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Briefly: First KISS; Napster vs. the RIAA

By LiveDaily Staff

plus: Introducing Madster. Verve signs Natalie Cole. Lineup for the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival.

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Billboard.com reported that KISS [ tickets ] will perform on Tuesday (2/5) "during Lane Bryant's third annual intimate apparel runway show, and the debut of the retailer's 'First Kiss' line, at the city's Roseland Ballroom."

The event is not open to the public, though Lane Bryant's official website will broadcast it on Wednesday night (2/6).

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The New York Times reported that transcripts in the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) lawsuit against music file-trading company Napster show that, on Jan. 16, the judge in the case "intended to grant a request by Napster to explore whether the record companies might have colluded to prevent Napster and other online music competitors from licensing music to sell on the Internet [and] to explore whether the record companies might not control all the copyrights they claimed to own."

Then, on Jan. 17, the RIAA requested that the judge suspend the lawsuit for 30 days, which the judge did.

The RIAA told the Times that it requested the suspension because "it wanted to resolve the case quickly because Napster could run out of money soon and be unable to pay the millions of dollars the record companies sought."

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Music file-sharing company Aimster has changed its name to Madster, the Associated Press reported. The name change follows a ruling by a National Arbitration Forum panel that said that the name violated the trademark of AOL-Time Warner's instant messaging system AIM.

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As part of Verve Records' evolution, the jazz label has signed Natalie Cole, best known for adding her vocal track to her late father Nat King Cole's rendition of "Unforgettable."

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The Palladium in Worcester, Mass., will host the fourth annual New England Metal & Hardcore Festival on April 5-6, KNAC.com reported. The lineup includes: