Who's The Most Depraved?

Anthony Kiedis got naked with Cher when he was 13. You think that's bad? Ha.

• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Dave Navarro
• Jane's Addiction
• Tommy Lee
• Methods of Mayhem

Tommy Lee
Photo: MCA

Anyone familiar with the antics of Tommy Lee will have no trouble believing life on the road with the former Mötley Crüe drummer will certainly live up to the title of his forthcoming album.

Lee and his band are set to beat the streets to support Never a Dull Moment, his second post-Crüe opus, in Denver, Colorado, May 24, according to an MCA spokesperson. The two-month trek, which winds down July 20 in Anaheim, California, will hit 36 cities in all.

Never a Dull Moment, which follows 1999's self-titled debut by Lee's group Methods of Mayhem, is due May 21. After rapper TiLo left the band last year (see "Methods Of Mayhem Un-Rapped: TiLo Leaves Band"), Lee scrapped the MoM moniker and announced he would go it alone on his second LP.

A video for the LP's first single, "Hold Me Down," is set to surface later this month. The Dean Karr-directed clip (3 Doors Down, Dave Matthews Band) features Lee aloft in a strange flying machine while Cirque du Soleil-like performers cavort and contort about.

The Flying Tigers, supporting their self-titled debut, are scheduled to open the tour (see "Former Powerman 5000, Frankie Machine Members Soar In Flying Tigers").

Tommy Lee tour dates, according to MCA Records:

• 5/24 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
• 5/25 - Lincoln, NE @ Royal Grove
• 5/26 - Clinton, IA @ Pigstock
• 5/28 - Little Rock, AR @ Nitelife Rocks
• 5/29 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
• 5/31 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Live
• 6/1 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Barbeque
• 6/3 - San Antonio, TX @ Sunset Station
• 6/4 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
• 6/6 - Miami, FL @ Billboard Live
• 6/7 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
• 6/8 - Birmingham, AL @ Sloss Furnace
• 6/9 - Atlanta, GA @ Earthlink Live (Center Stage)
• 6/11 - N. Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
• 6/13 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 6/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
• 6/15 - New York, NY @ The World
• 6/19 - Mt. Clemens, MI @ Emerald Theatre
• 6/22 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
• 6/24 - Vancouver, BC @ The Rage
• 6/27 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
• 6/28 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
• 6/29 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• 6/30 - San Diego, CA @ Canes
• 7/3 - De Kalb, IL @ Otto's
• 7/4 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
• 7/5 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
• 7/8 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 7/10 - Sauget, IL @ Pop's
• 7/11 - Columbia, MO @ Blue Note
• 7/12 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
• 7/13 - Lubbock, TX @ The Pavilion at W. Texas Canyon Amphitheatre
• 7/15 - Corpus Christi, TX @ Party on the Patio
• 7/16 - McAllen, TX @ Villa Real Convention Center
• 7/18 - El Paso, TX @ Club 101
• 7/19 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Cajun House
• 7/20 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues

• Tommy Lee
• Methods of Mayhem

Jason Newsted
Photo: MTV

From Jason Newsted's jaw-dropping departure from Metallica to At the Drive-In going on an "indefinite hiatus" at the peak of their popularity, 2001 certainly had its share of personnel shakeups and band breakups.

Only time will tell if some bandmembers are as replaceable as dead batteries or whether they were, in fact, the real power source of the group. And sometimes retirement is only as long as a much-needed vacation, as the Breeders proved most recently when they regrouped for a new album and tour (see "Breeders Reunion Spawns Monthlong U.S. Club Tour").

So while there's no telling how permanent any of these changes may be, they were made, and the rest of us, like it or not, will have to live with the results.

Limp Bizkit Loses Wes Borland: In October, the often-costumed guitarist and rap-rock kingpins parted company in what the band's management called an amicable split (see "Limp Bizkit And Wes Borland Part Ways"). Just days later, Limp Bizkit announced their open-audition search for a replacement (see "Wanted Ill Guitar Player; Must Know Limp Bizkit Tunes"). Although a roving hunt was to commence in November, they've yet to hit the trail.

Meanwhile, Borland is working on an album with his new band, Eat the Day, composed of members from his Bizkit side project Big Dumb Face. Eat the Day's debut is expected to surface in mid-2002 (see "Ex-Bizkit Borland Digs In With His New Band, Eat The Day").

Metallica Bassist Newsted Bows Out: The year kicked off with some shocking news when Jason Newsted announced in January that he was leaving Metallica after 14 years with the group (see "Bassist Jason Newsted Leaves Metallica"). An article in the April edition of Playboy suggested that Newsted had always felt like an outsider, despite having a longer tenure with the band than original bassist Cliff Burton (see "Metallica Bares All In Playboy").

After leaving, Newsted worked with musical youths the Moss Brothers (see "Ex-Metallica Bassist Newsted Plays With Young Duo") and his new band EchoBrain and produced various projects (see "Jason Newsted Gets Buys After Metallica"). Meanwhile, Metallica began work on their new record in April (see"Shorthanded Metallica Enter Recording Studio"), and three months later singer James Hetfield entered rehab. He left the facility in December (see "James Hetfield Exits Rehab, Rejoins Metallica"), and a new album is expected soon, though a void in the bass slot remains.

Weezer's Bassist Goes AWOL: Bassist Mikey Welsh, who had replaced founding member Matt Sharp, left the company of Weezer in August rather mysteriously. After skipping out on a scheduled video shoot for "Island in the Sun," he went missing and later turned up in a psychiatric hospital (see "Weezer Bassist Checks Into Psychiatric Hospital"). The band named Scott Shriner of Los Angeles' Broken as a temporary tour replacement, and Weezer are now working on the follow-up to Weezer, a.k.a. the Green Album (see "Weezer Continue To Hammer Away At New LP").

Rage Against the Machine Working With Cornell: Following frontman Zack de la Rocha's departure in October 2000, the remaining members of Rage Against the Machine began working with former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell in May (see "Chris Cornell To Rage With The Machine"). The group, which will not be called Rage Against the Machine, hopes its labors will come to fruition next year.

Guns N' Roses Reload With New Lineup: Although a new GN'R lineup was cemented in early 2000 (see "GN'R: Buckethead In, Freese Out"), it took some nine months before fans could see the result. Axl Rose was the only original member to hit the stage on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas, joined by guitarists Buckethead, Robin Finck and Paul Tobias, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pittman, former Primus drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia, and former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson (see "Rose's New Guns Unveiled In Vegas").

The group, minus Pittman, was said to be readying its long-awaited new album, Chinese Democracy, for a June release (see "Guns N' Roses To Release New Album In June"), but perhaps not surprisingly, the date has been pushed back indefinitely. A European tour was also in place, but that, too, was scrapped (see "Guns N' Roses Cancel European Tour — Again"). Next year will bring everything full circle, as the band will once again toast the new year in Las Vegas (see "Guns N' Roses Ante Up For Another New Year's Eve In Vegas").

Powerman 5000 Lose Some Juice: While retooling their new album, which once bore the title Anyone for Doomsday?, the rhythm section of Powerman 5000 pulled the plug. Bassist Dorian Heartsong (a.k.a. Dorian 27) and drummer Alan Pahanish (Al 3) announced in November that they were splitting with singer Spider One and guitarists Adam 12 and M.33 (see "Powerman 5000's Bassist, Drummer Split"). And though Spider said the split was amicable, he confessed that "Powerman 5000 will never be the same — it will be better!" The follow-up to 1999's Tonight the Stars Revolt! is still without a release date.

Slayer Drummer Gets Elbowed Out of Job: Slayer's Paul Bostaph, the band's drummer since 1994, was forced into retirement by a chronic elbow injury in late December, leaving the slot behind the kit open for original drummer Dave Lombardo to return. Lombardo's stint is temporary, however — he's on board only for the next leg of Slayer's God Hates Us All tour, which begins in January. A permanent replacement has yet to be named (see "Original Slayer Drummer Dave Lombardo Back For Tour").

Methods of Mayhem Rapper Departs: TiLo, one of the two principals behind Methods of Mayhem with former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee relinquished his post in February to pursue other interests (see "Methods Of Mayhem Un-Rapped: TiLo Leaves Band"). Lee, meanwhile has been working on the follow-up to MoM's eponymous 1999 debut, which he hopes to have out in May (see "Tommy Lee Pulls In Incubus, Cypress Hill Members For More Mayhem").

Kittie Guitarist Goes Astray: Guitarist Fallon Bowman was unceremoniously removed from Kittie's lineup in August without any explanation from the band's camp. A statement issued by their label announced that Kittie are now a trio while emphasizing that sisters Morgan and Mercedes Lander were always the creative force anyway (see "Kittie Guitarist Scratched From Lineup"). Guitar tech Jeff Phillips rounded out the group for live performances to support Kittie's latest album, Oracle, released in November.

At the Drive-In Take a Back Seat: The members of El Paso, Texas, rock group At the Drive-In, together since 1994, announced their indefinite hiatus in March, so that they can pursue other projects, such as DeFacto, a dub project consisting of guitarist Omar Rodriguez and singer Cedric Bixler (see "At The Drive-In Suspend Activity, Cancel April Dates"). Their last album together was 2000's Relationship of Command.

Static-X Score Some Dope: In January, techo-metal group Static-X replaced guitarist Koichi Fukuda, who announced his departure in November 2000, with former Dope guitarist Tripp Eisen (see "Static-X Finishing Album, Hire Dope Guitarist"). Eisen's handiwork can be heard on the band's latest album, Machine, released in May.

New York rap-rockers Dope then recruited guitarist Virus and drummer Sketchy Shay while moving bassist Acey Slade to guitar and filling the void with original bassist Sloane Jentry. They released their second album, Life, in October.

Bad Religion Reunite With Gurewitz: Original Bad Religion guitarist and Epitaph Records founder Brett Gurewitz re-entered the band's lineup in May to write and record the two-decade-old band's twelfth album, The Process of Belief, scheduled for a January release (see "Bad Religion Reunited With Brett Gurewitz"). Drummer Bobby Schayer was permanently sidelined by a shoulder injury in June (see "Bad Religion Drummer Forced Into Retirement"), and Suicidal Tendencies drummer Brooks Wackerman replaced him behind the kit.

Savage Garden No Longer Growing: The harvest month of October yielded no crop from Savage Garden, as the pop duo of Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones went their separate ways after five years together (see "Savage Garden Grow Permanently Apart"). Jones is pursuing a nonmusical career, while Hayes is preparing to release his solo debut, Spin in the spring.

Wilco's Tweedy Weeds Out Members: The only members left from Wilco's original lineup are frontman Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt after two torches were passed to successors. Drummer Ken Coomer was replaced in January by Glenn Kotche, and multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett quit the band in July, allowing Leroy Bach to climb aboard. After being dropped from longtime label Reprise, the quartet streamed their new album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, online while searching for a new home (see "Wilco Stream New Album Online While Shopping For Label"), which they found at Nonesuch. The group's fourth album is due in April.

Fu Manchu Drummer Hits the Road: After receiving some mainstream recognition with last year's King of the Road, Fu Manchu said goodbye to drummer Brant Bjork, who quit the stoner-rock quartet in November to pursue other endeavors. Before leaving, he had already recorded his parts for Fu's forthcoming seventh album, California Crossing, due February 5. A replacement drummer has been selected but not yet announced.

Our Lady Peace Guitarist Departs: Canadian rockers Our Lady Peace got a little less tranquil when founding guitarist Mike Turner announced his departure in December, citing musical and creative differences. The band has been working on its fifth album, the follow-up to the conceptual Spiritual Machines, in Maui, Hawaii, with producer Bob Rock, and will continue to labor away in January. A six-string successor has not been named.

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• Metallica
• Limp Bizkit
• The Breeders
• Weezer
• Rage Against the Machine

Tommy Lee
Photo: MCA

Members of Incubus and Cypress Hill, and Beastie Boys' DJ Mix Master Mike have recorded with former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee for his second Methods of Mayhem album.

"It's going to be awesome," Lee said Sunday before taking the stage at the My VH1 Music Awards to introduce Mary J. Blige. "We have so many insane tracks, everyone is having a hard time picking a single."

The album, produced by Scott Humphrey (Rob Zombie, Mötley Crüe), who also produced Methods of Mayhem's 1999 debut, is due May 21, Lee said. A single will precede it in March.

The track list has not been finalized, though Lee said contenders include "a beautiful track called 'Blue,' " which features Incubus singer Brandon Boyd and guitarist Mike Einziger, and a cover of David Bowie's "Fame" with Cypress Hill rapper B-Real, Mix Master Mike and turntablist DJ Z-Trip. "Puffy might remix that one," Lee said, referring to hip-hop mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

Other tracks Lee has recorded are "Sunday," "Afterglow," "Body Architechs," "Ashamed," "Higher," "People So Strange," "Hold Me Down," "Face 2 Face," "Why Is It?" and "Mr. Sh--ty."

Several titles are being tossed around for the album, and according to Lee's publicist, Methods of Mayhem fans may have a say about the LP's name through some sort of contest.

Methods of Mayhem's self-titled debut, which included the single "Get Naked," featured guest appearances by Fred Durst, Lil' Kim, Snoop Dogg, the Crystal Method and Kid Rock, who is now dating Lee's ex-wife, Pamela Anderson.

After rapper TiLo, who handled a lot of the vocals on Methods of Mayhem, left the group in February (see "Methods Of Mayhem Un-Rapped: TiLo Leaves Band"), Lee said he took over the singing and rapping on the new tracks. "I'm doing everything!" he said. In April, Lee said the album would have more of a hard rock focus than the eclectic debut (see "Tommy Lee Promises More Rock On Next Methods Of Mayhem LP").

• Methods of Mayhem
• Tommy Lee
• Cypress Hill

Stephen Perkins behind the drums at the Los Marijuanos show Monday at Hollywood's Club Vynyl
Photo: Josephine Close

HOLLYWOOD, California — With a band called Los Marijuanos you might expect a mellow time, but when members of Cypress Hill, Jane's Addiction, Deftones, Methods of Mayhem and Downset get together and jam, the vibe is anything but laid-back.

The group keeps it burning by jamming through a mix of originals — drawn from the featured artists' various projects — and by munching on covers ranging from Bad Brains to Public Enemy. Although Brownies in New York might seem the most appropriate setting for the group, they've found a home at Tinseltown's Club Vynyl, where they performed only their third gig Monday night.

Los Marijuanos includes Cypress Hill's B-Real, Sen Dog and Bobo; Everlast; Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins; Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter; Methods of Mayhem bassist Marty O'Brien; Downset guitarist Rogelio Lozano; and MCs XL and Mellow Man Ace.

"It's a bunch of cats that like to play together that fortunately all had June and July off," XL said.

Los Marijuanos' gigs are part of a biweekly event called Club Flavor, spearheaded by Bobo to showcase upcoming acts and provide a forum for established artists to get together and rock out.

"It's been a little brainchild of mine for a couple years to have a place that people can come see live music — hip-hop, rock, alternative and different things — and see people from different groups play together," Bobo said. "The first person I called was Stephen Perkins. We go back a little bit, and I asked him if he wanted to jam with me, and it tripped it all from there. A lot of people didn't think it was possible to have all of us on one stage and rehearse and get something together." The door is open for friends of the Marijuanos to stop by and join in, as Fear Factory bass player Christian Olde Wolbers did Monday night.

One of the, um, high ... lights of the hour-plus, smoke-filled show was a drum duel between Perkins and Bobo, ending with Perkins drumming on O'Brien's bass.

"Sometimes when I double up with other drummers it doesn't work as well, but Bobo and I like to do that because we really get along musically," Perkins said.

Although Los Marijuanos are intense when they're lighting up a stage, there are other areas where they tend to slack off, such as rehearsals.

"They came to my house a few weeks ago," Perkins said, "and we rehearsed a few tunes. We were supposed to have a rehearsal two nights ago, but no one showed up." XL, whose group Supreme Kourt opened the first Club Flavor show last month, said performing in Los Marijuanos allows the members to re-create their own material and favorite songs in a whole new format.

"It's an opportunity for us to stretch out our material in a way that's different for us," he said. "You might hear a new Cypress Hill song that sounds nothing like it will on their next album, or an Everlast song, or an old-school joint you haven't heard in a long time." Club Flavor, whose usual night will be Tuesdays, will continue when Cypress Hill hit the road in support of their next album, Bobo said.

"Hopefully it will just be on autopilot and people will just come out 'cause it's the place to be. We won't always be here, but this is our little home."

• Cypress Hill
• Jane's Addiction
• Deftones
• Everlast
• Methods of Mayhem

Tommy Lee
Photo: MTV News

Tommy Lee will get to keep the name Methods of Mayhem, thanks to a settlement reached Friday by his record company, according to the Associated Press. MCA Records settled a lawsuit brought by a Swedish man who had accused Lee of stealing the band name from a 1995 soundtrack CD. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Reportedly, a judge revealed after the settlement that a jury in the case had found in Lee's favor. That revelation prompted the drummer-turned-frontman to call the record company lawyer "an idiot" while court was in session, according to the AP.

Tommy Lee recently said that he's working on a second Methods of Mayhem album, this time without rapper TiLo, who's left the group (see: "Tommy Lee Promises More Rock On Next Methods Of Mayhem LP").

• Methods of Mayhem

Tommy Lee
Photo: MTV News

With his former band's autobiography of debauchery arriving in stores next month, Tommy Lee is busy prepping a more rock-oriented follow-up to his Methods of Mayhem debut.

"It's got more of a rock thread through it all," the former Mötley Crüe drummer said of the new material Wednesday. "The first Methods of Mayhem record was me basically freaking out, wanting to do every single stylistic thing that I could think of. I was like hip-hop track! Techno! Industrial! Metal! I think I've focused more with this record." Lee said he's about a quarter of the way through work on the as-yet-untitled effort, which he plans to release in September.

Despite its rock core, Lee said the album is still "next-level-sounding stuff." "I will try my best not to do anything stock. I hate the sound of a stock-sounding drum set or a keyboard," he said. "We go out of our way in the studio to tweak the hell out of everything so it's different." Lee declined to name any collaborators that may turn up on the album, though his publicist said fans can expect some guest appearances. Methods of Mayhem's self-titled debut featured a bevy of guest artists, including Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, Fred Durst and Lil' Kim.

"I don't want it to be like the last record, where it was packed with guest artists," Lee said. "That's awesome — all those people were awesome on the record, but it also distracts from what you're trying to do. We'll see what makes it and what doesn't." Lee initially hoped to have the album out in time to tour on Ozzfest this summer, but work has been delayed because his producer, Scott Humphrey, is in the studio with Rob Zombie. Still, Lee said he's excited about spending a summer at home with his family and recording music.

When the time comes for a tour, Lee will bring along the same band as last time — with the exception of his former partner, rapper TiLo, who recently left the group.

"I'll always miss his ways — he's a maniac," Lee said. "I can't say enough good things about him. The record company wasn't really feeling him, and he needed to do his own thing as well. I don't think he was extremely happy with the direction, because he's a very hip-hop-schooled kid. I think that's where he needs to be." Meanwhile, Mötley Crüe's autobiography, "The Dirt," hits stores May 22. Lee and the band's current members collaborated on the book with New York Times scribe Neil Strauss.

Other than the stories about the Crüe's early days, Lee said his favorite part of the book is the end, which recounts Lee and bassist Nikki Sixx dropping their kids off at preschool. "We're both waving goodbye to our kids, and we both look at each other, and we're like, 'Can you believe, you know, from 17 to now, being a dad and I'm waving goodbye to my kid,'" Lee said. "We never even thought we'd live this long, and now we're standing on the steps saying goodbye to our kids together. When I finished the last page of the book, I was like, 'Whoa! That's heavy. That's like some movie sh--!'"

• Methods of Mayhem

Methods of Mayhem's<BR> Tommy Lee
Photo: MCA

If there's a method to Tommy Lee's mayhem, rapper TiLo will no longer be part of the equation.

Lee's right-hand man has abandoned Methods of Mayhem to "pursue other interests," according to a source at MCA, the band's label. There was no other reason given as to why one of the band's two principal players has left the nest. A replacement is not currently being sought, according to the source, as the former Mötley Crüe drummer is preoccupied in his home studio with working on MoM's second album, the follow-up to 1999's self-titled debut. The LP is expected to be ready for release sometime this spring, though an MCA publicist could not confirm a specific date.

Despite the platinum power of the band's debut — guests included Fred Durst, Kid Rock and Snoop Dogg, to name a few — the disc has sold just over 430,000 copies to date, according to SoundScan. The provocative video for the band's "Get Naked," starring Lee's on-again, off-again paramour Pamela, helped to warrant the group a slot on last year's Ozzfest.

• Methods of Mayhem

After enjoying some post-Ozzfest downtime, Tommy Lee is getting back to work on a new Methods Of Mayhem album.

The former Mötley Crüe drummer has been spending the last month writing new songs for the project, according to a post in his online journal at www.methodsofmayhem.com.

Lee had noted earlier that the band had been writing and recording on the tour bus while on the road. He now tells fans that construction of his new home studio, "Tommyland," is days away from completion, and he's about to start recording the project in earnest. Lee adds that the album, the follow-up to Methods of Mayhem's self-titled 1999 debut, can be expected in stores by February or March.

Lee also imparts that a MOM tour video, featuring live footage filmed over the summer, is in the editing stages and should be available early next year.

Meanwhile, his former Mötley Crüe bandmate Nikki Sixx tells fans in an online post that the Crüe has been in the studio cutting a track titled "Nobody Knows What It's Like To Be Lonely" that will be packaged with the band's forthcoming autobiography, "The Dirt," due out next spring through the HarperCollins imprint ReganBooks.

The band will start touring Japan in early November, with Hole drummer Samantha Maloney still sitting in for Randy Castillo (see "Mötley Crüe Taps Hole's Maloney For Temp Drum Slot"). According to Sixx, the group is planning to return to the road in North America starting in February or March.

• Methods of Mayhem

Mötley Crüe co-founder Tommy Lee was ordered sent back to prison for five days by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira, who learned from prosecutors that Lee had violated the conditions of his parole, according to Reuters.

Lee, arrested in February 1998 for kicking his wife Pamela Anderson, pleaded no contest to felony spousal abuse and was sentenced to six months in prison. After four months, he was released and placed on parole by Judge Mira. One condition of his parole, however, was that he not take drugs or drink alcohol.

Early in May 2000, however, prosecutors revealed that Lee had been seen drinking alcohol.

During a private court hearing held in the judge's chambers, Judge Mira sentenced Lee to five days in jail and extended his probation until May 26, 2003. The drummer, now divorced from Lee, must also resume random drug testing, and enroll in Alcoholics Anonymous.

In 1996, Lee was arrested for assaulting a photographer outside of a nightclub. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery, and later settled a lawsuit by the victim.

• Methods of Mayhem