2005.02.24 - MTV News - Velvet Revolver Return To The Road In March, Write New LP In Transit

Velvet Revolver Return To The Road In March, Write New LP In Transit

Grammy winners taking Electric Wonderland Show to arenas, recording during soundchecks.

Gil Kaufman
02/24/2005

Maybe Velvet Revolver can use that Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy as a hood ornament on their tour bus on the upcoming Electric Wonderland Show Tour. The veteran rockers will kick off their latest round of North American stops on March 22 in Montreal, with arena dates currently slated to run through a May 25 show in Miami, according to a spokesperson for the group. More dates are expected to be added.

Hoobastank will open the West Coast swing of the tour; no other openers have been announced.

The group recently released the third video from its multiplatinum debut. "Dirty Little Thing" mixes live footage with animation from Japanese illustrator Rockin' Jellybean.

But don't think they're just going to coast through the end of the year. Singer Scott Weiland said Velvet Revolver have already started writing their second album.

"We're doing that right now," he said at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party. "I think we're going to have another record out by Christmas." Guitarist Dave Kushner said the group has been writing a lot on the road, and even recording some demos during soundchecks. "We've got, like, 25, 30 pieces of music already," Kushner revealed.

The excitement of having a hit record out of the box has definitely helped inspire the group to keep things moving forward. "Everything that's come to us in the last year has been a surprise, actually," Weiland said. "In a sense, we expected to make a great record, and we did. The record came out and debuted at #1. First the single did great and then the record debuted at #1, and that was, at first, a big middle finger to everyone. Then ... everyone sort of embraced us, and that was a cool feeling."

How cool? Even Weiland, who has always had a skeptical take on the Grammys, was excited about winning one of the awards. "It's funny, because back when it happened with [Stone Temple Pilots], I kind of looked at it with a jaundiced eye," he said. "It was a kind of sign of the times. Part of it was youth and part of it was the alternative culture ... it's like you looked at the establishment in a different light, and now I sort of look at things a little differently. I look at this as the musical community appreciating artists, and that I can appreciate."

After nearly a year on the road, Kushner said the band — which also includes former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum — has gotten its live show sewn up tight. "We've definitely grown as a band," he explained. "We wrote this record — I think we had only played one show at the time. Now we've got almost a year of playing together every night, so it's definitely solidified the band. As five creative people working together as a band ... it's awesome."

Velvet Revolver tour dates, according to their spokesperson:

3/22 - Montreal, PQ @ Bell Centre

3/23 - Ottawa, ON @ Corel Centre

3/24 - Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum

3/27 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre

3/28 - Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome

3/29 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place

3/31 - Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum

4/12 - San Diego, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre

4/13 - Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center

4/15 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl

4/16 - Anaheim, CA @ Arrowhead Pond

4/17 - Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center

4/19 - San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

4/21 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden

4/22 - Everett, WA @ Everett Events Center

4/23 - Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena

4/25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ E Center

4/26 - Denver, CO @ Magness Arena

4/28 - St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

4/29 - Rockford, IL @ Rockford MetroCentre

4/30 - Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills

5/2 - Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena

5/3 - Amherst, MA @ Mullins Center

5/5 - Raleigh, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

5/6 - Atlanta, GA @ HiFi Buys Amphitheatre

5/7 - Orlando, FL @ Lee Vista Park

5/13 - Scranton, PA @ Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center

5/14 - Wantagh, NY @ Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theater

5/15 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

5/17 - Cleveland, OH @ Tower City Amphitheater

5/18 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Chevrolet Amphitheatre

5/20 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

5/21 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavillion

5/22 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

5/24 - Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum

5/25 - Miami, FL @ Sound Advice Amphitheatre

http://www.mtv.com/news/1497447/velvet-revolver-return-to-the-road-in-march-write-new-lp-in-transit/