Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell
Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

Earlier this year, the surviving members of Alice in Chains traveled across the U.S. to play a mere six club dates, recruiting Comes With the Fall frontman William DuVall to stand in for the late Layne Staley.

Well, as you'd expect, the response to those gigs was overwhelming, with each selling out (see "Alice In Chains Unveil Handful Of U.S. Club Dates" and "Alice In Chains Wrap Up String Of U.S. Club Dates In New York"). So now, the band has decided to head back out this fall, having booked a total of 40 gigs, sprinkled throughout the U.S., with one date in Canada.

The tour will get underway September 22 in Las Vegas and run through November 26 in San Francisco, with additional dates being added over the next few weeks. It remains unclear whether the newly reunited Chains will record new material with DuVall any time soon, but guitarist Jerry Cantrell said in February that it was a remote possibility. It's also uncertain whether DuVall, who was once a member of Cantrell's touring band, has been made a permanent member of the group (see "Remaining Alice In Chains Members Reuniting For Summer Gigs").

Tickets for all dates will be available through a fan-club presale via Alice in Chains' Web site beginning Monday, and the general public will have the chance to scoop them up on August 19. The band will be supported on this run by hard-rock outfit Hurt.

Alice in Chains will be touring, in part, in support of the forthcoming The Essential Alice in Chains, which will land in stores September 5. The two-disc collection is the first comprehensive Chains retrospective release, with 28 tracks culled from all four of the band's four LPs (1990's Facelift, 1992's Dirt, 1995's self-titled release and 1996's "acoustic" MTV Unplugged) and two EPs (1992's Sap and 1994's Jar of Flies), along with remixes of the two Alice tracks that appeared on the "Last Action Hero" soundtrack.

Alice in Chains tour dates, according to the band's publicist:

• 9/22 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
• 9/25 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
• 9/26 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
• 9/27 - El Paso, TX @ El Paso County Coliseum
• 9/29 - Lubbock, TX @ LoneStar Amphitheatre
• 9/30 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
• 10/1 - Grand Prairie, TX @ Nokia Theatre
• 10/3 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's
• 10/4 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater
• 10/5 - Hidalgo, TX @ Dodge Arena
• 10/10 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
• 10/11 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
• 10/12 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
• 10/20 - Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 10/21 - Winston-Salem, NC @ Millennium Center
• 10/22 - Norfolk, VA @ NorVa
• 10/24 - Baltimore, MD @ Ram's Head Live
• 10/25 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 10/26 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 10/28 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
• 10/29 - Albany, NY @ Washington Avenue Armory
• 10/31 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
• 11/1 - New York, NY @ Nokia Theatre Times Square
• 11/2 - New York, NY @ Nokia Theatre Times Square
• 11/4 - Niagara Falls, NY @ The Dome Theater
• 11/5 - Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
• 11/7 - Mount Clemens, MI @ Emerald Theatre
• 11/8 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
• 11/9 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
• 11/11 - Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
• 11/13 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
• 11/14 - Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
• 11/16 - Wichita, KS @ Cotillion Ballroom
• 11/17 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Bricktown Events Center
• 11/18 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre
• 11/20 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
• 11/21 - Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
• 11/22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Saltair Pavilion
• 11/24 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
• 11/26 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre

• Alice In Chains: Where Ya Been?

• Alice in Chains
• Jerry Cantrell
• Comes With The Fall

Jerry Cantrell
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

In the words of Jerry Cantrell, "There will be some Alice in Chains shows this year — that's a fact."

There may even be a new record from the grunge rockers, who've been idle for close to 10 years. At this point, the guitarist said, all he can really say is that the band is active, and that the remaining members of Alice — himself, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney — will be taking the stage this summer to perform songs from the band's catalog.

"We're making it up as we go along," Cantrell explained. "It's what we always did in the past. We're writing the book as we live it. We feel confident that we will have a good time and that it's something that will live up to the same level. It's an exploratory thing, and we're just having fun with it. We'd like to go out and play for the people that supported us and love the music as much as we have all these years. We want to celebrate what we did and the memory of our friend."

That friend, of course, is late Alice frontman Layne Staley, who died in April 2002 from a mixture of heroin and cocaine (see "Layne Staley, Alice In Chains Singer, Dead At 34").

"We have played with some [singers] who can actually bring it and add their own thing to it without being a Layne clone," Cantrell explained, adding that the three remaining AIC members will be meeting with several would-be Staley proxies in the coming months, to front the group at European festival gigs. Alice in Chains have been listed as one of the acts performing at Austria's NovaRock Festival in June, but the guitarist said nothing's been confirmed yet.

"We're not interested in stepping on [Staley's] rich legacy," Cantrell said. "It's a tough thing to go through. Do you take the Led Zeppelin approach and never play again, because the guy was that important?" (In 1980, Zeppelin broke up after the death of drummer John Bonham.) "That's the approach we've taken for a lot of years. Or, do you give it a shot, try something? We're willing to take a chance on it. It's completely a reunion because the three of us who're left are back together. But it's not about separating and forgetting — it's about remembering and moving on."

"We're going to go and play the songs one more time," said Kinney. "It seems like the right time, so I figure we'll go out and play a few gigs and see where it goes. I think we might just show up in assorted places in the U.S. in the next few months without much notice and play some clubs and little theaters, and then go to Europe and play these festival gigs. Beyond that, we don't know at this point."

In addition, Kinney said the band hopes to play several North American dates this summer. Cantrell, Kinney and Inez started jamming together late last year, and the reunion will get into full swing March 10, when the reunited Alice in Chains perform at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as part of VH1 Classic's "Decades Rock Live" homage to Heart. Former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan, "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood, Rufus Wainwright and Gretchen Wilson are also set to appear. Cantrell promised a host of other special guests during the show, but he wouldn't give names.

The band will perform with Comes With the Fall frontman William DuVall — a member of Cantrell's touring band. And DuVall could, theoretically, be part of the Alice in Chains fold come this summer. "We've done some rehearsing with Will and we're having a lot of fun with him," Cantrell said. "But we're still in the beginning stages where we're trying to figure out what we want to do. He could cut it, without a doubt — but we haven't made a final decision on that yet."

"If we found some other dude, I'd love to move on," Kinney said, "write some cool tunes and change the name and go on like that. I don't see continuing as Alice and replacing somebody. ... We're not trying to replace Layne. We want to play these songs one more time, and if it seems like the right thing to do, it'll happen. I don't know how long it will go or where it will take us. It's kind of a tribute to Layne and our fans, the people who love these songs. It's not some 'I'm broke and I need the money' situation. We love playing together."

Kinney said Alice in Chains had been approached by the producers of "Rock Star" for the reality show's second season. They turned the offer down.

• Alice in Chains
• Jerry Cantrell

Jerry Cantrell (file)
Photo: Marty Temme

There must be something about befriending dudes from the Cult that leads seasoned rock vets to feel the urge to form a cover band. First, Jane's Addiction axeman Dave Navarro caught the bug hanging out with the Cult's Billy Morrison. The two recruited Velvet Revolver (and former Cult) drummer Matt Sorum and singer Donovan Leitch and formed Camp Freddy — the cover band to end all cover bands. Now, it seems former Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell's infected.

The flaxen-haired grunge guru has aligned himself with Cult guitarist Billy Duffy for Cardboard Vampyres, who specialize in AC/DC, Stooges, Metallica, Motörhead, Beatles and Black Sabbath covers. And on occasion, they even belt out a few Alice in Chains and Cult faves.

According to Cantrell, Cardboard Vampyres actually grew out of his work with Camp Freddy; he contributes vocals to a version of Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" on that band's forthcoming album (see "Yet Again, Dave Navarro Surveys Life After Jane's Addiction"). But, even as he prepares to hit the road with Cardboard Vampyres (rounded out by Cult bassist Chris Wyse, Jellyfish vocalist Eric Dover and Danzig/ Comes With the Fall drummer Bevan Davies) for a six-date tour, Cantrell said his focus continues to be on original music.

"I've spent the last year and a half in writing mode, compiling a lot of material, writing with a lot of different people," he explained. "I've worked with some great songwriters, and I've just been stockpiling my warheads, so to speak, until it's time to do a record. And it's getting pretty close to that time. I've been just gearing up for the next phase of my career, whether that's my third solo record or, of course, there's a possibility it may be a new band as well. I'm just sussing that out for myself. Cardboard Vampyres is something we do for a blast."

Cantrell's been working with several high-profile musicians, including Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, Wyse, Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, Alice in Chains' Sean Kinney and Mike Inez, producer Marti Frederiksen (Mick Jagger, Aerosmith) and Faith No More's Mike Bordin, who played drums on Cantrell's most recent disc, 2002's Degradation Trip.

While Cantrell wouldn't speak in detail about the album, saying he'd like to keep its title and track list to himself for now, he did promise the LP would see release in early 2006 — but through which label, he's still not sure. At present, he has no label ties.

"I'm really enjoying my free agency," he said. "But I guarantee you some sh--'s coming, and it's serious. There's a really exciting thing that's happening with the material I'm coming up with. It's beautiful, it's ugly, it's powerful, it's all that stuff. It's got edge, it's got teeth. It also is something a little different. It encapsulates this part of my life, and I'll be sharing it with everyone else."

In recent weeks, Cantrell said he's been taking breaks here and there from his solo work to keep company with one of his "Seattle homies": Courtney Love.

"She's an interesting character," he said. "We've gotten together a few times to work on some stuff for her next solo album. She's been working with a bunch of people. I know Billy Corgan's been over there. But I threw a few things at her, and I think we've come up with something different."

But whether or not Cantrell, Inez and Kinney would ever take the stage again together, as they did in February for the K-Rock Tsunami Continued Care Concert in their native Seattle (see "Ex-Alice In Chains Members Enlist Damageplan Singer, Others For Benefit"), he couldn't say. He did reveal that performing with his old bandmates — Damageplan frontman Patrick Lachman took the microphone, in place of the late Layne Staley — did feel right.

"It was a f---ing great feeling being back onstage with those guys, but it was also heavy," Cantrell said. "There's a big hole there, and Layne, he's still something major to get through (see "Layne Staley Died From Mix Of Heroin, Cocaine, Report Says"). You can't even put him behind you, you can only get through. Layne not being there, it's such a huge hole, and such a sad thing. All we can do is appreciate what we had and, it was, I mean, it was pretty f---ing amazing. It still has impact. We did it honestly, the right way, and we did it for us, with the right intentions. But you can't replace a guy like Layne. But this is what you're left with — life. So, you live.

"Still, there's always the possibility, man," Cantrell continued. "But there's really no plan of it. I would hope and probably say that Sean and I and Mike would get together and do something at some point. That's always been a big hope for me. The Seattle show, that was a one-time deal. It's hard to step forward with a hole as big as Layne and out of respect to not only him, but the music we created with him, I mean, where do you go from there? I don't know. I'm not saying it couldn't happen. It's pretty unimaginable. But if it did happen, [the band] would have to evolve into something new that carries on the old tradition."

Cardboard Vampyres tour dates, according to the band's publicist:

• 6/24 - Seattle, WA @ Fenix Underground
• 6/25 - Bellingham, WA @ Fairhaven Pub
• 6/26 - Yakima, WA @ Grant's Brewery Pub
• 7/8 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Quest
• 7/9 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest (Music Market Stage)
• 7/10 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

• Jerry Cantrell
• Alice in Chains
• Courtney Love

Christina Aguilera, in jeans and with her hair slicked back, made a surprise appearance Wednesday night at the premiere of "Dawn of the Dead." Disturbed's David Draiman and members of the Murderdolls also joined stars Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhames and Sarah Polley at the Beverly Center Mall in Beverly Hills, California, for the event. ...

Former Crazy Town guitarist Rust Epique died Tuesday morning of a heart attack in Las Vegas. He was 35. After parting ways with the rap-rock band, best known for their 2000 hit "Butterfly," Epique founded the trio Pre)thing, who were on the verge of releasing their debut, 22nd Century Lifestyle, in April. "Faded Love," the album's first single, had just surfaced at radio at the time of Epique's death. ... Dave Blood, bassist for '80s punk band the Dead Milkmen, committed suicide on Wednesday. In January, Blood's mother died, and in a post on the band's message board, the bassist's sister wrote, "Inner peace seemed to elude him for the last many years. Maybe David just had had enough." Blood was a founding member of the band, which formed in 1983 and made a name for itself with novelty hits like "Bitchin' Camaro" and "Punk Rock Girl." The Dead Milkmen broke up in 1995. ...  

Lionel Richie has recorded three songs with Lenny Kravitz, two of which will appear on his next album, Just for You, due May 4. The third, "Destiny," will appear on Kravitz's next release. Richie also collaborated on the album with 7 Aurelius (Ashanti, Mariah Carey), Paul Barry and Mark Taylor (the duo behind Cher's smash "Believe") and Daniel Bedingfield, who produced and co-wrote a song called "Do Ya." ... Metallica have announced a new batch of tour dates that start in the late summer after the band returns from Europe. The first date is August 16 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and there are dates confirmed straight through September 1 in Wichita, Kansas, and then intermittently through October 10 in Buffalo, New York. ...

Guitarists Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) and Billy Duffy (the Cult) will join forces with members of Puddle of Mudd and other musician friends for a cover band that will headline a concert series benefiting the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The series, taking place April 5, 12 and 19 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, California, will also feature the reunited American Music Club, Michelle Shocked, Paula Cole, Grant Lee Phillips, Michael Penn, Glen Phillips, an acoustic set from Concrete Blonde, and Norah Jones songwriter Jesse Harris. ... Coachella may be grabbing all the headlines, but Atlanta's Music Midtown 2004 is shaping up to be a cool festival, too. The 11th annual concert will feature performances by Foo Fighters, Twista, Parliament/ Funkadelic, Lil Jon, Cee-Lo, Fountains of Wayne, Journey and three dozen other artists. The three-day festival kicks off April 30. ...

The original lineup of Duran Duran, currently prepping their first studio album together since 1983's Seven and the Ragged Tiger, continue to prime the pump for their comeback with reminders of their glory days as well-coiffed, Capezio-wearing pop heartthrobs. In the wake of a club tour, song on the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" soundtrack and DVD of their classic videos, the group is now planning to release two concert films on DVD this spring. "Arena," which captures a 1984 performance by the band in Oakland, California, and "Sing Blue Silver," a behind-the-scenes documentary filmed throughout the three-month Arena tour, will both hit shelves May 4. ... Actress Juliette Lewis and her band have recorded a demo with producer Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera, Pink) and are preparing to join the Warped Tour this summer. "I think we are going to put some tunes on iTunes and Napster," Lewis said. "We are just going to play more and if [the major-label offers] come they come, otherwise I am just going to record stuff myself and put it out." ...

During a March 1 Switchfoot video shoot in Los Angeles for "Dare You to Move," a friend of the band was hit by a truck, bassist Tim Foreman revealed in a post on the band's Web site. Despite the "horrible accident," the woman "was immediately coherent, talking and able to move all extremities. This seemed to all who witnessed the accident to be miraculous," the Christian rocker wrote. At a hospital doctors determined that she suffered two fractured ribs and a lacerated liver. ... A judge in Tucson, Arizona, has ordered singer Diana Ross to go back to jail for two days. Ross, who last month pleaded no contest to DUI charges in the city, was sentenced to 48 hours behind bars. She served her time in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she now lives. Or so she thought. After asking for a full account of her whereabouts during her term, City Court Magistrate T. Jay Cranshaw determined that Ross had spent only 47 hours in jail over three days. Arizona law requires DUI offenders to spend at least 24 hours in a row behind bars. In a written statement, a crabby Cranshaw said, "To avoid questions of impropriety, the defendant is ordered to return to Tucson to serve 48 consecutive hours in the Pima County Jail." A hearing will take place April 1 to determine when she will serve the time. ...

On Tuesday night, Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul, both longtime Van Halen fans, got to jam onstage with ex-VH singer Sammy Hagar at the Las Vegas nightclub Rain inside the Palms Casino. They didn't rip through "Why Can't This Be Love?" or "When It's Love," instead pounding into versions of the Troggs' "Wild Thing" and the Kinks' "You Really Got Me" (which Van Halen covered on their 1978 self-titled debut, with David Lee Roth on vocals). Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith also joined Hagar, for a take on Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll." ... North Carolina hip-hop group Little Brother will open up for Kanye West and Dilated Peoples on the first five dates of their spring tour, which begins March 16 on the campus of Virginia Tech. Little Brother features the production talents of 9th Wonder, who produced a track for Jay-Z's The Black Album. ... Disco-garage metal band Electric Six will play 14 U.S. shows this spring, starting in Chicago on April 21 and running through May 22 in Northfield, Minnesota. On May 1, the band will perform at Coachella. ...

03.10.2004

Alicia Keys and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds will host the 18th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, which will air live March 20 from the International Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Outkast, R. Kelly, Nelly, Murphy Lee, Jermaine Dupri, Usher, Ruben Studdard, Anthony Hamilton, Erykah Badu, Ron Isley and Michelle Williams are scheduled to perform. ...

Evanescence will release "Everybody's Fool" as the fourth single from Fallen. The band is currently writing the follow-up album. ... All those boy-band fans out there lying in wait for the next Backstreet Boys album have a new reason to live: The shape-shifting cute-boy troupe Menudo, which launched the career of Ricky Martin, is being resurrected. The international search for boys ages 10-14 interested in joining the outfit, touted as having "a contemporary hip urban/Latin crossover sound in both English and Spanish," begins in New York this summer. ...

The Army's 4th Infantry Division didn't give Saddam Hussein three steps toward the door of the rat hole in which they found him in December, and for that they might be treated to "Gimme Three Steps," "Gimme Back My Bullets" "On the Hunt," "That Smell" and other Lynyrd Skynyrd hits when the band performs especially for the Saddam-routing troops. The Tribute to Heroes event is scheduled for April 22 at Fort Hood, Texas. ... The recording industry's crusade against illegal file-sharers hit a stumbling block Friday when a federal judge in Philadelphia ruled that 203 individuals could not be lumped into one collective lawsuit. Instead, in order to gain the identity of the so-called "John Doe" defendants, the RIAA must offer evidence against each alleged song-swapper individually, at a cost of $150 in court fees each. More than 800 lawsuits, in Atlanta; Orlando, Florida; New York; Washington, D.C.; and Trenton, New Jersey, remain outstanding. The RIAA was forced to employ John Doe suits after a federal court prevented it from obtaining the identities of alleged pirates from their ISPs without a judge's signature. ...

The Crystal Method were the big winners at Tuesday's Dancestar USA Awards, taking home trophies for Best Act, Best Album (Legion of Boom) and Best Single ("Born Too Slow"). The Chemical Brothers, Madonna and Paris Hilton (Best Celebrity DJ) were also awarded at the ceremony, the climax of the annual Winter Music Conference in Miami. Moby was honored for his Outstanding Contribution to Dance Music and won Best Music DVD. ... Calling all axemen: Jagged Edge are looking for players to get down with them on a new album they're mapping out called Ghetto Guitar. The group says it wants to incorporate guitar into all the tracks on the album. Prince and Slash are two guitarists on the ATL singers' wish list. ... Prince's concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 29 will be broadcast in 32 Regal Cinemas movie theaters around the country. The show is the kickoff of his upcoming Musicology Tour. ...

Original Kiss drummer Peter Criss is again out of the band. In a post on his Web site, Criss said that his contract with the group has expired and neither he nor his attorney has been contacted about an extension for future touring. Kiss are expected to rehire Eric Singer for their upcoming tour of Japan, which starts May 27 in Tokyo. ... Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has applied for a marriage license thorough the Pierce County Auditor's office, the Tacoma News Tribune reports. Novoselic's fiancée is 41-year-old artist Darbury Ayn Stenderu. ...

Goths rarely rejoice, but they might crack a smile when they hear that Siouxsie and the Banshees frontwoman Siouxsie Sioux will play 14 shows starting May 19 in Seattle and running through June 9 in New York. The show, billed as "An Evening With Siouxsie: The Creatures & The Banshees," will feature two hours of material from her 25-year career. ... John McGeoch, a punk guitarist who has worked with Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magazine and Public Image Ltd., died in his sleep on Thursday at the age of 48. No further details on his death are available. In 1995, McGeoch gave up touring and got a degree in nursing, however he continued to write music. In a post on his Web site, Banshees bassist Steve Severin said, "He was always in my heart and often in my thoughts. Without a doubt, he was the most inventive guitarist of our generation and my favorite Banshee." ...

Truth Hurts and Raphael Saadiq have finished up work on her next LP. Set for released through Saadiq's Pookie Entertainment Label on May 11, Truth has titled her sophomore album Ready Now. The first single is the title track and comes out March 30. ... In an underground hip-hop union of the minds, Long Island, New York, rapper MF Doom and Los Angeles producer/MC Madlib will become Madvillain in their first full-length collaboration. The album, Madvillainy, will see release on March 23. ...

Pioneering German industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten will play 15 shows in North America, starting April 23 in Washington, D.C., and running through May 16 in Asheville, North Carolina. The band is touring to support its new album, Perpetuum Mobile, which came out last month. ... Thuggish metal-rap band 3rd Strike have broken up. The band has posted a message on its Web site that reads in part, "Sorry people, it's true. Thanks to all our loyal fans." The group's debut album, Lost Angel, was released in 2002. ... The High Times stoner-metal compilation The Stoner Rock Collection has been delayed a few weeks from its previously announced date of May 4. The disc will feature songs by Corrosion of Conformity, Unida, the Hidden Hand, Clutch and others. ...

• Christina Aguilera
• Lionel Richie
• Lil Jon
• Switchfoot
• Twista

Jerry Cantrell
Photo: Roadrunner

After enduring the overdose of his bandmate and severing ties with his label, former Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell is putting his life back together and enjoying the reconstruction.

"The past couple of years have been rough," Cantrell admitted. And how. Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley died on the first date of Cantrell's tour in support of his 2002 album, Degradation Trip, which meant the end of Alice in Chains (see "Layne Staley Died From Mix Of Heroin, Cocaine, Report Says"). "It was a lot to get used to," Cantrell said, "but I'm in a much different space now."

A far more productive one, too. Since Cantrell moved from Seattle to Los Angeles eight months ago, he has written several new songs, recorded with numerous other high-profile rockers and played with some of his favorite musicians. He's also been in communication with former Chains bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney, and plans to jam with them later this month.

"We don't have any expectations," he stressed. "We're gonna get in a room, have a little fun and see what goes down. Anything's possible."

Inez and Kinney performed on Cantrell's 1998 solo album, Boggy Depot, but haven't played with him since Alice disbanded. Cantrell was busy working on other solo material with other musicians, but that wasn't the only reason for the separation.

"I was kinda waiting to see if the Alice thing would ever materialize again," he said. "But I really miss playing with those guys."

Even if nothing magical happens with Inez and Kinney, if the last six months are any indication, Cantrell will remain busy. A top priority is writing new material and figuring out what to do with the tunes he wrote last year, which he said are unlike anything he's previously recorded. "It's really its own thing," he said. "I'm not sure which direction I'm gonna go with them, but the music's great. It's definitely a next chapter, which is satisfying."

One of the tracks features vocals by Cantrell's friend, Filter frontman Richard Patrick. After the recording, Patrick returned the favor by having Cantrell record guitar riffs that may end up on the next Filter album.

Cantrell is also excited about "Ashes to Ashes," a track he recorded last November with Damageplan, the brutal metal band consisting of former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul (see "Damageplan Put Pantera Behind Them With New Found Power"). The song, submitted for the "Punisher" film soundtrack, features Cantrell on vocals alongside Damageplan singer Patrick Lachman, Cantrell said.

"It happened around Thanksgiving," he recalled. "I went hunting with my dad and brother, and we bagged a deer and then headed down to Dallas. I always give Darrell some of my kill, and we ended up hanging out. He had a tune he wanted me to check out, and it was great. So he said, 'We don't have any vocals on this. Why don't you try to throw something down?' I was really tired 'cause it was like 6 a.m., but he was really persistent. So I threw something down and it became this great track that sounds like Pantera crossed with Alice in Chains."

Visiting another musical dimension, Cantrell entered the studio two weeks ago with veteran rockers Heart to record a solo for "Fallen Ones," scheduled to appear on the group's upcoming album. "The song is really rocking and soulful, and that was fun," he said. "They guested on [Alice in Chains' 1992 EP] Sap, so we've been friends for a long time."

Cantrell recently played two gigs with supergroup cover band Camp Freddy, which also features Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Cult guitarist Billy Duffy. The experience inspired Cantrell to schedule a jam session with Smith and talk to Duffy about forming their own cover band.

Camp Freddy played at a Houston Super Bowl party, and earlier that day Cantrell did a solo show as part of Sammy Hagar's Super Bash.

On February 22 in Seattle, Cantrell will help celebrate the music of Jimi Hendrix. The guitarist will join Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Billy Cox of Hendrix's Band of Gypsies for versions of "Hey Joe," "Manic Depression," "Spanish Castle Magic" and "Stone Free," the latter of which will feature vocals by Bad Company's Paul Rodgers.

Later this year, Columbia Records plans to release a double-disc "essential" Alice in Chains compilation, which will likely mean more performance and promotion obligations for Cantrell.

"The funny thing is, I didn't plan to be this busy, it's just happening," Cantrell said. "I actually slated some time to chill out in my new hometown and write. But all these opportunities have presented themselves just from hanging out with my buddies. It's a great thing, and I'm really happy to be in the space I'm at."

• Jerry Cantrell
• Alice in Chains

Blink-182 are considering "Easy Target" as a possible third single from their new, untitled album. "[Second single] 'I Miss You' is a real pretty, slow, melodic song, and 'Easy Target' is just kind of an aggressive, fast song," singer/bassist Mark Hoppus said recently. "I think it'll be really cool to come out after 'I Miss You,' but we'll see. I'm not in charge." ...

In addition to her upcoming spring tour, Britney Spears is planning to hit Portugal's Rock in Rio-Lisbon festival — her only scheduled international booking for 2004 thus far. Also on the bill for the five-day Portuguese extravaganza are Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Slipknot and Sting. The event, which kicks off May 29 in Bela Vista Park in Lisbon, will see Spears take the stage on June 5. ... Beginning New Year's Day, net proceeds from Phish's digital-download site, LivePhish.com, will benefit the Mockingbird Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded and run by Phish fans that supports music education for children. Last year, the site made more than $2 million. ...

Two months into lockdown, Scott Weiland has switched rehab facilities. Though the former Stone Temple Pilots frontman/current Velvet Revolver singer was in court-ordered rehab at Grandview in Pasadena, California, he's now housed at Las Encinas, also in Pasadena. Prosecutors said that the switch was made so that the singer could get more personal care in a smaller facility. Weiland's due back in court for a probation status report on January 9. The singer's arraignment date, to enter a plea to the charge of driving under the influence of drugs (from his late October arrest), was pushed back from December 23 to January 23. Meanwhile, Weiland lashed out in a Friday post on his band's Web site at a Rolling Stone reporter who "interviewed me and then printed that I was drunk driving. Get your facts straight, you moron paparazzi f---," he wrote. ...

The third annual Bonnaroo Music Festival is set for June 11-13 at the same 600-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, that staged last year's show, which featured the Flaming Lips, the Roots and Neil Young and took in $11.5 million to become this year's second-highest grossing event. The new lineup has not yet been announced. ... Bright Eyes are releasing a split six-song EP with Neva Dinova in April. One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels will feature three new songs from each artist, with each group making an appearance on the other's tracks. Next month, Crank! A Record Company (www.crankthis.com) will hold a contest where winners will receive a limited-edition, hand-numbered copy of the record on colored vinyl. ...

Pearl Jam, the Allman Brothers Band and American Hi-Fi contribute tracks to Hot Stove, Cool Music, a benefit album assembled by veteran ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons. Among the LP's highlights are the Hot Stove All Stars, a group featuring Peter Wolf, Mighty Mighty Bosstones frontman Dicky Barrett and members of the Boston Red Sox, covering Gary Glitter's sports-arena classic "Rock & Roll Part 2." Proceeds from the album and a concert held January 11 will benefit the Jimmy Fund, which supports cancer research at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. ... Slipknot's Corey Taylor will spend his New Year's Eve performing with a one-off side project called the D*M*F*X at the House of Bricks in Des Moines, Iowa. Dizzy Draztik (Ryan McMurray, ex-leader of Des Moines punk band the Rejects), Slopscycle, the Nillas, On a Pale Horse and other local Iowa acts will also be on the bill. ...

Former Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell has contributed to a track on New Found Power, the debut album by the Damageplan, a group featuring Pantera's Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. The band will launch a radio promo tour before the album drops February 10. ... Bad Religion have a big summer ahead of them. Besides being confirmed for the Vans Warped Tour, the hardcore vets will release a new album, their 13th, on Epitaph Records. Guitarist Brett Gurewitz and singer Greg Graffin have each written a few songs, though recording has yet to begin. ...

12.29.03

Britney Spears spent her holiday vacation in Los Angeles shooting the video for "Toxic," her second single from In the Zone. Helmed by Joseph Kahn, who last directed Spears in her clip for "Stronger," the video premieres on "Making the Video" on January 13 at 6:30 p.m. ET. ...

Police in Gwinnett County, Georgia, say they have paternity-test results that prove New Orleans rapper Juvenile is the father of the 6-month-old girl in the middle of a dispute over child-support payments. Deputies say Juvenile failed to make payments to the child's mother, and obtained an arrest warrant for the rapper in November. Juvenile continues to deny that he is the baby's father. ... While the dispute has yet to be played out in court, a federal judge in Los Angeles has allowed Wind-Up Records to continue selling copies of 3 Sides by Bob Guiney, better known as "Bob the Bachelor" from TV's "The Bachelor." Earlier this month, the program's producers sued Guiney and his record label for breach of contract for promoting his album without their permission. Since its November 25 release, 3 Sides has sold fewer than 50,000 copies, according to SoundScan. ...

3 Doors Down will stage a benefit concert March 27 in Mobile, Alabama, to aid children's charities along the Gulf Coast. ... On March 18, a day before the 22nd anniversary of the plane crash that claimed his life, famed Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads will be inducted into Hollywood's Rock Walk of Fame. Renowned for his blending of metal distortion with complex classical structures, Rhoads ignited Osbourne's solo albums Blizzard of Ozz (1980) and Diary of a Madman (1981). ...

The Who's Pete Townshend has told a British newspaper that when he was being investigated in January on child-pornography charges, he considered suicide. "If I had a gun I would have shot myself," he told The Observer for a story that was printed Sunday. In the end, police didn't charge Townshend because there was no evidence to indicate he had downloaded any of the images he viewed on his computer. The guitarist said he had viewed the pictures because he was conducting research for his autobiography, and thought the photos might trigger blocked memories from his childhood. "I was just spinning, it was a bit like being shot. I didn't really quite know what to do," Townshend said of his mental state during the investigation. "If I had shot myself, it would have been awful because it would have confirmed what everybody thought." ...

Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir will undergo back surgery for an injury he sustained six weeks ago on the first date of the Eastpak Resistance Tour. Though he was in pain, he finished the scheduled concerts. Then, on December 13, his foot went numb, which he took as a sign to see a doctor. "It will be a while before I'll be able to [get back in the studio,]" Muir wrote on the band's Web site. "Hopefully all will go well with the surgery, and I'll be able to get back to the music as soon as possible." ... Helmet's hits collection, Unsung: The Best of Helmet (1991-1997), will see release on January 27. ...

Following in Alanis Morissette's footsteps, Steve Earle is taking on a starring role in the off-Broadway play "The Exonerated," starting Monday (December 29). The play tells the stories of former death-row prisoners who were later freed by the state after being found innocent. Earle performs in the play, housed at the Culture Project in New York, through Sunday. ... El-P will release High Water (Mark), a collaboration album with the Blue Series Continuum jazz quintet, on February 17. "The music on this album came from one day's live session in which I brought in compositions that the Blue Series guys improvised to," El-P explained in a statement. "I then took the results of that and reworked them into structured songs." ...

• blink-182
• Britney Spears
• Phish
• Scott Weiland
• Bright Eyes

Michelle Branch and Santana will perform "The Game of Love" Tuesday, just prior to tip-off of the Lakers/Spurs game at LA's Staples Center to welcome the 2002-03 NBA season. The performance is to be broadcast on TNT during the 76ers/Magic game, which begins at 7:30 p.m. ET. Adam Sandler, appearing as the animated character from his film "Adam Sandler's 8 Crazy Nights," is also commemorating the new season of pro hoops with an original song written especially for the NBA, which the league will use in upcoming promotional spots. ... Speaking of Sandler and his "8 Crazy Nights," the soundtrack to the movie, which hits theaters on November 27, features eight original songs written and performed by the comedian. The album, in stores November 19, features "The Chanukah Song Part 3," a duet with comedian Rob Schneider, as well as two duets with O Brother, Where Art Thou? bluegrass star Alison Krauss and the tracks "Intervention Song," "Davey's Song," "Patch Song," "Bum Biddy," "At the Mall" and (NBA alert!) "Technical Foul." ... Meanwhile, Gillian Welch, another O Brother, Where Art Thou? alum, will release a DVD featuring videos and live performances on November 12. The live segments on "The Revelator Collection" was shot in black and white by acclaimed photographer Mark Seliger. ...

The first show in support of Pearl Jam's new album, Riot Act (due November 12), will be a hometown benefit show on December 8 at the KeyArena in Seattle with all proceeds going to a variety of nonprofit organizations including help for homeless youth, art education, scholarship funds, literacy programs and AIDS awareness and prevention. The band will kick off its world tour in Australia in February, returning to the U.S. in the spring. ... Michelle Branch, Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Paula Cole, Deborah Cox and Joni Mitchell are among the aritists who will join Eagles leader Don Henley for the "Stormy Weather 2002" benefit concert on November 13 at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theater. The show, subtitled, "An Evening of Romance, Glamour, Fabulous Women, Beautiful Music & the El Nino Orchestra," is the sequel to the 1998 all-star fundraiser Henley organized for his environmental conservation group, the Walden Woods Project. ...

Jerry Cantrell passed out from extreme exhaustion and dehydration after an October 23 show in Portland, his publicist said. The former Alice in Chains guitarist canceled a hometown show in Seattle the next night and Saturday's (October 26) performance in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will continue the tour October 27 in Lincoln, Nebraska. ... Coal Chamber parted ways with drummer Mike Cox on October 24, according to the band's label. No reason was given for his departure and there is no news on a replacement. ... With the November elections fast approaching, NoFX's Fat Mike is coordinating a grass-roots political effort to get people to vote. His Web site, www.punkvoter.com, urges people to "get off of our TV watching, video game playing, apathetic asses" and "take back our country from the corporations that are running it." The site also offers candidate suggestions. ...

The Vandals' 1993 home video, "Sweatin' to the Oldies," will be reissued as a double DVD on October 29 with a new audio commentary track by the band on the original movie. The bonus disc features unreleased footage, including an '80s commercial for an electronic drum starring then-teenage drummer Josh Freese, singer Dave Quackenbush filling in on vocals for Pennywise at a show in Italy and bassist Joe Escalante interviewing Björk during her Sugarcubes days. ... En Vogue — now a trio, with original members Terry Ellis and Cindy Braggs and newcomer Amanda Cole — will release The Gift Of Christmas on November 12. The album, manned by longtime En Vogue producers Denzel Foster and Thomas McElroy, features 11 holiday standards and four originals, including one called "Christmas Wit Cha Honey." ...

Bono has collaborated with Irish musicians Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer on the song "Time Enough for Tears," which is to be featured in the upcoming film "In America," directed by Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot," "In the Name of the Father"). The Cole Porter-ish song, written from a woman's perspective, will by sung by Corrs member Andrea Corr. ... Starsailor are holed up in a studio in their native England with legendary producer Phil Spector working on the follow up to Love Is Here, released in January. The man credited with creating the infamous Wall of Sound, evidenced best by the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," has also discussed working on the Vines' successor to Highly Evolved. ...

10.24.02

This year's Smoke Out Festival, hosted by Cypress Hill and Tommy Chong, will take place on November 23 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Artists scheduled to perform include Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg, Mudvayne, Face to Face, Redman, Taproot, Adema, Everlast, Circle Jerks, the Used, Kush Project, Kool Keith, Poison the Well and more, including tribute acts such as Led Zepagain and the all-girl Iron Maidens. ... Beenie Man has filmed a video for the Neptunes-produced track "Bossman," the second single from Tropical Storm. The song features Sean Paul and Lady Saw, who appears on No Doubt's "Underneath It All." ...

Hank Banegas, 26, was charged Wednesday with murder and faces 26 years to life in prison for allegedly stabbing a man outside a Nelly concert last weekend (see "Nelly Fan Stabbed To Death In Concert Parking Lot; Three Men In Custody"). Banegas' uncle, Steven TeSam, 42, was initially arrested but not charged. ... An unsigned English rock group named Audioslave recently made a deal to share their moniker with the American Audioslave (ex-Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell fronting the former members of Rage Against the Machine) for a sum of $30,000, according to their manager. The English band (which formed a year before the American one) signed a deal that allows it to use the name concurrently and is considering using the payment to launch its own record company. ...

DJ Quik's The Best of DJ Quik, due on November 19, will feature two new tracks, "Streetz Iz Callin' " and "Quik's Groove VII," along with material from his six albums, including the recently released Under Tha Influence. ... Masked metalmen Mushroomhead and Boston's Shadows Fall canceled a planned tour stop in Richmond, Virginia, Wednesday night due to safety concerns stemming from the recent wave of sniper attacks in the area, according to the Shadows Fall Web site. They plan to make up the date on November 24. ... Orbital, Aphex Twin and other electronic music acts have contributed new material to The Fire This Time, an album protesting a possible war in Iraq. Due December 2, the two-CD set is aimed at addressing the impact trade sanctions have had on Iraqi civilians. ...

Tori Amos is hosting an online chat on her Web site (www.toriamos.com) on Friday (October 25) to discuss her album, Scarlet's Walk, due Tuesday. The site also features live tracks and other exclusive material in a section called Scarlet's Web. ... Green Day, N.E.R.D., Saliva, Trust Company, 311 and Mötley Crüe are among the groups whose music will be heard on "BMX XXX," an extreme sports video game that will mix music, comedy and, um, "the beautiful women from New York's famous Scores club." The game, due in November, also features songs from De La Soul, Ten Foot Pole, KRS-One, Audiovent, Eric B. & Rakim and New Found Glory.

• Michelle Branch
• Santana
• Adam Sandler
• Pearl Jam
• Jerry Cantrell

Jerry Cantrell
Photo: RoadRunner

Expanded director's cuts have been a home video staple for a while, and now Jerry Cantrell is applying the same pure-vision principle to albums.

The former Alice in Chains guitarist's latest, Degradation Trip, will be reissued November 19 as a double album — the way Cantrell originally intended, according to a Roadrunner spokesperson.

Unlike some "expanded reissues," the retooled Degredation Trip, Cantrell's second solo album, isn't simply the original with some bonus material tacked onto the end. The new tracks featured on Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 were recorded late last year during the same sessions as songs that made the first cut, and the revised track list incorporates the new tunes, rather than treating them as an amendment. Together, the 25 tracks take listeners on a more detailed journey into Cantrell's twisted psyche.

"I went through a lot, and I had to deal with a lot," he said of his experiences that led to Degradation Trip, not the least of which was witnessing his friend and former bandmate Layne Staley downwardly spiral into a drug addition that ultimately killed him in April (see "Layne Staley, Alice In Chains Singer, Dead At 34"). "It's funny, every record is a different situation, and [the amount of work] that I put into this record is certainly a first for me. It feels really good that it's come around and it came out the way that I wanted it to."

Meanwhile, "Angel Eyes," the second single from Degredation Trip, has begun to surface at radio. The gentle, melodic song is to AIC's "No Excuses" as Degradation's first single, the ominous "Anger Rising," was to "Again," from AIC's eponymous 1995 LP.

Having completed his stint opening for Creed and Nickelback, Cantrell will embark on a headlining tour beginning October 9 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Five weeks of dates are confirmed, with additions forthcoming, according to Cantrell's spokesperson. Comes With the Fall, Mad At Gravity and Diesel will serve as openers.

Track list for Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2:

Disc 1:

• "Psychotic Break"

• "Bargain Basement Howard Hughes"

• "Owned"

• "Angel Eyes"

• "Solitude"

• "Mother's Spinning In Her Grave (Glass Dick Jones)"

• "Hellbound"

• "Spiderbite"

• "Profalse Idol"

• "Feel the Void"

• "Locked On"

• "Gone"

Disc 2:

• "Castaway"

• "Chemical Tribe"

• "What It Takes"

• "Dying Inside"

• "Siddhartha"

• "Hurts Don't It?"

• "She Was My Girl"

• "Pig Charmer"

• "Anger Rising"

• "S.O.S."

• "Give It a Name"

• "Thanks Anyway"

• "31/32"

Jerry Cantrell tour dates, according to Roadrunner Records:

• 10/9 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Party on the Patio

• 10/10 - San Antonio, TX @ Sunset Station Pavilion

• 10/11 - Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa

• 10/12 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Live

• 10/13 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Bricktown Events Center

• 10/15 - Tempe, AZ @ Nita's Hideaway

• 10/16 - San Diego, CA @ 4th & B

• 10/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ Roxy

• 10/19 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues

• 10/20 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's

• 10/21 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

• 10/23 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater

• 10/24 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox

• 10/25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Xscape

• 10/26 - Colorado Springs, CO @ 32 Bleu

• 10/27 - Lincoln, NE @ Royal Grove

• 10/29 - St. Louis, MO @ Pop's

• 10/30 - Peoria, IL @ Madison Theatre

• 10/31 - House of Blues @ Chicago, IL

• 11/1 - Cleveland, OH @ Odeon

• 11/3 - Ithaca, NY @ The Haunt

• 11/4 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre

• 11/5 - Boston, MA @ Avalon Ballroom

• 11/7 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

• 11/8 - New York, NY @ The World

• 11/9 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory

• 11/11 - Norfolk, VA @ NorVa

• 11/12 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall

• 11/14 - Atlanta, GA @ Roxy

• 11/15 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues

• 11/16 - Houston, TX @ Numbers

• Jerry Cantrell

Jerry Cantrell
Photo: MTV News

Fans of rock beefs probably giggled with glee when Sevendust and Jerry Cantrell exchanged bitter insults onstage at Edgefest in Barrie, Ontario, July 2.

But in the wake of the stinging expletives uttered at one another (see "Sevendust/ Jerry Cantrell Beef Casts Pall Over Canada's Edgefest"), the two acts have made nice, according to a Sevendust spokesperson, who described the incident as a "misunderstanding" and added that Sevendust are and have always been fans of Cantrell and his former band Alice in Chains.

The "misunderstanding" stemmed from problems Sevendust had after leaving La Crosse, Wisconsin, en route to Ontario for the concert. Ten minutes into the ride the band's bus broke down, so Sevendust hitched up with the crew bus. When they finally reached the Canadian border, they were held up for two hours while officers searched their bus and rifled through their paperwork.

Since they were delayed, Cantrell had to switch slots with them, and his set was riddled with technical problems. At the end of the shortened show, Cantrell threw down his guitar and made a disparaging comment about Sevendust.

When Sevendust took the stage, vocalist Lajon Witherspoon replied, "When Jerry Cantrell says f--- Sevendust, I say f--- you, Jerry Cantrell. I hope you heard me, Jerry Cantrell."

Apologies were later issued. "Jerry was just angry about the technical difficulties," Sevendust's spokesperson said.

Sevendust's new single, "Crucified," has just been added to radio, though no video has been shot.

• Jerry Cantrell
• Sevendust

Melissa Auf Der Maur performs at Edgefest.
Photo: Nathan Lichtman

BARRIE, Ontario — With temperatures soaring into the 90s before the gates even opened, it became all too clear that the annual Edgefest was going to be a test of patience and endurance for both the fans and performers.

With nowhere to hide from the scorching sun, the lethargic and eclectic attendees slowly filled Molson Park, hoping for something to get their minds off the heat. They didn't have to wait long.

When a planned 3:20 p.m. set by Sevendust was postponed due to a problem with the band crossing Canada's border, Jerry Cantrell was asked to swap spots with the metal quintet. The seemingly simple flip-flop of set times ended up creating a rift that echoed throughout the large crowd for the remainder of the day.

Taking the stage in blue jeans with black leather accents, a wallet chain and a black T-shirt, Jerry Cantrell exuded the spirit of a carefree man ready to share material from his former band Alice in Chains and his latest solo release, Degradation Trip, with an early afternoon crowd.

For Cantrell, things got off to a good enough start, but quickly lapsed into a series of frustrating mishaps. Opening with the thick, rolling fuzz of "Them Bones," Cantrell performed a faithful version of the Alice in Chains hit. The tightly packed crowd around the stage chanted "Jerry, Jerry!" in response.

Things started to fall apart at the beginning of another Alice in Chains classic, "Would?," in which Cantrell's guitar shorted out before the deep opening bass groove even had a chance to finish. While an apologetic Cantrell rushed to fix his equipment, he acknowledged his chanting supporters by saying, "If you can bear with us, we'll try to get through as much as we can for you."

Midway through "Right Turn," Cantrell was reunited with a working guitar to close out a mellow rendition of the Sap EP track. After tripping on a microphone cable moments before launching into his latest single, "Anger Rising," it was clear that Cantrell was not happy with the direction of his set.

"Anger Rising" would prove to be the last song in his abbreviated set list, but not before Cantrell threw his guitar to the ground and left the crowd with a disparaging remark toward Sevendust. Cantrell omitted the "dust" in Sevendust and substituted a four-letter obscenity in letting the crowd know who was up next.

Crossing the stage shirtless and in black, shiny pants, Sevendust frontman Lajon Witherspoon not only brought music from the quintet's latest release, Animosity, to the Edgefest crowd, but didn't hide his animosity toward Cantrell.

"When Jerry Cantrell says f--- Sevendust, I say f--- you, Jerry Cantrell," Witherspoon proclaimed before reiterating the message by saying, "I hope you heard me, Jerry Cantrell." With no love lost between the apparently now-feuding parties, Sevendust ripped into an aggressive cut, "Waffle," before leaving the stage in an equally disturbed fashion as Cantrell.

The festival's four stages proved to be too great of a distance apart for many to hike more than once in the overwhelming heat. "I came here to see Jerry Cantrell, and now that he's upset, that took a little bit of the fun out of the experience for me," attendee Hal Sultani of Windsor, Ontario, remarked.

The young, predominantly college-age crowd crossed the grounds of Molson Park in everything from practical bathing suits to jeans and winter stocking caps. Of course, many were draped in Canadian flags in celebration of the national holiday, Canada Day. What little shade was available was immediately filled with exhausted fans who slept or drank as much water as they could at nearly four bucks a bottle.

Melissa Auf Der Maur rattled the second stage crowd with her Black Sabbath tribute band, Hand of Doom, which churned out new takes on a slew of tracks from the classic catalogue, including "Paranoid," "Sweet Leaf" and "War Pigs." Sporting a near-transparent white outfit and a Canadian flag as a cape, Auf Der Maur wished the intrigued crowd a "happy Black Sabbath day every day this summer," before her exit.

Headliners Nickelback brought straight-ahead rock to a climax after a mildly received Cake, with a tight, one-hour set that pulled a wealth of material from their breakthrough album, Silver Side Up, and maximized speaker wattage on the cuts "Too Bad" and crowd sing-along "How You Remind Me." At the end of the day, though, the tired, somewhat frustrated fans filed out of Molson Park just as quietly as they had entered, hoping to find refuge in air-conditioned cars and to pull up a seat at their kitchen sinks for a long night of drinking water.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the world, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

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