Ozzy at Ozzfest: A fan's notes

Above: Ozzy earlier this year at the VH1 Rock Honors Concert in Las Vegas.

Kris Knowles, a colleague in our Johnson County Bureau, sent along his account of the headlining act at Monday's Ozzfest out at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater:

Ozzy's voice started out ragged and got worse through a set that lasted barely more than an hour. But this show still had moments of true-Ozzy-fan bliss.

In spite of his strained voice — which Ozzy blamed on a weekend surgery to remove a clot in his leg — he seemed clear-headed, energetic and especially persevering.

After the throw-away opener “Bark at the Moon,” Ozzy roared into the classic “Mr. Crowley,” which affirmed Zakk Wylde's guitar-god stature — in spite of his black skirt, which I guess was some sort of Scottish warrior statement. But if any guy can get away with wearing a skirt to a metal concert, it’s definitely him.

Other setlist standouts included “War Pigs,” “Suicide Solution” and the big sing-along finale, “Mama, I’m Comin Home.”

Other shows on this tour have included additional encores with “Crazy Train” and “Paranoid,” but on this night it didn’t seem like Ozzy’s voice could have gone any further.

The crowd didn’t seem to mind too much — there was still great satisfaction in cheering, and paying tribute, to one of the great godfathers of heavy metal.

In the reserved seats just in front of the sound board, the sound was superb. But the band before Ozzy, Lamb of God, had a sound that was too piercing. Back on the lawn, the sound was not at all intense, which seemed a point of frustration for the sweaty, shirtless young men trying desperately to instigate a meaningful mosh pit.

This year’s Ozzfest tour got a lot of hype because all the tickets were free. But when they say “free,” they don't mean parking. Unlike other shows at Verizon this summer, in which parking was free, Ozzfest parking was a comparably shocking $20, which might have explained the two tow trucks maneuvering through the nearby Quik Trip parking lot to tackle a mass of suspiciously parked cars.

As with past “heavy” shows at Verizon, security was stepped up. It was a common site to see people leave their cars in the parking lot, head for the gates and then return moments later looking really irritated. A parking lot attendant said prohibited items included purses, blankets, cameras and studded belts — all of which have been allowed at other shows this summer.

| Kris Knowles, Special to The Star

Comments

[Wadkc]

Wow, where do I begin. Obviously the knuckle heads who went to the show don't buy papers because you're doing the review instead of the Star.

I took my 13 year old to see the "legend" so that he could say he saw Ozzy. We pretty much laughed most of the show as Ozzy loves to play to the crowd and suck singing, not that he's ever been confused with Luther Vandross. I would have hated to sit in the first 10 rows as Ozzy shot foam from a high powered gun on everyone in sight. It would have been o.k. if he was playfully enjoying it but it was more like he was taking out his aggressive behavior on them.

I also hate that Ozzy talks and parades thru any Zak guitar breaks in songs. Believe me, Tony Iommi never let him yap while he was soloing.

I've never been to a show where I felt unsafe but this had that vibe. Security pulling people out of the venue right and left and others walking around with cuts and bruises that needed medical attention. I hung on to my son at all times and still felt the need to leave during "Mama" so as to beat the goons (no pun intended) to the parking lot.
Maybe it was the Backstreet Boys T-shirt I was wearing.....I knew they wouldn't get the joke.

[tim finn]

Mr. Wad: Are you sure you haven't confused Ozzfest with the Ally & AJ show on Sunday?

Is Ozzy the Dylan of metal (or the Ralph Stanley)?

[wadkc]

Tim- You know I'm a big pop fan but I didn't know who Ally & AJ were. Sounds like Disney/Nick to me.

Looks like Kansas City is not alone. Read the following below found on the web.

The Ozzfest stop at Denver, Colorado's Coors Amphitheatre on Saturday
(July 28th) was marred by a battle between fans in the venue's lawn area
and those in the reserved seating section, according to a blogger who
filed a report on the free show for MyFoxColorado.com. The incident
occurred during Static-X's performance on the main stage, when a number
of people on the lawn began throwing plastic bottles, plastic cups,
plastic glasses, chunks of turf and even some shoes into the seated
areas, leading people in those sections to fight back in the same
manner. The fracas got dangerous when the people in the lawn area began
stuffing sod into the bottles and cups, making them into potentially
harmful projectiles.

The blogger, writing under the name "Scribe2," called the incident "a
shameful display of bad behavior and a ridiculous endangerment to fellow
concert-goers." Video of the incident was posted online as well.
The blogger added that one of his sons was hit in the face with a
partially full bottle of water, sustaining a minor gash, while his
daughter-in-law also got hit. He also reported seeing a handicapped man
in a wheelchair and several young children almost get hit with debris.
Actual fighting began to break out between some audience members until
venue staffers arrived and began to calm things down. The blogger
reported that it was about an hour until the throwing of objects ceased
totally.
The blogger concluded by writing, "There was a concern that the free
admission would attract lowlifes; it appears to have been validated."

[tim finn]

I've been at shows like that; it can be pretty unnerving. One was way back when Tool played Lollapalooza. When Tool came out, the sky was filled with debris. I got hit between the shoulder blades with a full water bottle. The other was a Pantera/Faith No More show -- the only show I've ever left early. I bolted after seeing someone get wheeled out on a gurney for the second time. I missed the Ozzfest in 2001, when Limp Bizkit started a mud/turf-throwing melee that accelerated into some chair-throwing (remember "break some s***"?). By the time it was over, the lawn at Sandstone was practically bare. They covered it with straw for the Phish concert a couple of days later, and I swear some of that straw got smoked that night.
PS: I know you're a pop fan, so check out the Ally & AJ single; it's hardcore bubblegum rock.

[ralphralph]

Tool didn't invent flying debris ... ask any old guy who saw Ted Nugent at Arrowhead back in the late 70s. We were fearless idiots most of the time, but we bailed early from the shower of whiskey bottles from the upper tier of seats, etc. It was, indeed, a free-for-all.

[tim finn]

In 1976, at a Peter Frampton concert, a buddy got KO'd by an empty Jack Daniels bottle. Missed the entire show.
At that same Lollapalooza, per the request of Snoop Dogg, fans way up front rained joints on the stage, while security and local cops looked on, amused.

[Magna1100]

Ask any band that tried to open for Rush in the early '80s, Eepecially Sue Saad and The Next. The poor girl and her bass player hid behind the amps for a couple songs and called it an early day.

People are idiots.