There's been considerable debate over the last . . . oh, two thousand years or so . . . about the nature of Jesus Christ. But we'd venture to say that no matter what one's perception of him might be, one would be hard-pressed to imagine J.C. sporting an "AIDS Kills Fags Dead" t-shirt -- unless one was a theatrical producer, that is. One enterprising stage impresario apparently has just that vision, since he's cast former-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach in the lead role of a road version of Jesus Christ Superstar, which is scheduled to run for nearly a year, starting in November. The tour, slated to take in more than two dozen cities, won't be stopping at any dinner theaters -- which will preclude Vince Neil from taking on a role as Peter, the portly disciple . . .

Speaking of Neil, normally we wouldn't express all that much surprise at news that he had stalked out of a paying gig before finishing . . . well, whatever the heck it is he does on stage. But considering that the shortened show in question took place at a club that's known for employing a gent who's a particularly heavy pourer when it comes to adding cheese-product to those deli tray nachos, we've gotta admit to being a bit perplexed at the bad behavior displayed by the round mound of (metallic) sound. Neil had, shall we say, weighed in with a passel of old Motley Crue tunes at the beginning of his set at Levelz in Steamboat Springs, Colorado -- which prompted a merry sing-a-long among the folks in attendance. The "crowd" didn't, however, give the follow-the-bouncing ball treatment to Vince's solo material -- prompting the singer to act the heavy, calling the throng "morons" and storming offstage after a mere fifteen minutes (or, in terms what might ring a bell with Neil, one-quarter of the time allotted at one of those all-you-can-eat sushi bars) . . .

Irony, long rumored to be on its way out, was pronounced officially dead this past week in Hull, England -- when a busload of hearing-impaired individuals took umbrage at finding a club's Songs for the Deaf night was actually a promotion for Queens of the Stone Age, whose new album bears that title. The thirty-odd Brits were apparently offended at the lack of deaf-oriented material on display: A spokesperson for the Spiders Club told Metal Hammer magazine that "they didn't see the funny side at all." The Queens, however, did: They've cooked up a new t-shirt design that spells out the band's QotSA anagram in sign language diagrams . . .

Now that fashion plate Rob Halford is well out of the picture, Judas Priest is being asked to consider taking a kindlier stance toward their bovine friends. Lisa Franzetta, PETA's "International Grassroots Campaign Coordinator" has fired off a missive asking the band to re-visit one of its more popular tunes and change the title -- by a single letter, to be fair -- to "Hell Bent for Pleather." Franzetta cited the support of her many pals in the biker world, not to mention thousands of "headbangers with a heart" -- presumably not one that's been roasted on a stake, that is -- in making her plea . . .

DAVID SPRAGUE
(August 23, 2002)