Blast from a Road to Rock 'N' Ruin; IT'S FRIDAY!

Byline: ADRIAN THRILLS

Catatonia: Paper, Scissors, Stone (Blanco Y Negro) Verdict: Cerys pulls back from the brink ****

CATATONIA have been on the brink of self-inflicted ruin so many times during the past two years that it came as no surprise when it was announced last week that singer Cerys Matthews was checking into a rehabilitation clinic.

The Welsh band's British tour had already been put back to September and their headlining appearance at this Sunday's Guildford Festival has now been cancelled.

Fiery frontwoman Cerys is currently beginning her treatment for 'exhaustion and asthma, exacerbated by drink and smoking'.

Matthews's problems began in earnest following the success of Catatonia's third longplayer, 1999's Equally Cursed And Blessed, when her enthusiasm for a celebrity lifestyle and her fondness for rock 'n' roll excess began to take their inevitable toll.

More than most, the Cardiff-born singer appeared unable to handle the pressures of fame. …