5/20/02 Page 2

HALFORD frontman Rob Halford has posted the following message at robhalford.com, "A big screaming hail to all the Metalheads that will attend the killer festivals that the Halford band will attack this summer in Europe. We are returning with a vengance to roar live through a blistering set list containing all the great moments from my life in metal, including material from the brand new Halford band's metal masterpiece Crucible. Get your devil tuning forks primed and ready - the Metal God is back!!" In other news, Halford have completed filming a video for the track 'Betrayal' in L.A. with director Cristoffer Salzgeber of The Mine (IRON MAIDEN, MEGADETH). The first 20,000 copies of Crucible will contain two special bonus tracks: 'She' and 'Fugitive'.

According to the band's website, www.mrbigsite.com, as of February MR. BIG are no longer together. The site will be updated with news on future CD/Video releases. A box set is in the works and several other releases of hard to find recordings are available but the band will no longer be performing together. The band have posted the following explanation at the site, "Mr Big has had many internal conflicts since the beginning of the band in 1989. These were kept under control for the most part. The original guitarist Paul Gilbert quit the band in 1996 after the Hey Man tour, though he contributed to a Greatest Hits album after that. The band took some time off, then in 1999 decided to play together again. We needed a new guitar player (we asked, but Paul refused to play with Mr. Big anymore) so we hired our good friend Richie Kotzen to play guitar. We did the Get Over It album and started playing again. In the spring of 2001 we began recording the next album, though many disagreements and conflicts remained regarding several issues. The latest album, Actual Size, was released in Japan and a video was to be shot of a song for the first single 'Shine'. At the video shoot the mood was very tense due to extreme disagreements within the band about the Actual Size record itself, management, the bands direction and sound, touring plans, the video shoot itself, and many, many, many, other things. The next day the band decided the solution was to fire Billy Sheehan and continue the band without him. Upon hearing this, the promoter in Japan cancelled the upcoming Mr. Big tour. Soon after a meeting was called to ask Billy Sheehan to return to Mr. Big. He agreed to do the previously mentioned tour, but he would not to return to Mr. Big without a drastic change in the conditions surrounding the band, which unfortunately was impossible. The tour had already been booked and Billy as well as the rest of the band felt obligated to honor their commitment. At that point, or soon after, the rest of the band decided not to continue the band after the tour - to make the tour a real farewell tour. They did the tour, and broke up. And so, like many bands before them and many bands after, Mr. Big is no longer together. The last show in Tokyo was recorded for a CD & DVD release as a final moment together commemorating 12 great years, millions of records, millions of fans, and some of the best years of their lives. Thank you all!"

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