Scott Weiland
June 2003

After months of auditions and intense deliberation, the much-ballyhooed 'Project' ‹the collaboration between ex-Guns N' Roses bandmates Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum and Suicidal Tendencies' Dave Kushner‹has acquired both a lead singer and an official name. Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland has joined the group now known as Velvet Revolver, and their first single, "Set Me Free," is in the radio.wazee spotlight this week.

Weiland announced himself as the singer in mid-May, which the band at the time said was premature, since no contract had been signed. But Weiland had long been considered to be in the lead, despite that frustration, and had recorded two songs with the band for films. "Set Me Free" is featured on the soundtrack to the soon-to-be released motion picture "The Hulk," which hit stores June 17th, and the song is already topping phone requests at modern rock radio outlets around the country. In addition, Velvet Revolver recently cut a cover of Pink Floyd's "Money" for "The Italian Job" soundtrack, which is featured prominently in the movie. The only known live performances by the band ‹ with Weiland on vocals ‹ were staged during a presentation for film studios at the band's rehearsal space in April and during a filming of an electronic press kit for "The Hulk" in May. After the film studio presentation, the band received several requests to contribute songs to movies as far off as 2004.

Weiland's announcement comes on the heels of a very recent, very public scuffle with the law. He was charged June 2nd , just with two felony counts of possession of heroin and cocaine. Weiland had been pulled over for a minor traffic violation when police found what they believed to be drugs in his car. Long plagued by substance abuse woes, Weiland pleaded not guilty and offered to voluntarily enter rehab before his July 11th court date in Burbank, California. He faces up to a year in county jail if convicted. According to sources close to the band, Velvet Revolver had been trying to help the singer lessen his risk of a relapse, including exploring options such as rehab, methadone treatment, 24-hour supervision and martial-arts programs that would require mental discipline. Before starting up with Velvet Revolver, Weiland had begun work on his second solo album with producer Josh Abraham, and the Stone Temple Pilots remain on hiatus, according to the group's spokesperson. Rumors of the STP disbanding have increased since Weiland formally joined up with Velvet Revolver, but STP management dismisses those whispers as hearsay.

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