Billboard Bits: U2, Monster Jam 2001, Teenage Fanclub

10/4/2001

News on U2, Monster Jam 2001, Teenage Fanclub

U2 has invited the world to the kick-off the third leg of its Elevation tour on Wednesday (Oct. 10) in South Bend, Ind., for a Webcast via RealNetworks and European Internet communications company Tiscali. Set to begin at 9 p.m. ET, the free Webcast will feature cameras that follow each member of the band, and be accessible to U.S. fans through the band's official U2.com Web site and RealNetworks' real.com site.

European fans can watch the show via Tiscali's Webcast hub at http://u2.tiscali.com. Tiscali will also rebroadcast the show the next night at 9 p.m. CET through each of its 15 European portal sites.

Tiscali subscribers and RealNetworks' GoldPass members will be able to have access to special Webcast features, including an interactive 360-degree "spin cam," as well as "making of" concert footage and interviews with the band and tour crew. Those premium subscribers will also have on-demand access to the concert for 21 days following the event.

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

Sean "P Diddy" Combs, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, and Ja Rule will headline JAM'N 94.5's Monster Jam 2001 Oct. 29 at Boston's FleetCenter. The event will also include performances from Nelly, Southern rap newcomer Bubba Sparxxx, U.K two-stepper Craig David, hip-hop trio City High, and gangsta rapper Fabolous.

Radio promoters promise all artists on the bill will take part in a special tribute to recently departed R&B singer Aaliyah. Beyond impromptu appearances at the MTV Video Music Awards and the Source Awards, the event also looks to be one of P. Diddy's few live performances before a planned tour next year. His current album with the Bad Boy Family, "The Saga Continues" (Bad Boy/Arista), falls 29-43 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart this week.

Tickets, which range in price from $55-$75, are currently on-sale.

-- Todd Martens, L.A.

Independent label Thirsty Ear has finalized a Nov. 20 North American release for Scottish quartet Teenage Fanclub's sixth album, "Howdy!." The album was released internationally in October 2000, and will be Teenage Fanclub's first set to see release in North America since 1997's "Songs from Northern Britain" (Columbia).

"Howdy!" has spawned the singles "I Need Direction" and "Dumb Dumb Dumb" in the U.K., but a Thirsty Ear spokesperson said the label has not yet made plans to release any singles in North America.

The group's best U.S. chart showing to date was earned by "Bandwagonesque," which hit No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart in March 1992.

-- Troy Carpenter, N.Y.