Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst is headed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but don't expect to see him slap a triangle choke on anyone. Longtime UFC fan Durst will accompany light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz -- "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" -- to the ring when he takes on "The World's Most Dangerous Man," Ken Shamrock, at UFC's November 22 pay-per-view event. Durst will perform a new version of Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff" at the fight. ...

Roc-A-Fella Records previewed the "Paid in Full" soundtrack Thursday at Baseline Studios in New York. Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, Freeway and Roc boss Damon Dash were among those on hand. Dash was in full multitasking mode -- as he played the tracks he had his head shaved and got a tattoo on his arm of what looked a lot like a picture of "The Queen of the Damned." ...

Sevendust postponed dates in Madison, Wisconsin, on Sunday and Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday due to the murder on Saturday of singer Lajon Witherspoon's

21-year-old brother in Nashville. A group spokesperson said the band's tour

with Closure, 30 Seconds to Mars and Cinder is tentatively slated to resume on Thursday with a show at the Bridge Street Music Hall in Syracuse, New York. ...

Who ever thought the pretty boys of Bon Jovi would have so close a connection to the tough guys of the gridiron? Following their Times Square performance that kicked off the 2002-03 NFL season, guitarist Richie Sambora told VH1 Radio Network that the band will play the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVII, taking place January 26 in San Diego. ... Never one to miss a retail opportunity, Kiss bassist/singer Gene Simmons recently wrote on his official Web site that he will release a video/DVD of his recent lecture tour of Australia. The God of Thunder is also thinking of

releasing a book and/or audio book of the lecture series. ...

Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme will contribute vocals for several tracks on the upcoming album from U.N.K.L.E. ... The next LP from Cat Power, You Are Free (February 18), will feature cameos from Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder and hot session drummer and Foo Fighters leader, Dave Grohl. The album was overseen by Adam Kasper, who produced the latest Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters albums and features a cover of the John Lee Hooker song "Keep on Runnin'," as well as the tracks "I Don't Blame You," "Free," "Fool, " "He War," "Shaking Paper" and "Baby Doll." ... Following the successful surgical removal of blood blisters from vocalist Travis Shettel's vocal chords, Piebald will return to the road next month. The indiepop rockers are currently selling a "Travis K. Shettel Throat Surgery Commemorative T-Shirt" to help cover the singer's medical expenses. ...

Necrophagia have finished their new record, due out in February. ...

Killing Joke have completed their comeback album and titled it The Death & Resurrection Show. ... Dark Angel have canceled their reunion tour due to scheduling conflicts. ... The Haunted's new album is done; the title is One Kill Wonder. ... A war seems to be brewing between the bands Finch and Disturbed. Finch guitarist Randy Strohmeyer recently said, "I'd rip [David Draiman's] stupid little piercings out. They're just cheesy. It bums me out because their music is terrible, and what they're about, it's just sh--. Hopefully all that music will die out soon, and hopefully it will make room for the good music." ...

Portions of upstate New York's legendary Bearsville Sound Studios are closing up this week. The buildings housing studios A and B, artist apartments and the main offices are being put on sale by Sally Grossman, Bearsville owner and wife of the late Albert Grossman, who founded the complex in 1970 and was Bob Dylan's manager. Prized for its seclusion and on-site residence, Bearsville's two studios were where albums by such artists as Patti Smith, the Band, the Rolling Stones, Metallica, Phish, Ozzy Osbourne and R.E.M. were recorded. The remaining segments of the recording complex will be consolidated into the Turtle Creek Barn studio. ...

11.08.02

Jonas Akerlund (Metallica, Madonna) will direct "a very simple, very real, more personal, unlike 'Dirrty' " video for Christina Aguilera's new single, "Beautiful," the singer said at Wednesday's "8 Mile" premiere. "This is a song that really represents not being accepted in any situation, feeling discriminated against, but still feeling good about yourself," Aguilera added. ... Also at the premiere, Macy Gray said her new album will be released in February. Her song "Time of My Life" is on the "8 Mile" soundtrack and "is the reason it sold 7 million copies," Gray joked. ... Mya also revealed some details about her February release at the "8 Mile" event, noting that Rockwilder and Ron Fair (Aguilera) had just produced some tracks for the project. Damon Elliott (Pink) and Missy Elliott are among the other producers. ...

Proving that induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a way of

healing (most) wounds, the Police have agreed to reunite to perform at the 2003 induction ceremony, according to a band spokesperson. The trio will definitely play "Roxanne," plus two as-yet-undetermined songs. Next year will also bring a repackaging of the group's entire catalog, which will be remastered and possibly padded with extra tracks. ...

U2 will hit primetime on November 29 with a concert special on CBS called

"U2's Beautiful Day." The one-hour program was compiled from two performances

at Slane Castle in Ireland in 2001. ... Nick Carter, Enrique Iglesias, Celine Dion, Josh Groban and Yolanda Adams are among the singers who will be featured in "The Concert for World Children's Day," airing November 14 on ABC. The concert, which was taped September 14 in Chicago, will close with all of the artists performing "Aren't They All Our Children," written for the event by musical director David Foster and his wife Linda Thompson. ...

Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas, the Neptunes and Jewel will perform at New York's Bottom Line on November 20 as part of a benefit concert for VH1's Save the Music Foundation called "Songwriters in the Round – Generations Volume 1." Thomas and Jewel will each perform three songs, producer Jimmy Jam will be on hand, and the event will be moderated by Elton John collaborator Bernie Taupin. ...

You can celebrate Christmas with the White Stripes if you pick up X-Mas Surprise Package on November 22, a collection of four previously released holiday EPs from the Michigan-based Flying Bomb punk label that includes the Stripes track "Candy Cane Children." Songs from the Paperbacks, Sagger, the Elves, the Dirtbombs, Von Bondies, Soledad Brothers, Electric 6, Rocket 455, the Dirtys, the A-Frames and the Hentchmen also appear. ...

Def Leppard will promote their recently released LP X with a two-week tour. The outing begins December 8 in Las Vegas and wraps December 21 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. ... If you've ever wondered what Godsmack would sound like with singer Sully Erna on drums, then click over to the Screaming Ferret Wreckords Web site (screamingferret.com) and order the vintage 1992 album Unfinished Business by Meliah Rage. Erna demoed songs such as "Mind Stalk," "Violent Force," "Season to Kill" and "Moment of Silence" with the Boston band before he split to form Godsmack in the mid '90s. ... Shortlist Music Prize nominees Zero 7 have scheduled a week of dates beginning November 17 in Vancouver and ending November 24 in San Diego. The British dream pop duo recently took a break from recording their next record to remix the N.E.R.D. single "Provider." ...