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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