VELVET REVOLVER bassist Duff McKagan has posted a message on the web site of his side project LOADED stating that VR has finished "laying down 12 new jams" at the studio of the group's drummer, Matt Sorum. No further details were provided.

VELVET REVOLVER announced that it was parting ways with singer Scott Weiland on April 1 due to his "increasingly erratic on-stage behavior and personal problems." Weiland told The Associated Press earlier this week that the split with VELVET REVOLVER and the reactivation of his previous band, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, happened around the same time, explaining, "I had talked to (VELVET REVOLVER guitarist) Slash, mentioned it to him, and things were cool for a while. And this last tour, things just disintegrated really badly. I just came to the point where I decided that...if I'm going to commit the next 10 years of my life to touring...then I want to do it with people I want to make music with."

VELVET REVOLVER has not yet announced a replacement for Weiland.

In other news, McKagan has hinted on the LOADED web site that the band he formed after he left GUNS N' ROSES is planning on hitting the road later in the year. "UK, you up for a late summer/early fall tour? Spain? Italy?" he wrote on the site.

LOADED is currently working on a new, yet-to-be-titled studio album, to be released in the summer.

LOADED was formed in 1999 and has morphed several times, releasing two albums: 1999's "Live Episode" and 2001's "Dark Days". The group's current lineup includes drummer Geoff Reading (NEW AMERICAN SHAME, GREEN APPLE QUICKSTEP), bassist Jeff Rouse and guitarist Mike Squires (both formerly of ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE).