AC/DC Sets Out on World Tour

	AC/DC is powering up for a new trip down the highway to hell. Marking their first world tour in nearly eight years, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will kick off their U.S. leg in October, per Billboard, following the release of their new studio album, which in a sell out move will be sold exclusively by Wal-Mart (The Kings of Censorship.)
Manager Rob Light told an industry conference that AC/DC will embark on an 18-month jaunt in support of the new release, which has been two-plus years in the making but doesn't yet have a street date or title. (The Aussie rockers have been toying with the name Black Ice, but nothing's official.) Your Ad Here The first single, "Runaway Train," is due to ship to radio stations next month. Light indicated a full itinerary should be announced soon. The colossal tour, traversing 17 countries, is destined to hit mostly arenas. To honour their Sellout Deal with the Retail Giant Walmart, Angus Young will bounce around the stage wearing the trademarked Blue Walmart Uniform with the Yellow Smiley Face. This will replace his trade marked school boy uniform. -------------------------- The Not-so-Great Rock and Roll Sell out AC/DC has just become the latest veteran act to sign an exclusive deal with the big box, per a Wall Street Journal report, joining the likes of Garth Brooks, the Eagles and Journey. The new album will be the Aussie rockers' first since 2000's Stiff Upper Lip, making this the band's longest break between studio releases. The powerhouse retailer proved to be a reliable partner for veteran acts in recent years. The Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden has sold 3 million copies since debuting as a Wal-Mart exclusive last November.
	Journey is expecting a top 10 bow for its new triple-disc Revelation, which debuted in Wal-Mart last Tuesday. While the Eagles and Journey signed their Wal-Mart deals as essentially independent acts, AC/DC's new album will be the Hall of Fame band's first as part of a long-term deal signed with Sony BMG in 2002. The deal also included reissuing remastered editions of the group's entire back catalog. While the retailers played a major role in marketing the previous exclusives, it's uncertain what role they'll play with a signed act like AC/DC. Last year, Wal-Mart announced it was cutting back its shelf space for music releases, despite being the country's largest seller of physical CDs. Record companies often compete for the shrinking shelf space by offering the retailer exclusive versions of new albums. Of course, their exclusive acts tend to get the best shelf placement of all. AC/DC recorded the new album in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Audioslave) and longtime audio engineer Mike Fraser. The as-of-yet untitled album is expected in the fall.

Cheech and Chong Back on the Road together

	Two of the most famous pot smokers of the 1970s, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, unveiled plans on Wednesday for their first comedy tour in more than 25 years following their acrimonious split. "Cheech & Chong: Light Up America ..." will hit 22 cities in the United States starting with Philadelphia on September 12 and ending in Denver, Colorado, on December 20. In between they will play Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, D.C. and other places. This is a moment that I've been looking forward to for many, many years because we have such a legacy and history together that we couldn't escape it, even if we tried," Chong told reporters at a news conference to announce the tour. Cheech and Chong were one of the most successful comedy teams of the 1970s with hit movies and chart-topping records based on their brand of marijuana-influenced humor.
"They were potheads who appealed to a youth generation steeped in personal freedom spawned by 1960s-era hippies. Marin said their humor about doing stupid things while being stoned on marijuana should still appeal to today's youth, as well as Cheech & Chong's older fans. "We've had the younger audience all along. Every time they get to that certain age, they go through that Cheech & Chong period of watching the movies, listening to the records. So, it's almost like a rite of passage," Marin said. The comedy duo said the tour will be theatrical and will rely on the sizable budget that Live Nation -- the company behind the tour -- can muster. When they toured early in their careers, the duo's props were a bag of used clothes, but the new tour will have large video screens to flash images on. As they discussed the tour, Cheech and Chong relied on some props in the form of synthetic marijuana plants to win some laughs, as Chong "watered" the plants with bottled water. Marin, 62, and Chong, 70, spoke about the tour to reporters at the Troubadour, a fixture on the Southern California club scene. Marin said as budding comedians, he and Chong waited in line outside the club for hours for the chance to perform. Cheech and Chong gained notoriety in nightclubs in the Los Angeles area in the 1970s and released their first album, "Cheech and Chong," in 1971. "Los Cochinos" in 1973 won the Grammy award that year for best comedy album. In 1978 their first movie, "Up in Smoke," proved to be a blockbuster, raking in more than $100 million at box offices. They performed together onstage for the last time in 1981, but continued to make movies and records.
	The pair split following the 1985 release of their album "Get Out of My Room." Chong said that their break-up -- which was well-publicized and bitter -- was caused by success. "What happens if you don't have big problems, like trying to make it -- when that's cured when you've made it -- then your little problems become your big problems," he said. "So you start fighting over stupid things." Marin carved out a career as a television actor in shows such as "Nash Bridges" and "Judging Amy." Chong also did a lot of TV work, including appearances on "That '70s Show." Chong has long advocated the legalization of marijuana, and in 2003 was arrested and later imprisoned for selling drug paraphernalia.

Mick Jagger can now join AARP

Mick Jagger turns 65 today but the old rogue demonstrates that he is still capable of stirring it up with the birthday announcement that The Rolling Stones are switching labels from EMI to Universal.

Mick has always been as fascinated by business as by sex, drugs and rock and roll, and his acumen in this department has done as much to keep the Stones rolling as Keith’s mercurial riffs.

This is an astute move for the Stones, switching to the biggest and most successful major record company at a time when their old partners are undergoing massive internal restructuring. The Stones have more marquee than sales value these days, but I am sure Mick and co have negotiated a very favourable deal. Having given Universal (and boss Lucien Grange) the chance to demonstrate they are the biggest hitters in the musical park, you can be sure the new company will be working their tails off to recoup.

None of them are getting any younger (though Ronnie Wood is certainly acting like it) so this could be a last big deal for the Stones but it demonstrates that there is life in them yet.

Not such good news for Guy Hands, whose company has now lost the services of a Beatle, The Stones and Radiohead, three of EMI's biggest names. When Terra Firma first took over EMI there were unfounded fears they might be engaged in asset stripping, but while they put their efforts into rebuilding the company it is starting to look as if their assets are being stripped from them. To lose one superstar may be regarded as misfortune. To lose three in a row looks like carelessness.

With power shifting to the artists, it is actually becoming increasingly common for acts at the ends of their deals to look for new partners, using their established status to increase royalty rates and gain other commercial benefits (hence Madonna announcing that she will depart Warners at the completion of her deal to sign to Live Nation).

Unfortunately, the loss of so many marquee names in such a short space of time could create an impression that EMI is not trusted by artists. Given the voraciousness of Universal (who recently tried to tempt Oasis from SonyBMG with a multi million pound offer), I am sure the Stones' new partners are delighted to be putting one over their rivals. Officially, EMI wish the Stones well at their new home. Unofficially, the message is more likely to be: "Et tu, Mick?"

He may be pensionable, but it looks like Jagger's still handling himself like a street fighting man.

Breneaked Ladies - Steve Page Arrested on Drug Charges, while with two barenaked ladies

The singer and guitarist for the band Barenaked Ladies has been arrested on drug charges in upstate New York.

Police say Steven Page was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance on Friday in the Syracuse area.

Authorities say the arrest occurred at about 2 a.m. after police noticed a suspicious car with its driver's side door left open. They say they found Page and two women in a nearby apartment, along with cocaine and marijuana.

Barenaked Ladies' manager Terry McBride confirmed the charge but declined to comment further. The singer, released after paying $10,000 bail, is due in court Thursday.

Page helped form the band in 1988. The group, know for hits such as "One Week" and "Pinch Me" recently released their debut kids CD "Snacktime."

Anthony Kiedis and Heather Christie call it splits

Red Hot Chili Pepper's Frontman Anthony Kiedis and his girlfriend, former model Heather Christie, have broken up, sources say.

Kiedis and Christie were together for more than three years, and are the parents of a 9-month-old son, Everly Bear.

Sources told People.com the couple has split up and has being living apart since last month.

Kiedis is the frontman for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. His representative declined to comment on the breakup report.

"Anthony is a great dad and I will love him forever for giving me the gift of life," Christie told People.com. "I really hope he finds what he's looking for."

Madonna and Britney Spears may tour together

Madonna has apparently asked Britney Spears to join her on selected dates as part of her Sticky and Sweet tour, say reports, as Britney is eager to relaunch her music career.

It's claimed Madonna and Spears will meet in New York to record a video together that will then be broadcast on stage during the live shows, while some dates will even see Britney performing in person.

"They are recording a video together on Sunday that will provide the backdrop for part of Madonna's show," says a source to The Sun, "and they are talking about Britney taking the stage on a few of the dates too. It's hoped that Madonna can help Britney get back to her old self."

Both singers have worked together previously, both at the 2003 MTV Awards (the infamous kiss scene) and on Spears' single 'Me Against The Music'.

Slipknot getting new masks

On July 1, Slipknot, the Grammy Award winning, multi-platinum nine man hard rock enigma, will unveil its new imagery in an exclusive partnership with AOL Music, the web’s most trafficked online music destination*. This highly anticipated debut kicks-starts the launch of Slipknot’s new album, All Hope Is Gone, which is set for release on Roadrunner Records on August 26th. Masks are an integral part of the band’s identity and to reflect this point, AOL Music’s Spinner.com will host a retrospective photo gallery of Slipknot masks throughout their career, spanning all three previous albums and including the most recent controversial “Purgatory Masks.” The Slipknot mask unveiling will be featured on the main page of Spinner.com worldwide for 24 hours.

Slipknot is a groundbreaking nine-piece machine born out of Des Moines, IA. The band has sold over 10 million albums worldwide. Their last studio album VOL. 3: (THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES) was released in May 2004, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, selling over 240,000 copies its first week and 1.5 million copies in the U.S. to date. The album broke new ground for the band and spawned the hit singles “Duality,” “Vermilion” and “Before I Forget.” In November 2005 the band released SLIPKNOT 9.0: LIVE, a gold-certified double live album. December 2006 saw the release of the DVD Voliminal: Inside the 9. Certified platinum, it is a vivid, brutally honest glimpse of the world inside the band.