New Velvet Revolver tour begins

Velvet Revolver and Alice In Chains began their North American tour together on Saturday (August 11th) in Montreal. Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash told us that fans can expect a different show from the one the band played on its spring U.S. run. But despite reports that the band was dropping Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots material from its set, Slash said they'll still play those songs: "I was feeling a little bit sort of pigeonholed into, you know, feeling obligated about having to do a Guns song or having to do a couple of STP songs. And so my whole frame of mind was like, I don't want to feel like we have to do it. So I made a comment about not doing them at all. And so we sort of had that mentality for a second, but then realized that we actually do enjoy playing those songs 'cause they're our songs."

The Velvet Revolver and Alice In Chains tour has dates booked through October 9th in Southaven, Mississippi.

Kill Hannah has been confirmed as the opening act for the first leg, while Sparta is the tentative warm-up band on the second batch of dates.

Velvet Revolver is selling meet-and-greet packages on the tour for $250 per person, not including the price of a ticket. The package includes a VIP laminate, a personal photo with the band and a signed poster. More details are available at the group's official web site.

Velvet Revolver's new album, Libertad, has sold 182,000 copies since its release in July.

Alice In Chains has reportedly been working on its first new studio album in 12 years, but little information is available. The band reunited last year for North American and European tours, with vocalist William DuVall stepping in for late singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002.

Slash also recently explained to a Florida radio station why he did not perform with ex-Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan, Izzy' Stradlin' and Steven Adler at a recent Hollywood show celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's Appetite For Destruction album. According to Blabbermouth, Slash said, "Steven's just an excitable guy and he meant well when he said it, but he said that there was gonna be this reunion...Once I started getting phone calls and emails from all over the world about this gig, I said, 'You know what? I can't support it as such 'cause that's not what it is.' So I went down there but I didn't wanna get up and play because I didn't wanna fuel that any further."
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