THE BEASTIE BOYS and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE will join forces this summer for the "Rhyme And Reason" tour of stadiums and amphitheaters across North America, with the outing scheduled to kick off on August 2 in Toronto and continue into September. The "Rhyme And Reason" tour will also feature various guest artists supporting the Beasties and RATM at each city, including GREEN DAY, BUSTA RHYMES, and COMMON, among others, although the exact guest act for each city is still being sorted out.
IRON MAIDEN's August 5 concert at New York's Madison Square Garden sold out in two hours, prompting a promise from the band to play another concert in the New York area befroe the end of the tour. "New York fans have always been fantastic for us - the shows last July sold out in days and the reception was mind-blowing. We have been saying for a while that Metal is back with a vengeance and this is just another indication," said BRUCE DICKINSON. The tour, also featuring QUEENSRYCHE and ROB HALFORD, kicks off August 1 in Toronto, Canada.
JOURNEY's new disc will be titled Arrival, and is set to be released on September 12. The Japanese release will feature one bonus track. This marks the first full-length album to be recorded with new singer STEVE AUGIERI at the helm.
MR. BIG's BILLY SHEEHAN will cyberchat with fans in America Online's Nightclub tonight, June 28, at 9 PM ET. He'll promote his forthcoming tour with side project NIACIN, which plays Martyrs in Chicago, Illinois on July 7, Docksiders in Erie, Pennsylvania on July 8, Trafalgar in Buffalo, New York on July 11 and the Bottom Line in New York City on July 13. AOL members should use keyword NIGHTCLUB, then click to MUSIC COMMUNITY.
VAN HALEN has apparently approached Toto's touring keyboard player about signing on for a tour that will start in September. Of course, the band will not confirm or deny this; Van Halen has remained tight-lipped about any reunion with DAVID LEE ROTH or any tour plans for the past nine months...and is subsequently being called by insiders "The worst-kept secret in the music business".
SLAVES ON DOPE's debut album Pictures From the Mainline won't be out until October 3, but it's just about done--a good thing, since the band will be on the road all summer with OzzFest. If a sneak preview is any indication, the album will be very heavy and very cool, and audiences will be getting a live dose starting July 2 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Slaves (which, despite the name, "is not a drug band," the members insist) moved to a Hollywood apartment last year and worked as car valets while playing gigs. But it didn't take long to get both management and a deal (with Divine Records, OZZY OSBOURNE's label) and now they've given up the jobs and the apartment in anticipation of spending the next couple of years on the road. There will probably be off-day shows with other OzzFest bands this summer and certainly more touring after the festival ends. Throughout, Slaves will be keeping in touch with fans via a constantly updated Web site, www.slavesondope.com, which will feature road reports and exclusive downloads, like the cover of "War Pigs" recorded for the Japanese release of NIB 2 and a cover of "Look What the Cat Dragged In" for an upcoming POISON tribute album.
Though it was shot three years ago, the movie Final Rinse has finally seen the light of day, as part of the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles. A fun, campy slasher flick about a psycho who scissor-stabs and then recoifs his victims and the hippie-turned-Joe Friday-esque cop on his tail, the movie is notable for its pop culture jokes and the musical participation of several musicians in acting roles and performances. SLAUGHTER is seen playing "Tongue-N-Groove" in the first scene, and BIOHAZARD, THE DICTATORS, and the now-defunct LAST HARD MEN, fronted by SEBASTIAN BACH, are also seen on stage. Bach has quite a few lines, but meets a grisly end. JOEY RAMONE has a supporting part, and FRANK GORSHIN steals the movie as the apoplectic police chief. If you're in L.A. and free on Thursday afternoon, Final Rinse will be shown at 2:45 PM at the Laemmle Sunset 5. Plans for wider theatrical and video distribution are currently in the works.
