Here’s the lineup for video awards

A big Britney opener and a must-see ending. That's the advance word, with the latter providing most of the mystery surrounding the MTV Video Music Awards, which has a history of delivering shockers.

Who can forget the Madonna-Britney kiss in 2003 or Eminem's "Slim Shady" with his army of lookalikes in 2000. Or the off-the-charts ick factor when Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley kissed in 1994.

In between the beginning and end tonight, expect to see the cameras take a live musical tour of the Palms' hottest suites during the two-hour broadcast.

Palms owner George Maloof gave MTV unprecedented access and sacrificed his bottom line by clearing out 400 slot machines.

MTV got carte blanche, with one exception.

"I've said 'yes' to everything, but they wanted to close Flamingo (Road). I said, 'No way. Don't even go there.'"

Organizers had "a whole plan to go to NDOT (Nevada Department of Transportation). I found out five minutes before the meeting and said 'Don't even ask, please.'''

Britney is Britney Spears, of course, who has a lot riding on her appearance. This is her comeback from a hellish six months of turmoil and sordid headlines. She's unveiling her new song, "Gimme More."

Here's the lineup:

Spears will kick off the show from The Pearl, where a half-dozen other performances will be held.

The Foo Fighters will perform in the Hot Pink Suite, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland will team up in the Hardwood Suite and Fall Out Boy will go retro in the Celebrity Suite, which has been turned into a 1950s Vegas lounge.

Linkin Park will perform in the Rain nightclub while Kanye West has a killer setting: he'll go live from a Sky Villa infinity pool, with the Strip as a backdrop.

"It's going to be the coolest show ever," Maloof said.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Hot off the VMA grapevine: Archenemies Kid Rock and Tommy Lee aren't just on separate floors at the Palms; they're in separate towers. The last time they were in town on the same night, Kid Rock tried kicking in a door of Hard Rock Hotel high roller suite because he thought Lee was staying there ... Porn icon Jenna Jameson's scary weight loss has her friends worried because her mother, a former Las Vegas showgirl, died of skin cancer, before Jenna turned 2.

Toughest tickets: The after-parties at the Palms pool and the Interscope/Geffen Records soiree at Blush nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas. They'll include the who's who of the music industry.

SIGHTINGS

Spears, with gal pals and illusionist Criss Angel at Body English (Hard Rock Hotel) on Friday before heading for Pure (Caesars Palace) to join Sean "Diddy" Combs' bash at Noir Bar (Luxor). Spears' new agent Jeff Kwatinetz surprised her with six dozen roses at Body English. The gathering included scenesters Jeff Beacher and Tommy Lipnick. ... Timbaland and 50 Cent, shooting a magazine cover Friday in the men's room at Blush for hip-hop magazine Scratch. The stalls in the men's and ladies' rooms feature shadow boxes of Barbie and Ken dolls ... Toby Keith, drinking Jack Daniels out of the bottle in a private booth at Noir Bar (Luxor) with restaurateur and Parisian Palace owner Nico Santucci. Miranda Lambert, who opened for Keith on Saturday at Mandalay Bay, recently shot a four-camera, panoramic scene atop the Rio for an upcoming ABC show ... Chester Bennington, frontman for Linkin Park, playing Texas hold 'em at the Palms ... Paris Hilton, heading for a party late Saturday after arriving by Gulfstream jet.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Intelligence officials believe that a new video from Osama bin Laden is authentic. I guess he wanted to time his comeback to coincide with Britney Spears' comeback at the VMA's this weekend." -- Jimmy Kimmel

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.