COAL CHAMBER, MÖTLEY CRÜE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, ROLLINS BAND and SYSTEM OF A DOWN are competing for the title of Best Metal/Hard Rock Band in the annual L.A. Weekly Music Awards, which will be given out on June 29 at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles. BUCKCHERRY and L7 are among the nominees for Best Rock Band.
COAL CHAMBER drummer MIKEY COX has aggravated an existing shoulder injury, forcing the band to postpone a string of U.S. dates, but Cox vows to be back behind the kit in time for the band's run on this summer's Tattoo The Earth tour. Cox first injured his arm while touring with Ozzfest '98 and reinjured it during a show last week in Syracuse, New York. As a result, he and his band have had to cancel the last eight dates of their "No Home" tour, including shows in Baltimore, Maryland; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Tallahassee, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and New Orleans, Louisiana. Consequently, the injury forces the band into its first road lull since releasing its second album, "Chamber Music," last September.
BON JOVI's Crush sold 115,250 copies in its first week of release, landing the band at #9 on Soundscan's top 10 for the week.
Using the alias of "Anthony Flippen," CREED frontman SCOTT STAPP has taken to the bulletin board at the band's official Web site (www.creednet.com) and posted an apology for comments that bassist Brian Marshall made about PEARL JAM in a recent interview. Stapp made the post shortly after Marshall made the comments while speaking to Seattle radio station KNDD, although it wasn't until later that Stapp's identity was confirmed by the monitor of the bulletin board. In his apologetic message, Stapp wrote, "I am learning that part of being in a band is sharing in the consequences of another member's actions.... I'm writing because I don't understand why he said what he said, and I definitely don't agree with any of it. "Yes, [the interview] was [conducted] early," he continued, "yes, we get tired of the PJ question, but there is no excuse for the arrogance and stupidity. I ask you all not to judge Creed as a band, because the statements made were not the band's feelings, they were Brian's. "I'm sorry if Brian offended anyone, and he has already apologized to us for his comments. Concerning Pearl Jam, I hope that one day we can be regarded as having as much class, integrity, innovation, and passion as this legendary band."
The lead singer of GWAR will electrocute himself while on stage as part of Dragon Con, a sci-fi convention scheduled to take place in Atlanta, Georgia between June 29 and July 2. The event will be cybercast live via community.com.
LIMP BIZKIT's Fred Durst, KORN's Jonathan Davis, SUGAR RAY's Mark McGrath, and a host of hard rock's finest will get together next week for a photo shoot capturing the many artists lending their talents to "Strait Up," an upcoming tribute album to late SNOT frontman Lynn Strait. Press representatives for the project say that Durst, Davis, and McGrath will join SYSTEM OF A DOWN's Serj Tankian, SOULFLY's Max Cavalera, COAL CHAMBER's Dez Fafara, INCUBUS' Brandon Boyd, (hed) pe's M.C.U.D., and RKL's Jason Sears at an unnamed photography studio next week for a session designed to capture all the artists on "Strait Up." SEVENDUST singer Lajon Witherspoon will appear on the album but will not be able to make the shoot, and organizers are still trying to confirm whether or not SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor (another "Strait Up" contributor) will be able to make the event. However, both are still expected to turn up in the album cover art. OZZY OSBOURNE and former UGLY KID JOE frontman Whitfield Crane also turn in cameo appearances on "Strait Up" but will not be part of the photo shoot, as the session will capture artists who provided both vocals and lyrics to the album.
