Rock News: Music's high and low notes

MEGADETH

Megadeth is disbanding after almost 20 years together.

The impetus for the break-up was the serious nerve damage singer and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine suffered to his left arm and hand last January while the heavy metal band was on hiatus from two years of touring and promotional appearances. In a statement released Wednesday, Mustaine said his doctors have told him it'll take about a year to recover from the injury and that they're not sure how complete a recovery it'll be. He added that he hopes he'll be able to play guitar again someday.

Mustaine said he plans to explore other areas of the music business where he might make a contribution, and also hopes to spend more time with his wife and two children.

Megadeth was founded by Mustaine in 1983 after he was fired from Metallica.

Megadeth's first-ever live album -- the double CD "Rude Awakening" -- hit stores March 19, and the accompanying DVD and VHS home video is due out next Tuesday. Both the "Rude Awakening" CD and DVD include 24 songs spanning Megadeth's entire career -- including such tracks as "Hangar 18," "Symphony of Destruction," "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" and "Burning Bridges."

(Web site: megadeth.com)

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE

American Head Charge guitarist Wayne Kile has left the band. In a statement quoted by NME.com, the group describes the parting as "completely amicable."

"Over the past year, it became obvious that Wayne was moving in a different direction than the rest of the band, and in the past few months it became extremely apparent that it was time for him to move on," the statement added.

Kile's replacement is guitarist Brian Ottoson, who used to play with the Minneapolis band Black Flood Diesel.

American Head Charge will provide support on the upcoming Rammstein tour as well as perform at Ozzfest's U.K. appearance on May 25.

R.E.M.'S PETER BUCK

British prosecutors are accusing R.E.M guitarist Peter Buck of lying to protect his career after an alleged drunken rampage on a trans-Atlantic flight last April.

Billboard.com reports that at the musician's "air rage" trial in London, prosecutor David Bate said Buck "has a powerful reason to mislead in this case. He has a powerful motive to change his story because he realizes it will reflect badly upon him and the group of which he is so justifiably proud."

Buck -- who denies charges of assault, being drunk on an airplane and damaging British Airways property -- has said he suffered a bad reaction to the combination of a sleeping pill and red wine and has no memory of his alleged actions. His defense lawyers also claim that witnesses may have wrongly identified Buck as the culprit in the dim cabin light during the Seattle-to-London flight.

Prosecutors have said Buck, 45, acted like a "drunken lout" after consuming 15 glasses of wine on the flight. But character witnesses -- including R.E.M. band mates Michael Stipe and Mike Mills and U2 frontman Bono -- have testified that Buck is a gentle family man who does not abuse alcohol or drugs.

The trial continues Thursday.

OZZFEST

Ozzfest organizers have invited headbanger Andrew W.K. to fill the slot vacated by the unnamed band featuring Soundgarden's Chris Cornell and members of Rage Against The Machine.

Andrew W.K.'s manager told MTV News that while his client hasn't formally accepted while the logistics are worked out, he's enthusiastic about the idea.

Four days after organizers announced its inclusion on the Ozzfest 2002 main stage, the Rage-Cornell project withdrew after Cornell announced he was quitting the band. The group -- which also features Rage members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk -- is still expected to release an album this summer.

This year's Ozzfest finds Ozzy Osbourne sharing the stage with System of a Down, P.O.D. and Drowning Pool, among others.

KIDS' CHOICE AWARDS

Pink will perform in the opening slot at Nickelodeon's 15th Annual Kids' Choice Awards on April 20. The singer is also up for Favorite Song and Favorite Female Singer, according to Allstar News.

Smash Mouth, who is up for two awards, and Usher, who's up for one, will also perform at the awards, which take place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Other music acts scheduled to appear include Lil' Bow Wow, Mandy Moore, Lil' Romeo, Mick carter and Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child.

GRAMMYS

Four years after moving to Los Angeles over a falling out with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the Recording Academy is taking the Grammy Awards back to the city that never sleeps.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, academy president Michael Greene and CBS president-CEO Les Moonves announced Wednesday that the 45th Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast from Madison Square Garden next Feb. 23 on CBS.

"We look forward to working with Mayor Bloomberg and his staff and our great friends at Madison Square Garden," said Greene. "The Academy itself never left New York, and now we are thrilled to bring our main event -- the Grammy Awards -- back to the city."

After the announcement, pop star Marc Anthony presented Mayor Bloomberg with a guitar donated and autographed by legendary musician Les Paul -- painted with a Sept. 11 scene by Peter Ortel, a retired New York City fireman from Rescue 3. The academy said the guitar would be auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the Uniformed Firefighters Association Widows and Children Fund.

ELTON JOHN

NBC has decided that Elton John's guest appearance on the late-night show "Last Call with Carson Daly" is worthy of a primetime presentation, so the network will show the episode at 8 p.m. on April 20.

The primetime edition will be a half-hour version of John's hour-long appearance with Daly, in which the Oscar and six-time Grammy winner talked about his sexuality, drug and alcohol addiction, eating disorders and profligate spending.

(The above two items thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason)

MORE ELTON JOHN

There was a mutual admiration society going on in Studio A at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville Tuesday night as pop star Elton John and alt-country singer Ryan Adams taped an episode of "CMT Crossroads." John referred to Adams as "fabulous one," and Adams at one point called John a "hell of a guy."

During a question-and-answer segment of the show, John told the invited audience how Adams' 2000 solo debut "Heartbreaker" prompted him to reassess his own approach to recording, CMT.com reports.

"If I hadn't heard 'Heartbreaker,' I'd probably be lost in overproduction somewhere," John, 55, said. "I was completely and utterly floored by the simplicity and beauty of the songs." On his latest album, "Songs From The West Coast," John returns to the basic band sound of his early albums such as "Honky Chateau" and "Tumbleweed Connection."

In the "Crossroads" format, the two artists collaborated on all performances. Before he performed "La Cienega Just Smiled," John called it "my favorite song from (Adams' newest CD) 'Gold," and that's saying a lot." Adams, 27 -- finishing a slightly bent reading of John's "Daniel" -- exclaimed, "Hell of a song! Hell of a guy!"

"Crossroads" explores the common country music roots of artists from diverse backgrounds. An edited, one-hour version of the concert, with additional interview and behind-the-scenes footage, is scheduled to debut May 26 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on CMT.

DEPECHE MODE

Depeche Mode's "One Night In Paris, The Exciter Tour" Pay Per View event is being released on DVD May 28. It was directed by the band's long-time artistic collaborator Anton Corbijn at the sold-out Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy in front of 16,000 fans as part of their 2001 world tour.

The DVD features bonus footage such as one-on-one interviews with Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how they prepared for the concert.

"It's fantastic -- there's some stuff like Martin singing songs in the dressing room while he's putting on his make-up," said Fletcher.

In addition, the DVD will include interviews with fans congregating from around the globe for the concert.

Depeche Mode's Exciter Tour traveled to 24 countries. It included a North American road trip that visited 37 cities with multiple nights in New York City, Los Angeles and Anaheim, Calif.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

The Dave Matthews Band, SaveOurEnvironment.org and ice cream makers Ben & Jerry's have launched the One Sweet Whirled campaign to fight global warming.

It urges people to pledge to reduce their personal carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2,000 pounds (emissions are measured in pounds). Shedding 2,000 pounds represents about a five-percent reduction in the average American's annual emissions. People can take the "Fight Global Warming: Lose 2,000 Pounds!" pledge by promising to make small, very do-able changes in their lives -- such as driving 15 fewer miles a week -- and by voicing their concern with political messages to Congress about efficiency legislation and the need for increased renewables (such as wind and solar power).

Dave Matthews Band One Sweet Whirled is also the name of a new Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor. A portion of sales will go to support global warming initiatives.

The inspiration for the flavor name came from the Dave Matthews Band's environmental hit single "One Sweet World," from the band's debut album "Remember Two Things."

"We are honored that Ben & Jerry's offered us this flavor, 'One Sweet Whirled,' and asked us to partner with them and the nation's most influential environmental advocacy groups to help stop global warming," said DMB in a statement. "The campaign sounded great and when the first pint of 'One Sweet Whirled' didn't last long on the bus, it all came together for us."

(Web site: OneSweetWhirled.org)