AUCKLAND RUMOURS

Rip It Up, Issue 219, 1 November 1995, Page 6

AUCKLAND RUMOURS

Shannon Hoon (28) lead singer of Blind Melon was found dead on the band’s tour bus in New Orleans, October 21 from a suspected accidental overdose. The band’s tour has been cancelled ... Suede drummer Simon Gilbert was knocked unconscious in a gay bashing in a Stratford-Upon-Avon park. The 12 youths were disturbed by police but none of the gang were caught. Gilbert’s friend needed six stitches for a head wound ... the Charlatans were arrested by 24 armed police in New York after accusations of drunk, lewd behaviour on their Virgin Atlantic flight from London. The band were detained on the plane, then police handcuffed them, removed their shoes and drove them to a police station. One of the arrested bandmembers Martin Blunt claimed he slept through the entire flight. After being questioned by the FBI they were released. The band have made a formal complaint to the airline ... Ash were banned from a Tokyo hotel after a SNZ2OOO bill for smashing their room during an after-gig party ... Bono has described the U2 and Eno collaboration Passengers Original Soundtracks 1, as “a late night record”, “something to trip out to.” ... the former Uptown label (Heavy D, Mary J. Blige, Jodeci) founder Andre Harrell is now the new Motown boss replacing Jheryl Busby who has left to start his own label with BET (Black Entertainment Network) ... Naughty By Nature rapper Treach has filed a $2 million USA lawsuit against the USA Police for harassment, including repeatedly being detained without charges ever being laid ... the Silverchair album Frogstomp has been certified platinum in the USA meaning it has sold over one million copies ... Tricky and Goldie plan to collaborate

... in the USA Profile have issued a 12 inch vinyl-only Run DMC box set ... two Intastella bandmembers are claiming they co-authored and demoed several Black Grape songs before Shaun Ryder chose to work with other musicians ... Cypress Hill attack Ice Cube in their song ‘No Rest For the Wicked’ for trying to poach members of Cypress Hill ... Snoop Doggy Dog told Playboy that 22 of the 28 guys in his school football team are either dead, in jail or junkies. Snoop is under house-arrest and fitted with an electronic monitoring device after an off-duty police woman claims he threatened her with a gun ... Eazy E’s widow Tomika Wright gave birth to their second child, a girl, on September 26 ... the UK band Wildhearts have split due to fights with their label East West to whom they owe about 750,000 pounds of unrecouped recording bills ... REM plan to record a track with Patti Smith or Marianne Faithfull for an X-Files soundtrack album ... Chuck D plans to write two books on Public Enemy — a history of and an autobiographical personal account of the times ... Bernard Butler (ex Suede) has ended his part-

nership with David McAlmont. An album of singles, b-sides and unreleased songs is planned ... Billy Duffy has left Vent the band formed by ex Wonderstuff man Miles Hunt. Vent will open for Therapy? on their next UK tour. Andy Cairns of Therapy? had to leave Chile fast to avoid arrest for flashing spitting fans whilst on stagE.

Johnny Pain and Peter McLennan have left the Hallelujah Picassos due to “spiritual differences”. The band will continue as a three-piece for the foreseeable future ... Music Nation host Bic Runga has signed a four album record deal with Sony Music (NZ), and is recording a single at York Street. Work on her debut album will begin in the new year, says Sony’s Paul Ellis

... the Headless Chickens, Dead Rowers, and the Tufnels play an end of term show at the Town Hall on December 1 ... Flying Nun will have a new batch of seven inches out the first week of December. Those encased in vinyl are Spacious (Dave Saunders of the 3Ds), King Loser’s Chris Heazlewood, the Rainy Days, Rick Starr (Ed from Breast Secreting Cake), and Alec Bathgate of the Tall Dwarfs ... Thela are to tour North America early next year with Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo ... Hatching organiser Rayna Sound is hosting gigs at The Club in Queen Street on Thursday nights. Call (025)736-736 if you’re keen to play ... Hello Sailor are shooting the video for their next single, ‘Raging With The Storm’, at their Powerstation show on November 11

... the release of the Supergroove remix album, The 1200 Remixes, has been delayed until November ...

Hieronymous Bosch are off to Europe soon to play shows in Belgium ... Rukkus 3 is out now and includes articles on Head Like A Hole, Headbutt, Decline In Mind, and the Warners. Write to PO Box 167, Oneroa, Waiheke Island ... a new issue of Intravene should be in the shops by now also, or contact Mark at PO Box 8385, Auckland ... Nothing At All!, who are currently touring nationwide (see Tours for dates), release their debut album toward the end of the month ... Joint Force release a two-part single this month. A CD and cassingle release featuring four remixes (including a live version from the trio’s end of tour Squid show) of ‘Burntime’ is out now, while a 12 inch and cassingle release that contains Mario Caldato Jnr (Beasties) and Propellerhead (the Grid) mixes of ‘Nightmare Man’ should be in shops before the end of November ... Cane Slide, the trio that includes a Lil and a Bead, have produced a four song Geraldine seven inch. Write to them at PO Box 78129, Grey Lynn for details ... Paul Übana Jones has signed a licensing deal with European label Sky Ranch, who also distribute Percy Sledge and Willy De Ville recordings. The label are releasing a compilation of Jones’ three Pagan albums in Europe this month ... the Kings Arms Tavern in Newton is looking for original bands to play in the garden bar on Thursday nights. Interested parties should phone Lisa on (09)373-3240 ... following the chart success of their EP Comeback Special, Garageland are recording their debut album at the Lab. They support Morphine at the Powerstation on November 29 ... two corrections from last month — Crawlspace Records are in the La Gonde Arcade in Karangahape Road, not St Kevin’s, and Shane O’NeiH’s stint as guitarist with Future Stupid was a one-gig affair only, they remain a three-piece ...

there’s a new free fanzine around town called Sprinkle. Contents include interviews with the Posies, Fluf, and former Salad Daze singer (now Max TV Overdrive host) Kieran Cooney. Contact address is PO Box 6318, Wellesley Street.

JOHN RUSSELL