4/25/2000
ROB ZOMBIE will make his feature film writing and directing debut for Universal Pictures with "House of 1,000 Corpses." Zombie, who made the announcement via his http://www.zombieweb.com Internet site, plans to begin production this month for an early 2001 release. Casting has not yet been determined. Zombie will also design a walk-through maze to give fans an advance look at the film for Universal's theme parks in California and Florida as part of the Halloween Horror Nights promotions in October. He designed "The Thrilling, Chilling World of Rob Zombie" for the Hollywood theme park last fall. The hirsute, gravel-voiced singer is a five-time Grammy Award nominee and an MTV Video Music Award winner. He has sold over 10 million records and contributed music to "The Matrix," "End of Days" and "Howard Stern's Private Parts." Zombie was attached to write and direct "The Crow: 2037" several years ago as the third in the series of "Crow" films, but the project has not yet been produced.
BON JOVI will warm up for a Japanese tour with a club date at Chicago's House of Blues on May 4. Tickets sold out immediately for the show, which isn't the band's only U.S. appearance on behalf of new album Crush, which comes out June 13. There's a radio station event in Providence, Rhode Island with other acts including GOO GOO DOLLS and MANDY MOORE on June 4, a date with DAVID LETTERMAN on June 13, and a Today Show outdoor performance in Rockefeller Center on June 16. Bon Jovi will also play at a European awards show in Monte Carlo on May 25. The Japanese tour begins July 12, followed by a European jaunt starting August 5 in Finland, but a full U.S. tour won't launch till the fall. JON BON JOVI has been promoting his U-571 movie, which was #1 last week at the box office, but he's not in most of it. Get there late and you may miss him.
WASP's BLACKIE LAWLESS will chat with fans on April 30 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT at America Online keyword Rock Chat.
ANOTHER BULLSHIT ALERT: When DAVID LEE ROTH and VAN HALEN tour together (sometime before the end of the year), over $20 million is to be spent on Club Dave, a MASSIVE club-atmosphere party that is set to wreak havoc after each show and will be filled with the usual Diamond Dave shenanigans! The post-show bashes work out to roughly $140,000 per concert date (about 150 shows!). As well, the Dave Fan Convention is coming up in Vegas April 28-30. The band has not confirmed this information, nor has their label or management, so anything that is posted until they do is purely speculation.
METALLICA's lawsuit against Napster.com now has no collegiate defendants, since USC has also been dropped from the suit that originally named three universities (also Yale and Indiana U.) The latter two banned access to Napster by their students and USC is allowing Napster to be accessible "for only demonstrably legal purposes from designated University personal computers and under University supervision. There are some applications available at the Napster site which are clearly legal, such as the chat rooms focused on various styles of music. Through our new policy we will continue to permit access to such speech related activities."
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD are embarking on their first Western Canadian tour starting May 11th, opening for THE SMALLS. This will only be Strapping songs and a couple from PHYSICIST, as the other material requires another keyboard player who is unavailable. The tour will end with full DEVIN TOWNSEND/Strapping Young Lad shows in Vancouver and Victoria that have yet to be determined. All dates are subject to change but at this time these dates are confirmed: May 11 - Brooks, AB, May 12 - Calgary, AB, May 13 - Edmonton, AB, May 14 - Possible SYL headlining show in Edmonton, May 17 - Saskatoon, SK, May 18 - Winnipeg, MB, May 19 - Regina, SK, May 20 - Humbolt, SK, May 21 - Saskatoon, all ages, and May 23 - Kelowna.
Contrary to rumor, RATT has not been officially dropped by Portrait. However, a new album is not being worked on at present. The label is not interested in moving forward on an album at this moment and neither is the band. Warren and Bobby (the only two remaining original members) want to see what develops with the new lineup when put to the test of being creative. John Kalodner is both encouraging them and supporting them to do the same. As well, the band needs to begin working and writing together to see what level of fresh creativity and chemistry there is in the unit. The only official word from Kalodner with regard to a new Ratt recording is that he will not do another Ratt record without Stephen. (wow, that showcase for Portrait must have really sucked!) ... The band's plan is to participate in a summer package tour to be announced in the next week or two. Dates are being assembled now for an early June into late August run. Yes, Robert Mason will be fronting the band. No, the band does not think it is going to be easy to work itself back into international prominence or acceptance with the new look. They do believe that it was absolutely 100% impossible to continue under the self-destructive circumstances of the old look.
CREED, FILTER, THE TEA PARTY, and HEADSTONES are among the bands on the bill at Canada's Edgefest, which will take place July 1 in Barrie, Ontario.
While the soundtrack is already in stores, the Heavy Metal 2000 movie won't be viewable till summer, and it will get its premiere on pay TV. The Starz channel will premiere the animated flick on July 14.
