Live debuted some new material at a secret show in Los Angeles on Thursday (May 28) at the Viper Room with former Blind Melon guitarist Christopher Thorn. The rock act, who have announced that Thorn will be a touring member, performed 12 previously unreleased songs in front of the slightly under- capacity crowd. No word yet as to whether Thorn will be appearing on the upcoming Live album, as it has yet to be recorded, according to a spokesperson for the band. This was his first show with the group.

Songs with such working titles as "Still Around," "New City," "Ishta," "Face and Ghost," "Fishes," "Sparkle," "Don't Wait," and "Change" energized the fans, while "Overcome," which the band previously performed at the Tibet House benefit in March (allstar, March 10) with Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant, and Anjelique Kidjo on backing vocals, was also a hit.

During Live's encore, they played the Los Angeles- inspired "Vine Street" -- which has also been performed in concert before -- the rousing number "Sun," and the thought- provoking "Stood Up 4 Love."

Spotted in the audience of fans and music industry types were Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz, Guns N' Roses and Cult drummer Matt Sorum, members of Hootie & the Blowfish, and acting couple Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche.

As previously reported in allstar, the group plans to continue trying out the new material in front of East Coast crowds starting in June, around the time of their Tibetan Freedom Concert performance on June 13 at Washington, D.C.'s R.F.K. Stadium.

The follow-up to Live's February 1997 album Secret Samadhi, which has yet to be titled, is due out in late spring or early summer in 1999 on Radioactive Records.

NOTE: Not really Hootie related, but I added it because members of my top three bands -- Hootie & the Blowfish, Live and the Counting Crows -- were in attendance. :)