Already besieged by lawsuits charging that the Web site’s backers paid Aerosmith and Iron Maiden tribute bands to attack their audiences, BandFights.com is attracting Tinsel Town’s powerbrokers, many of which believe that the site’s practice of featuring musicians in violent, no-holds-barred, bare-knuckle fistfights represents the next step in quality entertainment. While overlooked by music industry bigwigs, BandFights.com claims to have made millions in sales from its first video, Bar Band Bashers, which not only features local acts pummeling and bludgeoning each other in various nightclubs throughout the country, but has also attracted the interest of at least one television exec.

“This is made for TV,” exclaims Larson E. Whipsnade, the veteran television producer who shook the entertainment world three years ago with the controversial Who Wants To Marry A Concert Promoter? “Mark my words, people want to see David Gates kick the stuffing out of John Tesh, or Erasure in a real knock-down, eye-gouging scrap with Anne Murray. Plus, you wouldn’t believe how many people want a piece of Yanni. This is definitely must see TV.”

But is it ready for prime time? As Whipsnade shops BandFights to the networks, more than one television executive has raised doubts as to whether or not there is an audience that desires wanton brutality and bloodshed mixed with their favorite performers, such as moe. or Avril Lavigne. To this, Whipsnade has a ready answer. “They said the same thing about hockey,” replies the producer. “Or Fox News.”

On the other hand, BandFights may provide the boost in ratings that the networks have been looking for. However, while most of the television executives approached by Whipsnade reacted favorably to the pilot episode featuring Elton John and Billy Joel in a tag-team match against the Indigo Girls, some have expressed concern that all that blood and mayhem may be too much for the average American TV viewer.

“Not to worry,” says Whipsnade. “BandFights will be a show the entire family can watch.”

Maybe if that family is the Osbournes, but average viewers might find it difficult to accept a program that stars Pearl Jam and Guns N’ Roses going at each other in the street with tire irons and chains as wholesome entertainment. However, Whipsnade isn’t the least bit worried.

“Oh, we’ll tone it down a bit,” says Whipsnade. “Take Oasis, for example. When we put the band on TV for that rematch with those German pub crawlers, we’ll make sure Liam wears his mouth guard.”