I did, and if you would like to share your thoughts, opinions. observations, etc. about the 8 hour concert, please do in the comments section, below.
I did, and if you would like to share your thoughts, opinions. observations, etc. about the 8 hour concert, please do in the comments section, below.
36 Responses
Youngblud sounds like he rolled out of AGT or The Voice. Metallica played a great set…and to hear them actually groove on a song like Johnny Blade, that’s the best they ever sounded if you ask me. KK gets better with age. David Draiman is a great singer, almost flawless, he understands what he’s singing about, unlike the AGT, and The Voice people. It would’ve been great if Bill kept his shirt on. Seeing Ozzy like that was not great….I saw him just 8 years ago close out a festival at Wrigley field and it was beautiful, I never dreamed he would be in this kind of shape…(last time I saw Kiss too, and what’s with the negativity about Kiss? you know, there’s a reason that people get buried in a Kiss casket), but that was really him singing, I get emotional about Ozzy. Axl’s hair looks good,
I’m emotional,
I agree, it is very upsetting, but we should all be thankful, that Ozzy, has survived as long as he has, with all of the abuse (literal drug and alcohol) that his body has taken, over half a century, or more. What he has consumed, would have killed many wild elephants. and young, vibrant, humans, so that is how I reconcile, his health situation. I always considered him the true Iron Man, but now, I think that title, goes to Keith Richards.
Great send off !
It would have been cooler if Don Airey and Brad Gillis were there though .
Geezer is a flat out beast on bass and Tony still rips it up with the best of them . I hope these guys still make music together and possibly get there own band in the near future .
Hi Dana
Well, you are probably going to be shocked by this: I didn’t see the event.
I know, I know: Black Sabbath is ‘my band’ and all of that. I’ve said it many times in the past on this website; but there was a reason why.
In the beginning, when I heard that this event was taking place, I did look into the possibility of buying tickets and going. It would have meant a stop over, so when I saw the price of the tickets, even with the charity side of things, it was going to be ridiculously expensive with travel and accommodation as well as admission to the stadium.
I had to let it go. I thought about it and to be honest, knowing the state that Ozzy now finds himself in, I wasn’t sure that I really wanted to see him like that. I have met him in person; I’ve seen him live on several occasions and wanted to remember him jumping ten feet off the ground, shouting ‘Go F***in’ Crazy!!!’ and running around the stage with the mad Ozzy ‘look’ in his eye.
I had the strong sense that this event was going to be live-streamed months before it was announced. When it was announced, the thought of ordering and watching was on my mind. However, the closer the concert got, the more I found myself backing away from it. Therefore, I didn’t order it.
What it comes down to is that I really didn’t want to see Ozzy suffering from something he cannot control. This man and this band have been and I’m sure will continue to be a major part of my life, probably until the very end. I will always want to remember him in his prime, like I stated above, jumping ten feet in the air and shouting ‘Go F***in’ Crazy!!!’ and all that.
I know that Ozzy wanted to do it because he wanted to end it on his terms; and for him, I’m glad that he got to do it.
But I just couldn’t.
I hope that people understand this, despite myself being the huge fan that I am. But I’ll finish by saying this:
Ozzy
You sir, and Black Sabbath, in particular Tony Iommi, have not only created a genre of music that has split into many different variations, but have influenced and will continue to influence many people around the world for many years to come. I’m quite sure that in hundreds of years from now, future generations will know about Black Sabbath and learn the music in the same way that the likes of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart are today.
You have also been a guiding light when all around has seemed quite dark. How many times have people said to you: “Your music saved me and got me through a really dark time.” I’m quite sure that you, and even the others in the band, have lost count. When that sort of thing happens and things like that are said, I would hope that you have all realised the scale of impact that you’ve all had.
You certainly helped me. If I had never heard Tony Iommi, I doubt I would have ever picked up a guitar to help me relax and forget any sh*t that might be going on. I also tried to play the riffs of the great Randy Rhodes and Zakk Wylde; but it was always Tony’s way of doing it that I went back to. There have been people who have said to me that his playing is ‘simple & basic’. I always reply with this: “Outside of the metal world, how many people do you think can name a Tony Iommi riff in comparison to any of the whizz-kid shredders?”
Enough said…..
So, in conclusion: Black Sabbath: Mr Tony Iommi, Mr Geezer Butler, Mr Bill Ward, Ozzy Osbourne: Thank you and goodnight – for four work class guys who were all told they wouldn’t amount to anything (particularly Ozzy) You ain’t done bad at all.
Hello my BB (British Buddy),
I completely understand, and perhaps, one day, you may find yourself, having the desire to view this send off?
I was expecting the worst, so for me, it was a pleasant surprise, to hear Ozzy‘s voice, far stronger, than I anticipated. Additionally, one could tell, it meant A LOT to him, as he clearly expressed, he has been housebound for six years, and it is very frustrating, for him.
I am sure, I asked you this before, but due to hormonal changes (or lack of hormones), my memory has taken a hit. Would you mind, please re-sharing your experiences with meeting Ozzy, once again? He is on my bucket list, of people to meet, and sadly, I don’t believe that will ever occur, so I need to live vicariously through others.
Our own Rattlehead, got see Ozzy tour with Randy Rhoads, in my humble opinion, one cannot get any better than that, except for anyone who met John Sykes 😉
I know, Rattlehead is in a class by himself with the shows he’s seen. I mentioned this on here, but Randy’s very last show was in Knoxville, and I was a freshman in High School there and could’ve gone…but I didn’t….the one weird kid in my school went (“Ozzy is so deep man…he can do any style of music…” he used to say..) so funny enough, I was sitting next to him in class the next day (I don’t think he was in class that much) and he’s crying ..I don’t know how he knew….but I told him Ozzy would never play music again, and I said this just off of an interview I read in Hit Parader….lol…he told that there was no way Ozzy would stop…
I’ve only seen Ozzy on the Ultimate Sin tour, twice w/Metallica…and Ozzy was out of shape, and when he played Knoxville, he looked like he just wanted to get it over with…the first time was in Johnson City and he was way more into it….but no one can bring a song to life like he can…you just believe him, that’s rare.
The first time I ever saw him was, on his No More Tears, dubbed the No More Beers tour. I don’t remember much, but I remember enjoying the show.
The next time I saw Ozzy was for the Black Sabbath reunion tour in ’99. Again, my memory fails me, but I was elated, that I saw all four original members, back then.
I’ve seen Oz four times…twice in 1986, I did see the reunion tour in ’99…but I was behind the stage…then in 2017 when he closed out the festival…that last time I saw him was the best. That Dehumanizer show was one of the best rock concerts I’ve ever experienced…just completely raw…but these guys have PHDs at what they do…those very deep rock and roll roots played at deafening volume….it took few days for my hearing to get back to normal…and I loved it…it just made me think of how great it was.
Dana, you have asked me before but as you asked nicely I will tell you again :()
Saturday 3rd October 2009 – Bluewater Shopping Centre @ Waterstones Bookstore in Greenhithe, Kent, about 30mins drive from my home.
Ozzy was appearing to do a book signing for his autobiography ‘I am Ozzy’. I arrived to queue up at 8.30am. The book signing didn’t start until 13.00pm, but getting there when I did was a good idea because by the time it started, the queue had gone down the mall and around over the other side. Bluewater is quite a big place; so if you use your imagination you get the idea of what it was like. (The people at the very front of the queue had arrived at 5.00am!!)
Thankfully, I was in the first 50 people; therefore I was guaranteed to meet him. As we all start making our way in, you had to go around a corner and suddenly there he was sitting behind the desk. He looked just like you had seen him a million times before: Jewellery, black clothing, long hair, round glasses with blue lenses and of course tattoos.
As I’m getting closer to him, in my head I’m planning what I’m going to say: I was going to tell him what an influence he and Sabbath had been to me, what they meant, etc.
Then it got to my turn…….
They passed him my book; he looked at who he had to sign it to, looked up at me and said: “You alright mate?”
He starts signing my book and I just froze!!!! Ozzy Osbourne, my hero and god was sitting in front of me!!!
When he finished signing, he handed me my book and said: “There you go.”
All I could do, was hold out my hand and say: “Thank you for everything.”
He shook my hand and said: “You’re very welcome, God bless you sir.”
As I walked off, I saw his assistant of many years Tony Dennis standing to the side. I said ‘Hi’ to him and he acknowledged me, but it wasn’t until later I said to myself: “Why didn’t you ask him if it was alright to hang around until Ozzy had finished signing and get a photo with him?” I did have a camera with me after all!! (I did get pictures of Ozzy signing other people’s copies)
But never mind….I met Ozzy Osbourne and I have an autographed copy of his autobiography – personalised to me.
If only I had known the day and times when Tony and Geezer did their book signings; but still, I’ve got a CD signed by them both and Ozzy!! (But haven’t met them unfortunately 🙁
Hope you enjoyed the story again!!
Yes, I remembered that story, and I was under an incorrect assumption, that you were implying you met him more than on that occasion. Nonetheless, thank you so very much for repeating that experience, it was nice that he inquired about you.
My first, and only experience, meeting John Sykes, had issues, as well. Many years later, I was up at the studio, and Eddie called Mr. Sykes on the phone, for my birthday and put me on the line with him. He wasn’t even present, and all I could do was giggle, like a dumb schoolgirl. What a loser I am-LOL!!!
Not a problem Dana.
So Eddie gets the late great Mr Sykes on the phone and you go all gooey? What a surprise!!! You’re not a loser – just human.
Mind you, if when I was a teenager way back in the 1990s, had my dream girl at the time called me on the phone I would have done the same thing.
Unfortunately, I woke up one morning and found out that she had married Tommy Lee!!!!
Funny, before Sykes, Lee was my crush. So who was yours Heather or Pam? I always wanted to look like Ms. Locklear, she was pretty gorgeous back in the day.