VELVET REVOLVER - VELVET REVOLVER TAKE CONTRABAND TO THE TOP

GUNS N' ROSES offshoot VELVET REVOLVER has shocked America by toppling USHER from the number one spot on the BILLBOARD album charts.

The group - made up of ex-GN'R stars SLASH, DUFF McKAGAN and MATT SORUM and former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer SCOTT WEILAND - managed to shift 256,000 copies of its debut CONTRABAND to end Usher's reign at the top of the charts.

The band's first single, SLITHER, topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart last week (ends11JUN04).

Usher's Confessions had previously spent a total of nine weeks at the top of the charts over two periods.