Ex-METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted has hit out at Lars Ulrich for stating in a recent radio interview that Newsted seemed "lost" by accepting the job as OZZY OSBOURNE's new four-stringer.

"If Lars was good enough he would have joined OZZY, too," Jason told Greek magazine Rock On. "Lars can kiss my ass. I think that he doesn't remember which band was opening the shows for OZZY back in 1986 [referring to METALLICA's opening slot with OSBOURNE—ed.]."

Jason Newsted, who is still a "full-time member" of VOIVOD, will pull double duty both on this summer's Ozzfest and the BLACK SABBATH singer's Canadian tour in June.

OSBOURNE with special guests VOIVOD start the Canadian tour June 1 in Vancouver. Ozzfest 2003 begins June 28 in San Antonio.

OZZY OSBOURNE drummer Mike Bordin says that he is excited about working with his band's newest member, former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted. "It's exciting to me, I mean, I've known [Jason] for 15 years," he said. "I've known him since he replaced my friend [Cliff Burton]. That was my friend in METALLICA that died. I mean that was the first person I've ever played music with was Cliff. So, I've known the guy. I'm comfortable. I've seen him coming 14 years now, so I think I'm ready."

Osbourne's former bassist, Robert Trujillo, ironically enough, has just joined METALLICA's lineup, which Bordin thinks is sort of like a baseball trade. He says: "It's (Red Sox shortstop) Nomar (Garciaparra) for (New York Yankees shortstop) Derek Jeter. There's no (Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez) A-Rods here."

Trujillo's last gig with Osbourne's band was Friday (March 14th). Trujillo had been Ozzy's bass player since 1995.

Metallica has named former Suicidal Tendencies/Ozzy Osbourne band member Rob Trujillo as its new bassist. Trujillo replaces Jason Newsted, who departed in early 2001, and will appear on the quartet's upcoming studio album, "St. Anger," due June 10 from Elektra. Longtime producer Bob Rock has played bass at sporadic concert experiences and in the studio with Metallica since Newsted's departure, and the group had been vague as to whether or not it was seeking a full-time fourth member.

Earlier this month, Metallica announced its North American Summer Sanitarium tour with Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, but evaded questions on the open bass position. The band's connection to Trujillo stretches back to 1993, when Suicidal Tendencies toured with Metallica, and a post on the band's Web site implies that Trujillo was present for much of the new album's recording sessions.

"When Rob came to San Francisco the first time and jammed with us, we all felt this incredible magic between the four of us," the band writes. "It was just something we could not describe, we all just knew it."

Additionally, drummer Lars Ulrich writes, "The last two years of just being the three of us have taught me soo [sic] much about myself, about James and Kirk and about Metallica. To welcome Rob into Metallica in 2003 after all the growth and soul searching we've been through for the last two years, feels ... awesome. Being at full strength again is at this moment indescribable."

Meanwhile, the band has confirmed 16 dates for the Summer Sanitarium tour, including a July 26 performance at the Hawthorne Racetrack in Chicago and an Aug. 9 date at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. Among the cities still awaiting dates and venues are New York, San Francisco, and Toronto. Updates will be posted on Metallica's Web site.

Metallica will embark on a brief tour of the European festival circuit before its North American outing, and continue to sprinkle in overseas dates throughout the summer. The group is pegged to play dates June 6 at the Rock Im Park festival in Nuremberg, Germany, and will travel between continents until a pair of gigs Aug. 22 and 24 at the U.K.'s Reading and Leeds festivals.

As for Newsted, the bassist has become a official member of veteran metal act Voivod. He also produced the band's upcoming self-titled album, which is due March 4 via Newsted's Surfdog imprint Chophouse Records.

-- Todd Martens, L.A.

Ozzy Osbourne returns to headline Ozzfest 2003 to do what he loves best - play rock n'roll. The Prince of Darkness will hit the stage with band mates Zakk Wylde, Robert Trujillo, and Michael Bordin with a hard-hitting set of songs culled from his 33-year career as rock's purveyor of heavy metal.

Korn, have signed on for their first Ozzfest, bringing their rich sonic assault to the masses; Marilyn Manson returns with his unforgettable stage show; Ozzfest favorites Disturbed are back with more of their anthemic metal; and Ozzfest 2002 Second Stagers Chevelle have graduated and will usher in the Main Stage entertainment beginning at 5pm.

This year the tradition continues with a second stage bill that includes the best young acts in the constantly changing hard rock scene. Presiding over the Second Stage are English goth-metal phenoms Cradle of Filth who will make their first U.S. rock festival appearance on Ozzfest 2003 and Trust Company. Underground favorites Shadow's Fall, Killswitch Engage, and Nothingface bring a heavier edge to the second stage, joining upstarts Hotwire, Grade 8, Twisted Method, Unloco, and Memento are just a few of the 14 bands that will round out the second stage line-up. (More bands TBA.)

Tickets go on sale in March with limited specially priced $10 tickets available at venue box offices. Regularly priced tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Tour Dates (all subject to change - on-sale dates to be announced by week's end)

Sat-Jun-28 San Antonio Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sun-Jun-29 Dallas Smirnoff Music Center
Wed-Jul-02 Phoenix Cricket Pavilion
Thu-Jul-03 San Diego Coors Amphitheatre
Sat-Jul-05 Los Angeles Glen Helen Pavilion
Tue-Jul-08 San Francisco Shoreline Amphitheatre
Wed-Jul-09 Sacramento Sleep Train Amphitheatre
Sat-Jul-12 Seattle White River Amphitheatre
Tue-Jul-15 St. Louis UMB Bank Pavilion
Thu-Jul-17 Kansas City Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sat-Jul-19 Minneapolis Float-Rite Park
Sun-Jul-20 Chicago Tweeter Center
Tue-Jul-22 Cleveland Blossom
Thu-Jul-24 Detroit DTE Entergy Music Theatre
Wed-Jul-30 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pavilion
Thu-Jul-31 Indianapolis Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sat-Aug-02 Milwaukee Alpine Valley
Sun-Aug-03 Columbus, OH Polaris Amphitheatre
Tue-Aug-05 Scranton, PA Montage Mountain
Thu-Aug-07 Philadelphia Tweeter Waterfront
Sat-Aug-09 Hartford Meadows Music Theatre
Mon-Aug-11 Buffalo Darien Lakes
Thu-Aug-14 Boston Tweeter Center
Mon-Aug-18 New York PNC Bank Arts Center
Fri-Aug-22 Washington DC Nissan Pavilion
Sun-Aug-24 Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Tue-Aug-26 Atlanta Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre
Thu-Aug-28 West Palm Beach Coral Sky Amphitheatre

http://www.ozzfest.com/
http://www.ozzy.com/