Los Angeles-based producer/engineer/guitarist Doug Grean, who is a guitarist, keyboardist and musical director for STONE TEMPLE PILOTS/ex-VELVET REVOLVER singer Scott Weiland's live solo band, has issued the following update:

"So we've finished the first set of [Scott Weiland solo] tour dates. These were all radio shows and we are really happy with how it all went. It started off good and ended great. It happens with all bands; the more shows you play the better and tighter the set gets. I think we were really ooking by the New York City show and just got hotter as we went along. But I have to say that the last show, the Chicago show was probably the best we've played.

"On a side note, we've added another STONE TEMPLE PILOTS song to the set, 'Unglued'. People having been yelling for us to play STP songs at every show and this is understandable. But you guys have to understand a few things. To begin with, there is a another band called STP that is actually out there touring and if you want to hear a whole set of STP tunes, you can pretty easily go see them; they were just on tour for five months and they are doing a few shows next week. So it's not like they are broken up and you can't ever see them anymore. That's not the case. So that's one reason not to sit there screaming STP at a Scott solo show. Also, Scott WANTS to play his solo stuff, that's what this 'solo' touring stuff is all about. He wants to establish an identity for himself that separate from STP and VR. So if you buy a ticket to a Scott Weiland solo tour concert, you should be prepared to hear mostly Scott Weiland solo songs.

"Finally I think you should know that we all love STP (me and the solo band). And we love playing their great songs. I, myself, have worked on their last two records. I know and I'm friends with all of them and by not playing much of their stuff we are not trying to be disrespectful. We are actually just respecting Scott's wishes and supporting his vision for his solo identity.

"So if you want to come and yell STP at the shows, that's cool. We don't get mad or anything. And every one has the 'freedom of speech,' whatever they want. You could even yell 'Doug Grean is a fat sloppy live guitar player' and you'd be within your rights. But what I guess I'm asking you for is to be patient and understanding and let Scott do what he wants to do for now. There will be plenty of time and chances for you to hear the STP boys rock the fuck out of their awesome catalog in the future."

Doug Grean co-produced Weiland's new solo album "Happy in Galoshes", which was released on November 25 on the duo's Softdrive Records.

Grean and Weiland collaborated on nearly every aspect of the album. One of the first songs Grean and Weiland wrote together in 1998 is "Big Black Monster". This track appears on "Happy in Galoshes", and is one of 16 songs on the album that Grean co-wrote, co-produced, engineered and mixed. Grean is also a talented multi-instrumentalist; he plays guitar, bass, lap steel, banjo, and keyboards on the album. Grean and Weiland are also partners in the independent label Softdrive Records, where Grean has produced and engineered five of the six albums for Softdrive artists. Also, the two co-own Lavish recording studio in Burbank.

"Most of this album was made just by Scott and I hanging out and experimenting in our studio," Grean reveals. "So it's not like a traditional record where there's a 'band.' Inspiration would strike, and one of us would just play something. When you're being spontaneous, you can't call someone up and say come on over and play the bass, that just slows things down and kills the vibe. So I ended up playing a lot of different instruments on this record."

Besides Weiland, Grean has worked with various notable musical artists, such as Sheryl Crow, Ricki Lee Jones, Glen Campbell, Slash, VELVET REVOLVER, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, THE CRYSTAL METHOD, Tim McGraw, Cyndi Lauper, Annabella Lwin (BOW WOW WOW), Corey Glover (LIVING COLOR), CAMP FREDDY, DJ Hurricane, and John Taylor (DURAN DURAN). In 2005, Grean appeared on the 47th annual Grammy Awards with VELVET REVOLVER as keyboardist, performing "All Across the Universe" with Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, Bono, Steven Tyler, Brian Wilson, and Alison Krauss.