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STEVEN TYLER Heard On LIT

AEROSMITH's STEVEN TYLER lent his voice to LIT recently--he'll be heard singing background vocals on "Over My Head," a track from the Titan A.E. soundtrack, due out June 6. The track was produced by GLEN BALLARD, who has been collaborating with Aerosmith on songs for their next album, including one called "Beyond Forever."

Metal Head Newz

Los Angeles metalheads turned out in force to see MOTORHEAD rock Hollywood's Palace along with NASHVILLE PUSSY, FU MANCHU and SPEEDEALER, and so did such rock notables as ERIC SINGER, CARMINE APPICE, SCOTT IAN, WHITFIELD CRANE, BRENT FITZ, BLASKO (ROB ZOMBIE's band), KELLY KEELING and OZZY OSBOURNE's son JACK. It was the third show of a summer tour supporting the new We Are Motorhead album, and according to LEMMY, the band will be on the road in North America through June, trek to Europe in July, head to Japan afterward and play more U.S. gigs after that. Nashville Pussy, who were dropped by PolyGram (in the Universal consolidation) but snapped up by TVT, will release High As Hell on May 30. The band is thrilled to be touring with Motorhead for the second time, as they're big fans (and now friends) of Lemmy & Co. BLAINE and RUYTER, the married singer and guitarist, even met because of Motorhead--both were wearing Motorhead t-shirts when they spied each other in a bar and knew !  they had something in common. As for news on the VIP guests, Scott Ian, who was fighting a bronchitis cough, said he's been busy finishing a S.O.D. home video and is heading to New York for a week to record a cover of "Destroyer" for a TWISTED SISTER tribute with ANTHRAX. He'll be back home in California until the Maximum Rock tour starts on June 24. Eric Singer, back from tour rehearsals and a show with ALICE COOPER in Phoenix, Arizona last Thursday, leaves today for a week in South America with GILBY CLARKE and Cooper/GLAMNATION bandmate RYAN ROXIE. He returns home next Thursday and heads to Europe with the Cooper tour on June 5. Carmine APPICE said he's thinking about re-forming KING KOBRA in the fall--he's working on deals for Europe and Japan. He's talked to the other band members involved including JOHNNY ROD, who's living in Pittsburgh and was a paramedic for a time, and all want to participate except MARCI (formerly MARK) FREE (yes, he had a sex change and now works in!
mortgage banking). Kelly Keeling, who is already writing songs with Appice, will be the singer, but jokes that it's on the condition that Carmine has to be blond--a reverse of the band's old image that featured Appice as the only dark-haired member among blonds.

The 14th Annual Milwaukee Metalfest

KING DIAMOND, MAYHEM, DESTRUCTION, and ENTOMBED will headline the 14th annual Milwaukee Metalfest on July 28 and 29 at the Milwaukee Auditorium. Also among the 150 bands on the bill are HATE ETERNAL, SHADOWS FALL, CRIMSON GLORY, MALEVOLENT CREATION, MACABRE, DECEASED, IMMOLATION, EXHUMED, OPETH, LOCKUP, BABYLON WHORES, OPERA IX, KATATONIA, CHILDREN OF BODOM, BEHEMOTH, YELLOW MACHINEGUN, TRANSPORT LEAGUE, HELLCHILD, MENTAL HOME, STAMINA, FLESHLESH, ENSLAVED, THE CHASM, KATAKLYSM, TRANSMETAL, DEFILED, and GORGUTS. The bands will play on four stages, and the event will also feature pro wrestlers and a vendors' marketplace. Tickets are $55 for two days and $35 for a single day pass and are available via Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com, Charge By Phone (414) 276-4545; Relapse Records (800) 303-0606, www.relapse.com; Night Fall Records in Minneapolis (612) 724-8166 and Chicago (773) 725-3530; or by sending a check or money order to payable to "Jack Koshick Presents" and a self-ad!

dressed stamped envelope to: Metalfest XIV, 1626 N. Prospect Ave., Suite 1801, Milwaukee, WI 53202. Visit www.metalfest.com for updates, schedules, hotel information, and directions.

Rockin' New Babies

Rock star dad report: JAMES HETFIELD and his wife FRANCESCA welcomed their second child, son CASTOR VIRGIL HETFIELD, on May 18 at 3:23 PM. The 9 lb. 6 oz. baby boy joins sister CALI TEE, born in 1998. POISON's BRET MICHAELS became a first-time father on Saturday, when his girlfriend KRISTI GIBSON gave birth to daughter RAINE ELIZABETH MICHAELS at 8:47 AM. "Just like her father, she arrived in dramatic form," says Michaels. "I had just arrived home from a 15 hour video shoot for 'Power to the People' when Kristi's contractions started. Her birth was amazing. Being in the room when Raine was born was as close as I'll get to heaven without dying." His 6 lb. 13 oz. daughter "has beautiful blue eyes, big fat pouty lips and lots of big hair," the proud papa describes. "A chip off the old block!" Congratulations to all the new parents!

Wedding Bells News

Wedding news: STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer SCOTT WEILAND married model MARY FORSBERG on Sunday, May 21, in Los Angeles, and M�TLEY CR�E's VINCE NEIL will finally marry longtime girlfriend HEIDI MARK this Sunday, May 28, also in Los Angeles.

BRUCE KULICK In The Studio

BRUCE KULICK, now home in Los Angeles following a two month run with UNION, is recording songs for a solo album with collaborator/producer KURT CUOMO. "I'm very excited about it," says Kulick, adding that a lot of the material is from his back catalog of songs that weren't used by KISS. "I will do all the singing, and there will be instrumentals, too," he says, outlining plans to market it through his Web site. Union heads to Sweden for four shows in early June, but otherwise tour plans, which might include a trek with RATT in July, are not solidified. Kulick will do some clinics and jam with a band called SHAMELESS in Europe in October, but he'll otherwise work on the solo album and a book about his career, tentatively called Honorable Discharge, which won't be a KISS tell-all. "I'm not going to trash them," says the guitarist, who still remains on good terms with the band.

Drummer MIKE PORTNOY Will Appear In Clinics Across America

DREAM THEATER's MIKE PORTNOY, who was named #1 Progressive Drummer (for the sixth straight year) and was also honored for #1 Recorded Performance (for Scenes From a Memory) and #1 Educational Video (for Liquid Drum Theater) by Modern Drummer's readers, is making a series of clinic appearances next month. Portnoy will appear at Rupps Drums in Denver, Colorado on June 27, at Guitar Center in Southfield, Michigan on June 28, and at Guitar Center in Roseville, Michigan on June 29.

ZAKK WYLDE Wraps Up With Metal God

ZAKK WYLDE just wrapped work on the (to-be-retitled) Metal God movie, and calls it the easiest and best paying gig he's ever had, "minimum input for maximum output." But he's not about to give up his day job, music--on June 1 he starts rehearsing for his tour with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY in support of Stronger Than Death, which launches June 23 in Anaheim, California. "But if MARK (WAHLBERG) wants me to be in his next movie, I'll do it," adds Wylde. It's only fair. Wahlberg is in the video he shot for "Counterfeit God."

GAMMA RAY

10 years of Gamma Ray, 10 Releases.Now, here is the ultimate smasher. "Blast From The Past", and this is the new Gamma Ray CD-page. Everyone can see that Derek Riggs did the artwork, right? Do you agree?

HELIX

HardRadio reports that the band has started writing for their next CD with Mike Hall and Jerry Finn, both formerly of Killer Dwarfs

HELP WANTED

PRIMER 55 is looking for a drummer - auditions start June 7, then it's off
to Ozzfest - send demos with picture/info and/or video tapes to:
PRIMER 55
PO Box 197565
Louisville, KY 40259-7565

ANGEL CORPSE

The band has split up - 'The Inexorable' will be reissued as a digipack with two cover songs, one from Morbid Angel and one from Sarcofago - Gene (g) and Tony (d) are said to be forming a new band

FALCONER

Recently signed by Metal Blade, this band features Stefan Weinerhall formerly of Mithotyn - the style is described as Viking influenced power metal

Last update: May 29, 2000

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