As the late October release of Bush's third album, The Science of Things, approaches, the band has been forced to leap a small hurdle: Guitarist Nigel Pulsford won't be able to accompany the band on its brief promotional tour because of an unspecified family emergency.|

The band's spokesperson said that, being the "mensches" that they are, Bush preferred not to cancel their appearances at the six radio festivals, and opted to recruit friend Andy Cohen of Seattle's Silkworm to temporarily fill Pulsford's shoes. (Pulsford is expected to rejoin the group in time for its Oct. 9 NetAid performance.)

Cohen began rehearsing with the band yesterday -- just a day after Bush made a splash at a Tommy Hilfiger fashion show when frontman Gavin Rossdale shouted expletives as the band finished its short set. With Cohen in tow, Bush will head to Columbia, South Carolina, on Friday for the mini-jaunt's first show.

Assuming that Hurricane Floyd hasn't made mincemeat of the South by the time Bush arrive there, a high turnout seems likely for these shows. After all, the new album's first single, "Chemicals Between Us" has enjoyed great success on alternative radio already. According to their spokesperson, the song was added by every single alternative station that reports to music trade journal R&R. Meanwhile, the video for "Chemicals" should begin airing next week.

A full Bush tour of the States won't happen until next spring.

Bush's radio tour:

9/17: Columbia, S.C., WARQ
9/18: Atlanta, Ga., 99X Bid Day Out
9/19: Charlotte, N.C., WEND
9/23: Birmingham, Ala., WEND
9/24: Augusta, Ga., WCHZ
9/25: Washington D.C., HFStival

JENNY ELISCU
(September 16, 1999)