The ‘Lollapalooza’ Lowdown

And the “Lollapalooza ‘93” winner is . . .

Answer: None of the above.

That’s what Pop Eye found in a survey of 20 alternative-music insiders asked who will be the “breakout” act on the “Lollapalooza ‘93” tour, which begins Friday in Vancouver.

More than half of the voters said they did not see any of the acts making a dramatic move to a new level of popularity because of the exposure on the tour.

On the first “Lollapalooza” tour in 1991, industrial-rock band Nine Inch Nails seemed to go overnight from being an intriguing newcomer on the bill to one of the most prized--and commercially successful--alternative acts.

Last year, Ministry, another industrial act, was the pick of most experts, but didn’t really increase the size and scope of its audience significantly.

Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were also on the ’92 tour, certainly sold a ton of records, but they were red hot before the rock ‘n’ roll sideshow even got started. Rapper Ice Cube, who found favor with a new, suburban audience, was probably the ’92 winner by default.

This year’s acts are Alice in Chains, Arrested Development, Babes in Toyland, Dinosaur Jr., Fishbone, Front 242, Primus, Rage Against the Machine and Tool--though some voters turned their attention to the “second stage,” where more underground acts will perform.

Of the main acts, Rage Against the Machine got the most first-place votes (five), but even some who picked the Los Angeles rap-rock band warned that the group could be at a big disadvantage because it opens the marathon show, and lots of fans may arrive late. Second, with three votes, was Primus, the Bay Area zany-rockers whose latest album reached the pop Top 10.

Some comments:

* “Given the composition of the audience--white suburban boys--it will be Rage,” said Karen Glauber, postmodern music editor of the trade magazine Hits. “I adore (Minneapolis female trio) Babes in Toyland, but will they go over with the crowd? I’m assuming this will be a pretty dumb crowd--it won’t be mistaken for a local chapter of Mensa.”

* “The answer may be none of the above this year,” said Bob Bell, buyer for the Wherehouse Records chain. “The tour has really become a formula. Alice takes the Pearl Jam grunge slot, Front 242 takes the Nine Inch Nails/Ministry industrial slot. I’m sure it will be good to boost bands on the verge, like Rage and Tool, but I don’t see a breakthrough.”

* “Rage will see the greatest amount of improvement, but I don’t see anyone repeating the Nine Inch Nails situation at all,” said Kathy Lincoln, director of artist development and alternative marketing at Capitol Records.

* “The answer is nobody,” said Craig Marks, music editor of Spin magazine. “Alice and Arrested have already broken through and I don’t really think any of the others are going to fly.”

* “A surprise appearance of (“Lollapalooza” co-founder Perry Farrell’s) Porno for Pyros would get the most sparks flying,” said record producer Ralph Sall, who voted for no one.

* “Probably Primus,” said Geffen Records A&R; executive Mio Vukovich, one of several to give the nod to the trio that is closing the show. “This is really their first big tour and it should make a huge leap in what they can do (commercially). But the sad thing is there are no really new artists on the bill. It’s not about new music anymore.”

FLYING FEUD: The Drifters, the classic R&B; group from the ‘50s and ‘60s, may be the next pop music act to go to court to seek payment for the use of its “sound” in a TV commercial. Both Tom Waits and Bette Midler won huge court judgments in cases where it was determined that firms copied their styles in ads. The ad in question is British Airways’ current campaign, which features the Drifters hit “Up on the Roof.”

Drifters attorney Hal Begel, who founded the Washington-based Rhythm & Blues Foundation to recover lost royalties for R&B; artists, says that British Airways’ London-based ad agency had inquired about using the original recording of the song, but decided to record its own new version rather than pay the licensing fee, which amounts to about $200,000. Begel contends that the new version is a deliberate attempt to copy the sound of the original.

John Lampl, director of public relations for British Airways USA, says that the firm’s position is that the new version is “distinctive enough (from the original) and not an attempt to imitate it.”

Begel has sent a letter to British Airways executives outlining the Drifters’ claims and is waiting for a response before deciding whether to take the issue to court.

ON THE ROAD: A couple of eagerly awaited tours are apparently set to go. Neil Young is currently rehearsing with Booker T. & the MGs, who will be his backing band on a set of stadium shows in Canada and Europe that will also feature Pearl Jam. Young may bring the show--minus Pearl Jam, but reportedly with Soundgarden--to the U.S., with the Hollywood Bowl possible in September.

Pete Townshend--the recent Tony Award winner for his “Tommy” score--is also about to embark on a tour, his first ever without the Who. The show, coming to the Wiltern Theatre on July 29 and 30 and San Diego’s Symphony Hall on Aug. 5, will be a big production, featuring 17 people on stage, including actors who will read the dialogue and story of Townshend’s new album, “PsychoDerelict.” The show also will reportedly feature Who songs and highlights from Townshend’s previous solo albums.

AND ONE MORE THING: Prince’s proclamation that he now is to be called “ “ presented a real quandary to broadcasters who have to introduce songs and videos by the Now-Unpronouncable One.

“It’s supposed to be a moment of silence and then that’s Prince?” asks Gwen Roberts, assistant program director at L.A. station KIIS-FM. “Right now we’ll continue to call him Prince. We’re not going to say, ‘That circle with the arrow dangling down.’ I have a feeling this is just another one of his purple phases. He’ll come out of it shortly, I hope, because I’m a big Prince fan.”