FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON-MAGNUSON/MITCH SCHNEIDER
VELVET REVOLVER SET TO LAUNCH HEADLINING
‘ELECTRIC WONDERLAND SHOW’ TOUR OF NORTH AMERICAN ARENAS
IN SUPPORT OF THEIR PLATINUM-PLUS ‘CONTRABAND’ ALBUM;
BAND TAKE HOME ‘BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE’
GRAMMY AWARD FOR “SLITHER”;
VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE “DIRTY LITTLE THING” DEBUTS ON FUSE
Coming off their Grammy Award for “Best Hard Rock Performance” (“Slither”), VELVET REVOLVER are set to launch their headlining North American “Electric Wonderland Show” arena tour March 22 in Montreal. Special guests Hoobastank will open the U.S. portion of the tour. This trek will follow the explosive rockers’ sold-out shows in America, Canada, Europe and Japan as well as in New Zealand and Australia where they’re currently touring through February 27. VELVET REVOLVER has teamed with I Love All Access to provide a variety of VIP ticket packages. Go to www.velvetrevolver.com for details.
VELVET REVOLVER–SCOTT WEILAND (lead vocals), SLASH (guitar), DUFF MCKAGAN (bass), MATT SORUM (drums) and DAVE KUSHNER (guitar)–are on the road in connection with their platinum-plus debutCONTRABAND album, which has sold over three million copies worldwide. It features the #1 rock single “Slither,” as well as the band’s other #1 rock hit “Fall To Pieces,” plus the blazing new single “Dirty Little Thing.”
In other news, VELVET REVOLVER’s new video for “Dirty Little Thing” was premiered on Fuse Friday, February 18. The clip–directed by Motion Theory–features live performance and animation by famed Japanese illustrator Rockin’ Jellybean, who’s known for his edgy illustrations of sex goddesses and muscle cars. VELVET REVOLVER is seen performing live inside an animated runaway train while the exterior and surrounding environment are animated. The train flies around the world, burning through Japan, the UK, New York and Hollywood.
CONTRABAND debuted at #1 on the Billboard album chart, selling over 250,000 copies. Notably, this marks the best-ever debut for a new rock artist in the SoundScan era. CONTRABAND also debuted in the Top 10 in eleven countries outside the U.S.: Canada (#1), Australia (#2), Argentina (#2), Norway (#3), Sweden (#3), Spain (#6), Germany (#7), Ireland (#8), New Zealand (#8), Denmark (#9) and Japan (#10).
Rolling Stone calls the album a “powerhouse,” Newsweek describes the band as “truly explosive” and Maxim says, “Slash and Scott Weiland bring unpredictability back to rock.”
VELVET REVOLVER’s success continues to build. They earned three Grammy nominations: Best Rock Album (CONTRABAND), Best Rock Song (“Fall To Pieces”) and the Best Hard Rock Performance (“Slither”), the category they won. The band was named Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock/Metal Band in the Rolling Stone Readers’ Poll (January 27, 2005). VELVET REVOLVER was also just named “Best Rock” in Playboy’s annual readers music poll (March 2005). They’ve also graced the covers of Mojo, Revolver, Kerrang! and Metal Edge, which hailed them as “rock ‘n’ roll’s messiahs of the new millennium.” The U.K.’s Classic Rock praised CONTRABAND as the #1 Album in “The 50 Best Albums, As Chosen By Classic Rock Critics.” As a live act, VELVET REVOLVER are being lauded for their incendiary performances which have brought back a sense of danger and unbridled excitement to rock ‘n roll.
Current tour dates are as follows. Check out www.velvetrevolver.com for up-to-date information.
Date City Venue
Tue 3/22/05 Montreal, PQ Bell Centre
Wed 3/23/05 Ottawa, ONT Corel Centre
Thu 3/24/05 Hamilton, ONT Copps Coliseum
Sun 3/27/05 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre
Mon 3/28/05 Calgary, AL Pengrowth Saddledome
Tue 3/29/05 Edmonton, AL Rexall Place
Thu 3/31/05 Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum
Tues 4/12/05 San Diego, CA Coors Amphitheatre
Wed 4/13/05 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
Fri 4/15/05 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl
Sat 4/16/05 Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond
Sun 4/17/05 Reno, NV Reno Events Center
Tues 4/19/05 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic
Thu 4/21/05 Portland, OR Rose Garden
Fri 4/22/05 Everett, WA Everett Arena
Sat 4/23/05 Boise, ID Taco Bell Arena
Mon 4/25/05 Salt Lake City, UT E Center
Tue 4/26/05 Denver, CO Magness Arena
Thu 4/28/05 St. Paul, MN Excel Energy Center
Fri 4/29/05 Rockford, IL Rockford MetroCentre
Sat 4/30/05 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
Mon 5/2/05 Buffalo, NY HSBC Center
Tue 5/3/05 Amherst, MA Mullins Center
Thu 5/5/05 Raleigh, NC Verizon Wireless
Fri 5/6/05 Atlanta, GA Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre
Sat 5/7/05 Orlando, FL Lee Vista Park
Fri 5/13/05 Scranton, PA Montage Mountain
Sat 5/14/05 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach
Sun 5/15/05 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless
Tue 5/17/05 Cleveland, OH Tower Amphitheatre
Wed 5/18/05 Pittsburgh, PA Chevrolet Amphitheatre
Fri 5/20/05 Holmdel, NJ PNC
Sat 5/21/05 Washington, DC Merriweather Post
Sun 5/22/05 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless
Tue 5/24/05 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
Wed 5/25/05 West Palm Beach, FL Sound Advice Amphitheatre
More dates to be announced.
Contacts:
MSO 818-380-0400:
Mitch Schneider mschneider@msopr.com ext. 235
Kristine Ashton-Magnuson kashton@msopr.com ext. 233
Amanda Hale (tour press) ahale@msopr.com ext. 238
RCA Records:
Pamela Murphy pamela.murphy@bmg.com 212-930-4394
Maggie Wang maggie.wang@bmg.com 212-930-7007
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