MTV News Round-Up 24/02/2004

*** P Diddy has been found not guilty of instructing his bodyguard to assault a TV chat show host. Roger Mills claimed to have been roughed-up by a member of Diddy's entourage in 1999. Mills also accused the rap mogul of stealing a tape of the interview he did, in which he questioned Diddy's contribution to the death of Notorious B.I.G.

*** The Hives, The Distillers, Slipknot, Iggy and the Stooges and Korn have been added to the line-up for the Download Festival at Donington and Glasgow Green in Scotland. The two-day festival, taking place on June 2-3 in Scotland and June 5-6 at Donington, includes headliners Metallica and Linkin Park.

*** Puddle Of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin was charged with disorderly conduct after the drunk singer confessed he was "too f**ked up to perform" at a gig in Toledo. The frontman was arrested on returning to his dressing room for Disorderly Conduct - Intoxication, and then earned himself another charge for spitting in the police car on the way to the station. He was released on bail.

*** The Charlatans have announced a UK tour to promote their new album. The dates are: Aberdeen (May 23), Glasgow (24), Manchester (27), Liverpool (29), Leicester (31), Nottingham Rock City (June 1), Folkestone (3), London (4), Brighton (5), Bristol (6), Newcastle (8), Doncaster(9), Birmingham (10) and Newport (11).
*** Black Eyed Peas have revealed plans to move to the UK this summer. "What we have planned is to come and do all the European and UK festivals, have our home base in London, get a house, record our next record," said rapper Will.I.Am. "Every Wednesday we'd have this thing we call the Pea Pod, which is basically a free event, local musicians come jam with us have this ongoing jam session based out in London, the place that supported us the most."

*** Pharrell Williams is to break from music and have a crack at acting. The N.E.R.D impresario is to star in a short film called 'The Ecology Of Love'. "I don't consider myself an actor," said Pharrell, "I probably never will consider myself an actor, but it's a means of expressing myself and I'm cool with that."

DL