IGGY GETS WIGGY

Many years have passed since the days when Iggy Pop would go onstage, drop his pants, slash himself with a broken bottle, or smear peanut butter over his body. His recent antics before a Scottish festival gig, however, demonstrate that he hasn't lost his touch when it comes to bizarre behavior. Before showing up, Pop stunned event organizers by sending a list of strange demands. It was no ordinary contract rider. In addition to the standard soda, ginger beer, red wine, and snack foods, Pop insisted on having a copy of the New York Times and a full head of broccoli — a vegetable he's known to loathe. But that's not the weird part. Pop also insisted on having seven dwarfs dressed like the Snow White characters waiting for him backstage. A spokesperson for Pop says she doesn't know whether the venue complied, but she's sure the singer was just playing a prank. Perhaps it was a way for him to get in character before the release of Beat 'Em Up, his most confrontational record since the Stooges' Funhouse.

PARAMEDIC SUES LIMP BIZKIT

Rap-rockers Limp Bizkit are being sued by a Detroit paramedic who claims he was kicked to the ground and knocked out after singer Fred Durst invited the audience to rush the stage at a show late last year in Michigan at the Palace of Auburn Hills. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, Christopher Dickinson, 33, says he was injured while attempting to treat a fan who had suffered a seizure and collapsed. Dickinson alleges that Durst urged fans to invade the stage, shouting, “Security, do not stop them,” and that incited the audience to attack him. Dickinson claims he's sustained brain damage and personality changes because of the incident and says his relationship with his wife has suffered as a result. Since the accident, she's been forced to quit her job to care for him at home, according to Dickinson. In a press statement, the paramedic says, “I've lost my whole life in the last ten months. I used to go fishing, hunting, spend hours on the lawn. Now after a half hour, I have to lie down.”

MEGADETH BANNED IN MALAYSIA

In the '80s, they were self-confessed hell-raisers — they have their very own Behind the Music to prove it — but the dawn of bands like Slipknot and Mudvayne has made Megadeth seem a lot less nasty and controversial. So the group must have felt somewhat relieved when they found themselves banned by the government of Malaysia. Megadeth had planned to play a summer show at the Warp Club in the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur, but before they even stepped onboard a plane, they received notice that they were not welcome in Malaysia. Apparently, the Malaysian authorities were offended by the band's skeleton mascot and refused to grant work permits to the band and crew. Moreover, the government pulled Megadeth albums from store shelves and prevented the group's label from shipping future records to the country. “Megadeth is very disappointed that they won't be able to perform for their fans in Malaysia,” says the band's manager, Larry Mazer. “I'm sure Megadeth fans in Malaysia are equally disappointed. Hopefully, the political climate will change so that one day Megadeth may return to Malaysia to play for fans who have waited a long time to see them in person.”

LYNYRD SKYNRD BASSIST DIES

Leon Wilkeson, bassist and founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, was found dead July 27 in his hotel room in Ponte Vedra, Florida, 17 miles south of his Jacksonville home. He was 49. The band had been on a brief break from their summer tour. The St. Johns County medical examiner says that Wilkeson likely died of natural causes. Wilkeson suffered from chronic liver and lung disease and had missed numerous shows during the past year because of his illness. A memorial service was held at the Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville. Days later the band announced their decision to continue the tour following a two-week hiatus. Ean Evans was hired as a temporary replacement; he had been introduced to the band by Skynyrd guitarist Hughie Thomasson. According to the band's management, Evans filled in for Wilkeson at about 20 shows during the past year. Before he died, Wilkeson had been in the studio with the band and worked on four new tracks. Lynyrd Skynyrd will return to the studio this winter to finish those and other songs for their next album. There is no scheduled release date yet, but the group says it will be dedicated to Wilkeson.

TOUR TROUBLE FOR POISON AND GBV

He'll probably tell you he hurt it while in bed with four women, but in truth, Poison bassist Bobby Dall just isn't as flexible as he was in the '80s. Dall twisted his back severely while onstage during one of the band's shows on their Glam Slam Metal Jam tour. A few days after first injuring it, Dall, suffering from persistent weakness and intense pain, was rushed by ambulance to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where he underwent emergency back surgery. Doctors replaced several fractured disks in his spine; they say he'll need six months to heal, but he's expected to make a full recovery. Poison canceled the last 22 dates of their tour and have put recording plans on hold until Dall recuperates. The band's publicist says the next Poison album will contain all-new studio material. Also canceling a string of summer dates were indie-rock pioneers Guided by Voices, whose momentum was halted when drummer Jon McCann broke his hand. The band's former drummer, Jim McPherson, filled in at two scheduled U.S. festival performances but was unable to play all the tour's remaining dates.