Soundbites got yet another letter from Jack Lawless, that low-down varmint who manages those three singing gals from Texas. He says that if I agree to interview the gals, then he might just put down his six-gun and let me be. Hmmm: could be an ambush, I reckon.

Old Smokie: Jack Lawless better watch out when he gets here, 'cos the Smokie gang are ridin' into town on the back of their new album, Wild Horses. The old coots from the 1970s have been holed up in Nash- ville, and they'll be touring Ire- land's honky tonks and saloons from tomorrow until the 11th.

What are they like? B*Witched have cast their spell across the Atlantic, climbing to Number 17 in the Billboard charts with their first single, C'Est La Vie, and hitting Number 38 with their debut album. The four Irish teenage lasses have left The Corrs trailing a bit, but Andrea and her siblings are hoping to catch up following their recent support slots with The Rolling Stones.

Sack race: The colleens bet- ter watch their asses in America, because they might soon be overtaken by ugly blokes, Sack. The Dublin band's lovely song, Laughter Lines, will feature on the soundtrack of shock-horror film The Rage: Carrie 2. Those of a nervous disposition can rest assured that the band's scary mugs won't feature in the film.