Rock

Summers at Six Nations

  Where Robbie Robertson Learned To Play At The Feet Of His Mohawk Cousin   NICK KREWEN Hamilton Spectator October 6, 1994   TORONTO:  As a kid growing up in Toronto, Jamie Robbie Robertson had little interest and awareness in music. That all changed at the age of 11, when Robertson, who would later co-found The Band, started spending his summer vacations visiting relatives at the Six Nations Reserve just…


Tears For Fears on Their Seed of Love

AS PUBLISHED IN THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR MAY 9, 1990   Nick Krewen Hamilton Spectator May 9, 1990     Five years ago, British recording duo Tears For Fears ruled the world with their blockbuster album, Songs From The Big Chair. The album sold 9 million copies around the world, and TFF ruled the airwaves with their anthemic hits “Shout” and “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” And even though at…


Robert Plant Gets the Led Out

  Nick Krewen Hamilton Spectator December 12, 1988 Robert Plant loves his music. Already elevated to the status of rock immortal for his contribution as vocalist for Led Zeppelin – arguably the mightiest and most influential of the crunch-chord dinosaur rockbands – Plant is enjoying an enormously successful career as a solo artist. His fourth and most recent album, Now And Zen , has gone platinum twice-over in this country,…


Propellerheads’ History Repeating for the First Time

NICK KREWEN Special To The Spectator May 26, 1998   TORONTO — It’s a case of “History Repeating” for Alex Gifford, but success is sweeter the second time around. The last time Gifford was in Toronto, he was a teenager playing sax for British punk rockers The Stranglers, a position he held from 1984 until lead singer Hugh Cornwell announced his departure in 1990. Now he’s back on a promo…


Robbie Robertson’s Music For Native Americans

 NICK KREWEN Special To The Hamilton Spectator Thursday, March 12, 1998     TORONTO:  In 1994, Robbie Robertson embraced his Native heritage with the documentary soundtrack album Music For The Native Americans. He continues the exploration of his roots with his latest album, Contact From The Underworld Of Red Boy — released this past Tuesday — but says that this album is much more personal. “It isn’t a sequel to…