UPFRONT

Rip It Up, Issue 165, 1 April 1991, Page 4

UPFRONT

When Guns N'Roses play Wembley Stadium, London, this summer, they’ve requested Jane’s Addiction as opening act. Jane’s Addiction have completed a new album and may tour downunder early June . . . Michael Jackson has signed a “billion dollar” deal with Sony Records. His next album is due mid-year with videos (or “film vignettes”) directed by David Lynch, Tim Burton and Sir Richard Attenborough . . . 1000 fans were turned away when Spinal Tap reunited for a gig at the Disneyland Hotel, L.A. .. . the new Guns N'Roses release has 36 tracks over two separate albums, Use Your Illusion 1 and Use Your Illusion 2. .. the Black Crowes were dumped from the ZZ Top USA tour for joking about ZZ Top’s tour sponsors Miller Litebeer . . . Bros are back and now managed by longtime Elton John manager John Reid . . . Spike Lee has directed the video for Fishbone single ‘Sunless Saturday’ . . . Crowded House with Tim Finn in the line-up, played on a Love Boat-style cruise organised by hip L.A. radio station KROQ to celebrate Valentine’s Day . . . Eric Clapton’s son Conor (4 years old) died after falling 53 stories from his _ mother’s appartment window . . . N.W.A. will re-record ‘Fuck The Police’ with a guest rap by Rodney King, a black motorist whose beating by the Los Angeles police was recorded by an observer’s video camera. Eazy E commented, “Not all the cops are bad but this kind of harassment has been going on for years in the ghetto” . . .- great titles for new albums: Van Halen’s For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge and George Clinton’s ‘Hey Man, Smell My Finger’ . . . Donnie Wahlberg of NKOTB has been arrested for setting fire to his hotel room . . . 60s songwriter Doc Pomus (65) has died of cancer. Hits he co-wrote include ‘Viva Las Vegas’, ‘Little Sister’ and ‘Save the Last Dance for Me’ . . . a June 10 Hollywood concert by James Brown will be broadcast live on cable TV . . . UK indie distributor Rough Trade has been bailed out by the bigger indie labels they distribute, such as Mute, 4AD, Beggars Banquet . . . Sinead O’Connor is recording a duet with N.W.A. for their LP Niggaz 4 Life . . . pint size Flavour Flav of Public Enemy arrested after a quarrel with his girlfriend. She sustained bruises to the left side of her face but refused to press charges against, Flav, the father of her three children . . . legendary songwriter Smokey - Robinsoen has left Motown, the label he helped to build . . .