"Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland has officially been named the lead vocalist for Velvet Revolver, the band featuring former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, and guitarist Dave Kushner. The group's first original song, 'Set Me Free,' appears on The Hulk soundtrack, which came out in June, while a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Money' appears in the film The Italian Job. Writing has already begun for their first album, which they hope to begin recording in September, and a record deal is being sought. Their first gig took place at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on June 19, where the group played four cover songs-- Sex Pistols' 'Bodies,' Stone Temple Pilots' 'Sex Type Thing,' Guns N' Roses' 'It's So Easy' and Nirvana's 'Negative Creep'-- and two originals, 'Set Me Free' and 'Slither.' Meanwhile, on June 2, Weiland pleaded not guilty to charges of drug possession stemming from a May arrest where heroin and cocaine were found in his car. The singer claims that the drugs belonged to his travel companion, Jennifer Lynn Sires. Weiland told the judge that he would go through rehab before his next court date. Whether Weiland is still in the Stone Temple Pilots or not has yet to be officially announced, though he did not sound optimistic about the band's future when asked about it prior to Velvet Revolver's El Ray [sic] performance: 'We never officially broke up,' he said, 'but it looks like we're on a very, very extended hiatus...' He did however, recently work with the band to record a new song, 'All In The Suit That You Wear,' for a greatest hits compilation due Nov. 4 from Atlantic Records."