The countdown for the media frenzy surrounding the long-anticipated coupling of Marilyn Manson [ tickets ] and Hole [ tickets ] on US stages became much more solid Wednesday (1/27) as dates for the first eight weeks of their co-headline tour were announced. The tour, dubbed the "Beautiful Monsters" tour by Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, will kick off February 28th at Spokane, WA's Spokane Arena. Tickets for the first four stops on the tour will go on sale this weekend.

Monster Magnet is set to open the announced leg of the tour, with both camps still negotiating possibilities for an opener on a second leg to be announced later.

The US tour begins days after the Grammy Awards (2/24), allowing both artists the opportunity to attend. Manson is nominated in the Best Hard Rock Performance category for The Dope Show. Hole is nominated in the Best Rock Album category for Celebrity Skin, and in the Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal categories for the title track from the album.

Producer Michael Beinhorn, who worked on both Celebrity Skin and Manson's Mechanical Animals, is nominated in the Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical category for his work on both albums.

The day before the Grammys, a ceremony will be held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles to award the Gibson Guitar Awards for 1999. Hole's Courtney Love is nominated for the Best Rock Guitarist (Female) award and Melissa Auf Der Maur is nominated in the Best Bassist (Female) category.

The Hole / Manson tour is expected to run for at least six weeks.

Here's the latest itinerary for Marilyn Manson and Hole: