot – Part Two

Keith Sharp
Heading for the T.Dot – Part Two
My first interview with Red Rider’s lead vocalist Tom Cochrane provided a source of confrontation. Red Rider; comprising of Cochrane (guitarist/lead vocalist) Jeff Jones (bass), Ken Greer (guitar) Peter Boynton (keyboards) and Rob Baker( drums) were a hotly sought after Toronto band in 1979. Both Capitol’s Deane Cameron and Anthem’s Ray Danniels were vying for them but Cameron was concerned... Read More

Gordie Johnson – A Musical Chameleon

Keith Sharp
Gordie Johnson – A Musical Chameleon
It was a decision made on the spur of the moment. Laid up for three months, recovering from surgery on his left hand to fix what had been a debilitating carpel tunnel problem (“My hand got so numb I couldn’t even hold a fork”), Gordie Johnson was offered the opening slot on a national George Thorogood tour. “I was restless,... Read More

So Run That Concept By Me Again! – League Of Rock

Keith Sharp
So Run That Concept By Me Again! – League Of Rock
Terry Moshenberg was deeply involved in a civil litigation suit against a company which had stolen one of his software programs when he sat down for dinner with his wife (former MuchMusic Veejay Erica Ehm) his brother Mitch and his brother’s wife. During the course of the meal, Moshenberg’s sister -in-law mentioned in passing how she is involved in upwards... Read More

Everybody’s ‘Jamaican for the weekend’ – Loverboy

Keith Sharp
Everybody’s ‘Jamaican for the weekend’ – Loverboy
It’s a long way from Calgary to the beaches of the Caribbean, but that’s the trip being made by legendary multi-platinum rockers Loverboy, when the band hosts a very special “Jamaican for the Weekend” event. Fans of the group will be “lovin’ every minute of it,” when Loverboy—lead singer Mike Reno, guitarist Paul Dean, keyboardist Doug Johnson, drummer Matt Frenette... Read More

Weekend Warriors Rev For Global Comeback – Coney Hatch

Keith Sharp
Weekend Warriors Rev For Global Comeback – Coney Hatch
Andy Curran is stuck between a rock and a hard place – literally! By day Curran toils in the A&R department at Toronto’s SRO/Anthem Records – home to Rush, Big Wreck, Tea Party and new boys The Reason – planning tours, organizing recording sessions and developing new talent for the label. But in his off time, bassist/vocalist/producer Curran now finds... Read More

Kenny Shields – Letting Go

Keith Sharp
Kenny Shields – Letting Go
(Indigo Incorporated) For a band that totally revamped classic hits like The Small Faces’ `Tin Soldier’, Them’s `Here Comes The Night’ and The Rolling Stones’ `Under My Thumb,’ refashioning them as hit songs in their own right, it isn’t a stretch to envision lead vocalist Kenny Shields releasing an entire record of classic covers. “Letting Go” is just such a... Read More