Puddle of Mudd plan to adjust the set list for their tour with new-metal pioneers Korn set to kick off tonight at the First Union Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

"Korn's definitely a harder band, and we have some hard songs, so we're just gonna play all our heavy stuff," says frontman Wes Scantlin. "We're just going to do our same thing, just go out there and rock & roll. That's what it's all about anyway."

Scantlin says Puddle of Mudd won't be playing with fire or anything too theatric. "We kind of steer clear of the pyro thing," he says. "But I do think we have a couple of gadgets. I don't really know. I don't pay attention to it. All I know is I play Gibson Les Paul guitars and I sing."

In 1998, Scantlin was at a Korn-headlined Family Values concert in Kansas City when he passed his demo tape to a security guard, instructing him to give it to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Upon hearing it, Durst called him and ended up signing Puddle of Mudd to his Flawless Records label and executive producing the band's 2001 debut, Come Clean.

Scantlin says that any future demos given to himself, drummer Greg Upchurch, bassist Doug Ardito or guitarist Paul Phillips will be forwarded to Flawless -- most of them, anyway. "Some of the good ones we like to hold on, to keep in the back pocket," he jokes. "People are giving them to us now. We'll take them and listen to them, and if they're good, they're going to go to the right people."

Puddle of Mudd plan to begin recording their second album in September. "Next record's going to be awesome," Scantlin says. "We were writing the next record while we were in the studio finishing the first record. When you're a musician, you don't ever stop writing songs. There's plenty of new material for the next record. All we have to do is weave through it and find the diamonds in the rough."

John Kurzweg, who produced the platinum-selling Come Clean, as well as all the Creed albums, might come on board again. "He hasn't failed, so we're thinking about using him again," Scantlin says, "but you know, things change, so we don't know yet."

The album is expected in early 2003.

Puddle of Mudd/Korn tour dates:

6/20: Wilkes-Barre, PA, First Union Arena
6/21: Hartford, CT, Hartford Civic Center
6/23: New York, Madison Square Garden
6/26: Toronto, Ontario, Air Canada Center
6/27: Montreal, Quebec, Molson Center
6/29: Pittsburgh, Mellon Arena
6/30: Cleveland, CSU Convention Center
7/2: Grand Rapids, MI, Van Andel Arena
7/3: Detroit, Palace of Auburn Hills
7/5: Chicago, Allstate Arena
7/8: Peoria, IL, Civic Center
7/9: Lexington, KY, Rupp Arena
7/11: Indianapolis, Conseco Fieldhouse
7/12: Columbus, OH, Nationwide Arena
7/13: Dayton, OH, Nutter Center
7/17: Roanoke, VA, Roanoke Civic Center
7/18: Greenville, SC, Bi-Lo Center
7/20: St. Louis, Savvis Center
7/21: Kansas City, Kemper Arena
7/23: Omaha, NE, TBA
7/24: Moline, IL, Mark of the Quad Cities
7/26: Green Bay, WI, Brown County Arena
7/27: Milwaukee, Bradley Center
7/29: Ames, IA, Hilton Coliseum
7/30: Minneapolis, TBA
8/1: Grand Forks, ND, Alrerus Center

KAREN BLISS
(June 20, 2002)