Hard rock guitar slinger Ted Nugent will joint country star Toby Keith for about 20 arena dates in the first quarter of 2005. The pair first worked together on a USO tour last summer, according to Keith’s manager, T.K. Kimbrell. “Ted loves country music, and on this USO tour, Toby’s band backed him up and he had a ball,” Kimbrell tells Billboard.biz. “They’re real compatible.” Nugent’s own band will back him on the joint tour.
Keith was one of the top 10 grossing acts on the road in 2004, raking in $44.3 from 75 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore. He is also set to play the annual New Year’s Eve bash at Nashville’s Gaylord Entertainment Center, with Terri Clark and Dierks Bentley on the bill.
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— Ray Waddell, Nashville
Organizers of the Langerado Music Festival have confirmed initial performers for the event’s third year. Noted jam band String Cheese Incident will headline both nights of the March 12-13 event at Markham Park in Sunrise, Fla., with veteran rap act De La Soul, reggae stalwarts Toots & the Maytals and guitar prodigy Kaki King among those slated to play. Others already confirmed to perform on the event’s three stages are Medeski Martin & Wood, Keller Williams, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Michael Franti & Spearhead, MOFRO, Particle, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Soulive, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Robert Walters 20th Congress, New Monsoon, Benevento Russo Duo, Donavon Frankenreiter, Spam Allstars, Hackensaw Boys, deSol and DJ Williams Projekt.
Advance purchase two-day passes priced at $75 will go on sale Dec. 10 via the festival’s Web site, 800-594-TIXX and SCI Ticketing (303-544-5875). Two-day passes will cost $95 at the gate, with single-day tickets priced at $50.
— Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.
British DJ Rob Da Bank will continue to fill in for the late, legendary broadcaster John Peel on BBC Radio 1 until Christmas. “It was a huge task to take on, but I’m just standing in until Christmas, while Radio 1 decides the future of John’s shows,” Da Bank tells Billboard.com. “Hopefully I may be part of those future plans, but its just speculation at the moment.”“It is quite humbling,” adds Da Bank, who also runs the U.K. label Sunday Best. “I’m just trying to keep doing what he wanted, which is to break new music that nobody else plays. I love music and I’m discovering a hell of a lot of stuff I didn’t know existed.”
As previously reported, Peel died suddenly of a heart attack on Oct. 26, while vacationing with his wife Sheila in Peru. He was 65.
— Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.