But they lost out to The Killers' Day & Age in Sunday's UK album chart rundown -- with Brandon Flowers' group notching up sales of 200,000 during the week -- 80,000 more than Guns N' Roses.

After a great show at the Triple Rock we left for Omaha on Sunday morning and passed about 25 cars that had spun out of control from frozen roads and high winds. One lady, 100 yards in front of us, lost control of her car and spun into the median almost taking out the car in the left lane next to her. The weather got better the closer we got to Omaha after passing through Des Moines, but about 15 miles out from Omaha we ran out of gas.

And in typical Ulrich fashion, he's talking about boldly going where no band has ever gone before (speaking of 'treks').

GNR Home Movies anyone? Professional music photographer Robert John is best known for working with Guns N' Roses. He began shooting them in the 1980's when they were Hollywood Rose, became their exclusive photographer when GNR was signed to Geffen Records, and traveled with them through the height of their career. In this special feature, John shares footage he shot while on the road with Guns N' Roses from the end of Appetite For Destruction throughout the Use Your Illusion tours, to give the world a glimpse of what being friends and hanging out with one of the biggest bands in the world was really like. Check it out here

TMZ has this update on the Jennifer Hudson family murder case: The Cook County state's attorney's office has just officially charged William Balfour with the murders of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew. He's been charged with three counts of first degree murder and one count of home invasion. more

Keith Urban will tour North America next spring in support of his as-yet-untitled new album. Dates are not confirmed, but the trek is expected to begin in May and run through the summer. support acts

Boy George has opted not to give evidence in his own defense at his ongoing trial for allegedly imprisoning a male escort at his London flat. The singer confirmed through his defense counsel that he would not testify. more

Salvatore Valvo, 53, of Annadale, a longtime bodyguard and security specialist for heavy metal band Twisted Sister, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest died Monday at Staten Island University Hospital South of complications from leukemia and diabetes. more

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with.. premieres tonight (December 3rd) on the Sundance Channel at 9 EST. The first episode features performances and interviews with Sir Elton John. Highlights

Saliva and Tantric have joined the Rock Gone Wild lineup. Classic Glam rockers Tigertailz will also bring their unique presence to the festival. Rock Gone Wild is slated for August 20-23, 2009 in Algona, Iowa. Tickets are available now by visiting www.rockgonewild.com.

Take That score the biggest first day sale of the year in the UK with their new album, The Circus, despite problems getting it into shops. more

Kanye West has reacted to criticism of his heavy use of Auto-Tune on new album 808s & Heartbreaks, claiming that the software has actually made him a better singer. "I get a lot of backlash for using [Auto-Tune] because it's a tool people use when they can't sing," says West. "What it does for me, if I sing off-key, it really points that out. It points out the bad notes. So what I have to do is sing more perfect". more

The eighth Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will take place June 11-14, 2009, on its usual site in Manchester, Tennessee, an hour southeast of Nashville.more

The soundtrack to the Notorious B.I.G. biopic, Notorious, will be released by Biggie's former recording home of Bad Boy Records, according to MTV News.more

Tim Armstrong of Rancid has donated a track to a series titled Everything You Wanted to Know About Gay Porn Stars (but Were Afraid to Ask). The series, produced by John Roecker of Live Freaky Die Freaky fame, looks at the often dangerous world of gay pornography. more

For those that liked the tune that was in the Snapple Antioxidant Water's "Bubble Wrap" commercial from earlier this year, there is now a video from the track. The song is called "Cat's Meow" and it's from the band The Bad Eliots. You can check out the video here

Blockbuster Inc. will begin selling concert tickets at about 500 of its video rental stores, bolstering its effort to create a one-stop shop for entertainment. more

Cipher is currently in search of a new bass player. Candidates must have experience, professional equipment, transportation, and be willing to tour.more

British second-wave Ska icons The Specials will reunite for a 2009 30th anniversary tour of the U.K.more

Reports suggest that Elton John could be set to recruit Mark Ronson to produce his next album. more

Bad Brains will play a handful of shows this month in California and Hawaii.dates

The Dickies will be playing a New Year's Eve show in New York City at The Bowery Electric. Set for Wednesday December 31st, 2008.more

Divine Heresy, the band featuring former Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares has announced that they will be heading into the studio in February to record their second album. The album will be the bands first with vocalist Travis Neal (formerly of The Bereaved and Pushed)more

Dillinger Escape Plan has announced that they will enter the studio next June to begin recording a new full-length. The effort will be tracked by engineer/producer Steve Evetts more

Or can they? In an interview with Alternative Press, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong promises the group aren't resting on their laurels, and that their best work may be coming soon.

The rapper will have to face criminal charges in a trial stemming from an incident in which he allegedly tossed a fan off a stage at a show last year.

While we can only speculate what his final pick could have been (ummm... Cardinology?), he provided a list of nine eclectic records that did make the cut.

Swedish hard rockers Fatal Smile, who were scheduled to open all shows on the tour, have issued the following statement:

The hardcore band features Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance and promises "raw confrontational punk rock."