STEWART COPELAND

Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction will be touring together in the near future. While I have not been thrilled about NIN's material lately, especially the very disappointing Year Zero, I am considering going to the Vegas show because the rumor has it that NIN will be taking an extended hiatus after this tour. Also, the show is in a really nice venue (the Pearl at The Palms).

I did not see them the last time they played in Vegas, which was the tour closer last December. I did not go because (1) again I am not fond of a lot of their recent material but more importantly (2) I'm not a fan of their drummer at the time, Josh Freese. There is a lot NIN drum parts that I just LOVE, but not when Josh plays them.

Anyway, I hear that NIN's drummer for their upcoming tour is a dude named Ilan Rubin. Anyone know anything about him? If he's something special, I might go out of my way to see NIN when they come to town.

Ilan is more than a bit of a child prodigy and a Socal punk drumming legend to a degree.

He's also pretty good friends with Josh Freese, and Ilan's toured with bands that Josh has done the session work a few times, so not sure if that will influence whether you like him or not.

I will likely go- if just because I never thought I would see a NIN/Jane's double bill after Lollapalooza again! Yikes!