1969 was a crazy year. Led Zeppelin scared the hell out of people with their heavy rock debut(s), and Charles Manson scared people in a much different way. And The Beatles broke up, which may have scared one or two people.  

Join me as I examine the above in detail, including Zeppelin’s tendencies to ‘borrow’ from old blues artists, Manson’s bizarre relationship with Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, and the shocking way in which Beatles classic Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da was actually written.

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There have been times when I wasn’t sure we would hit this milestone. But here we are, almost three years after the very first episode of No Sleep ’til Sudbury aired, at episode number 150. Wow.

To celebrate, I went through the last 50 shows and put together some moments I thought represented the show at its best – insightful musical conversation, laughs, tears, and great musical performances. I regret not being able to use all of the material, as I’ve had so many incredible guests, conversations, and performances, but this isn’t a bad rendering. Thanks to all my loyal listeners around the world – this episode is for YOU. Enjoy, and stay safe!  

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With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing social distancing and isolation, cancellations and schedule alterations are a must. But fear not, listeners – First 30 CEO and massive music fan Amy Davies is my guest this week.  

In light of coronavirus concerns, Amy brings in a list focused on ‘feelgood’ music to lighten the mood and lift the spirits. We have a fun chat, and she shares stories about her embarrassing Queen lyric misinterpretation, how she hustled free drinks from Aussies, and her years living in London. We also mistakenly identify The Newlywed Game as ‘The Honeymoon Game’. Perfect fare for a quarantine. 

Davies’ playlist:

Nina Simone – Feeling Good

Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now

Jennifer Lopez – Let’s Get Loud

Spirit of the West – Home for a Rest

Cold Chisel – Khe San

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I was happy to welcome country sensation and friend of the show Kelsi Mayne back to the Sirius XM studios this week to chat about music and perform her new single “As I Go”.   

Kelsi is one of the hottest young country artists in North America right now, and her video for “As I Go” is getting a lot of attention. Keep an eye on her, she’s definitely on her way up.     

Mayne’s playlist:

Free – All Right Now

Tenille Towns – Jersey on the Wall

Ashley McBryde – Girl Goin’ Nowhere

Chris Stapleton – Whiskey and You

Miranda Lambert – Pushin’ Time

Shania Twain – You’ve Got A Way

Allen Stone – Brown Eyed Lover

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Black Crowes drummer and author of the new book, “Hard To Handle – The Life and Death of The Black Crowes”, Steve Gorman calls in to the show from Nashville this week.

Steve is funny, gracious, and unflinchingly honest about his time in the Black Crowes. The stories are astonishing, and he shares insights on SCTV and Kids in the Hall, what his favourite Crowes record is, where the cowbell double tap on “Wiser Time” came from, and of course, some songs that make his skin vibrate.       

Gorman’s playlist:

Television – Marquee Moon

AC/DC – Riff Raff

Illiterate Light – American Boy   

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Not many people can say they changed the cultural landscape of a city. This guy can. Legendary promoter Gary Topp is my guest this week on NSTS. 

Topp and his business partner Gary Cormier would come to be known as The Garys, a concert promotion colossus that introduced Toronto to Punk and New Wave, having brought bands like The Police, MC5, Talking Heads, and The Ramones to the city for the first time. They were also responsible for the riot that was The Last Pogo, but I’ll let Gary tell that story. Don’t miss this.  

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Former Wargasm bassist, writer, and friend of the show Bob Mayo joins me this week on NSTS to chat about more songs I’ve never heard.   

Regular listeners will remember that Bob has told some pretty courageous personal stories on the show previously, and that he’s an incredibly authentic individual. Recently he was asked to give a talk at MIT about, in his own words, how heavy metal didn’t necessarily save his life, but certainly gave him one. Bob is definitely the real deal.  

Mayo’s playlist:

Blue Oyster Cult – The Golden Age of Leather

Gillan – Abbey of Thelema

Immolation – Fostering the Divide

Voivod – Neutrino

Wishbone Ash – Lifeline

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As discussed last week on NSTS, 1991 was the year that grunge exploded. However, the scene was still very much in its infancy – hard rock and heavy metal were still the most dominant version of rock.

So this week, in addition to talking about U2, Garth Brooks, and Lollapalooza, we look at the two most powerful heavy rock bands of 1991 – Guns N’ Roses and Metallica. Axl Rose made history doing something no artist had ever done before with the Illusion records, and the recording of Metallica’s Black Album was so intense that three of the four band members would get divorced before it was completed. Don’t miss this.  

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I’m pretty stoked about this week’s episode, which focuses on the rise of the Grunge movement of 1991 – the stories behind how Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and other acts came to found this musical movement.  

The most interesting aspect of what people understood to be ‘grunge’ is that many of the bands thought to represent the genre, including Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Alice In Chains, really weren’t grunge at all. So what were they really? And what was really responsible for the eradication of hair bands in 1991? Hint: it wasn’t grunge… 

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Guitarist and friend of the show Greg Fraser calls in to NSTS this week. He’s got a brand new band called Storm Force, with a brand new record, Age of Fear – and it’s been getting a lot of attention around the world since its release last week.

Because he’s such a great Canadian, Fraze brings in five Canuck tunes that make his skin vibrate. As always, we have some laughs and a great musical chat that includes catching Geddy Lee on an off day and Lars Ulrich’s opinion of Streetheart.

Fraze’s playlist:

Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush – World Anthem

Triumph – Magic Power

Goddo – AnacanaPanacana So Walk On

Streetheart – What Kind Of Love Is This

Rush – 2112 Overture

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