- Ozzfest
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Ozzfest Location(s) United States Years active 1996 - present Date(s) July 12 to August 30 Genre Heavy metal, extreme metal, hard rock, nu metal, hardcore punk Website http://www.ozzfest.com/ Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States (and in some years, Europe) featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne[1] and his wife Sharon Osbourne,[2] both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne.[3] The Ozzfest tour has featured bands of a variety of genres within heavy metal and hard rock, including alternative metal, thrash metal, industrial metal, metalcore, hardcore punk, nu metal, death metal, gothic metal and black metal. Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath have played the tour several times over the years.[1]
Contents
History
1996-1998: Early years
The festival was created in 1996 by Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, when organizers of musical festival Lollapalooza refused to let Ozzy Osbourne join the tour.[4] The tour was well-received, which prompted the festival to become a yearly occurrence.[1]
The first Ozzfest was not a national tour, but rather a two-day festival held in Phoenix, Arizona and Devore, California on October 25 and 26th, 1996 respectively.
In 1997, there were large protests outside of the festival to cancel Marilyn Manson's performance. However, no dates were cancelled. There were also protests of a similar nature in 2001, following the Columbine High School massacre, which some groups had blamed on Marilyn Manson.
In 1998, Ozzfest ventured outside the United States for the first time into the United Kingdom, which featured a different lineup of bands. The festival would eventually return to the UK in 2001[5] and 2002.[6]
2000-2006: Commercial success
In the early 2000s, artists and bands including Slipknot, Pantera, Marilyn Manson, Mudvayne, Rob Zombie, Incubus, Linkin Park,[7] System Of A Down, Chevelle and Disturbed played the yearly music festival.[7][8] Two compilation albums of the Ozzfest tour were released, one covering select 2001[7] performances and another for 2002.[9]
On-stage footage of the Ozzfest 2004 tour was shown on MTV, as Ozzy and Sharon hosted a show on the network titled Battle for Ozzfest where they chose eight out of hundreds of bands to compete for a spot on the following year's Ozzfest. Ozzy selected one member from each chosen band to "tag along" on the tour. Each contestant had to complete numerous challenges in order to improve his/her band's chances of winning the contest. Occasionally, meetings would be held and certain contestants would be eliminated for various reasons. The person who prevailed as the winner and guaranteed his band's spot on the Ozzfest tour was Marc Serrano from metalcore act A Dozen Furies.[10]
At Iron Maiden's last Ozzfest performance, on August 20, 2005 at the Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen in San Bernardino, California, several negative events took place. During the first song, several members of the crowd, brought on by Sharon Osbourne, bombarded the British metal band Iron Maiden with eggs, bottle caps and ice after vocalist Bruce Dickinson allegedly ridiculed Ozzy's need for a teleprompter during his performances, as well as the Osbourne family's ventures into reality television (The Osbournes, Battle for Ozzfest).[11] During three of Iron Maiden's songs, the P.A. system was switched off, cutting power to vocalist Bruce Dickinson's microphone and then to all the band's instruments. During the concert, Bruce Dickinson can be heard accusing the festival's organizers of deliberately cutting off the band's power. On Iron Maiden’s departure, Sharon Osbourne came on stage to make a few statements, telling the audience that she "absolutely loved Iron Maiden" but thought that the lead singer Bruce Dickinson is a "prick."[12] Rod Smallwood, manager for Iron Maiden, issued a statement shortly after the debacle condemning the attack on the band.[13] On a later Howard Stern Show,[14] Sharon Osbourne stated her side of the incident and the role she played in the egg throwing incident. In 2006, Bruce Dickinson commented, "Did I have a go at Ozzy and Black Sabbath? No. Why would I? But I do find The Osbournes TV series loathsome, and the whole cult of reality TV celebrities disgusting."[15] In response to claims that he had apologised to Ozzy for Dickinson's behaviour, Steve Harris stated "No I didn't [apologise]. What I actually said was that, if there was anything to apologise for, then I'd do it. But that was twisted around to seem like I'd said sorry — that never happened!"[15]
2007-2008
On February 7, 2007, it was announced that tickets to Ozzfest 2007 would be offered free of charge, dubbing the 2007 Ozzfest as "free fest."[16] Tickets were made available through sponsor websites, the Ozzfest web site and to those buying an advance copy of Ozzy Osbourne's new release, Black Rain.
Sponsorship money provided the revenue for the tour, but organizers did not pay any of the bands appearing. Ozzy Osbourne returned to the headlining slot on the tour after being absent from the 2006 tour. Ozzfest 2007 featured well-established acts such as Lamb of God, Static X, and Hatebreed.
There were problems with distribution of the free tickets. Fans were given codes to receive tickets through the official Ozzfest website, but due to the heavy load on Live Nation's secure servers, there were issues with ticket redemption. Another problem was that many "eBay scalpers" charged fans to pay for the free tickets, often turning out to be unusable duplicates of other tickets.[17] Then, on July 26, Ozzfest gave away free tickets without requiring its "redemption code" previously required.[18]
At the August 16, 2007 show in Holmdel, New Jersey at the PNC Bank Arts Center, controversy was generated as 83 attendees were arrested at the show, most of them underage and arrested prior to 8:00. In addition, two men died, one after overdosing on alcohol and energy drinks. As of August 18, drinking in the parking lot was banned at the PNC Bank Arts Center.
Questions over whether the event would be held in 2008 began when in April that year Ozzy Osbourne announced that he would be headlining the Canadian Monsters of Rock festival.[19] The 2008 version of the festival took place for only one date at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas on August 8, 2008. The line-up featured Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne as the headliner bands, as well as other acts such as Jonathan Davis (frontman of Korn), Sevendust, DevilDriver, Serj Tankian (frontman of System of a Down), Cavalera Conspiracy, Shadows Fall, Apocalyptica and In This Moment.[20][21] Along with the two main stages was a third, named the Texas Stage, which, according to Sharon Osbourne, featured such Texas-based bands as The Sword, Drowning Pool, Goatwhore, Soilent Green and Rigor Mortis.[22][23]
The Canadian Version of "The Monsters of Rock" was held exclusively on July 26, 2008 at the McMahon Stadium located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was also scheduled as a "one time only" event. The main attraction for the festival of heavy metal and mayhem were metal giants Judas Priest and the headliner, Ozzy Osbourne. In addition, various other "big league" heavy metal outfits attended the festivities. The following bands preceded the two main attractions: Serj Tankian, Hatebreed, Cavalera Conspiracy (featuring current frontman of Soulfly, Max Cavalera), Shadows Fall, Canadian metal unit Voivod, Testament, 3 Inches of Blood, Priestess, Zimmers Hole, and Dillinger Escape Plan.
2010
- Main Stage[24]
Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Halford, DevilDriver, Nonpoint
- Monster Energy Second Stage
Black Label Society (Cancelled in Mansfield & Camden due to inclement weather.), Drowning Pool (Cancelled in Mansfield due to inclement weather.), Kingdom of Sorrow (NOTE: Exodus played instead on the San Bernardino date), Goatwhore (canceled on the Hartford date due to a medical emergency with their bassist), Skeletonwitch, Saviours, Kataklysm (Cancelled in Mansfield due to inclement weather.), California Wildebeest (San Bernardino date only), Immune (San Bernardino date only). The guitar prodigy Yuto Miyazawa was invited by Ozzy to play "Crazy train" at the event.
Most appearances at Ozzfest
- Ozzy Osbourne (9)
- Black Label Society (7)
- Hatebreed (6)
- Black Sabbath (5)
- DevilDriver (4)
- Disturbed (4)
- Drowning Pool (4)
- System of a Down (4)
- Pantera (3)
- Coal Chamber (3)
- Fear Factory (3)
- Marilyn Manson (3)
- Nonpoint (3)
- Otep (3)
- Rob Zombie (3)
- Shadows Fall (3)
- Slayer (3)
- Slipknot (3)
- Static-X (3)
See also
References
- ^ a b c Weber, Barry; Prato, Greg. "Ozzy Osbourne Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5079. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
- ^ Moss, Corey; Chris Harris (2007-02-06). "Osbournes Hype 'Groundbreaking' Ozzfest: 'Why Not Go To A Show For Free?'". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1551725/20070206/osbourne_ozzy.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
- ^ OZZY OSBOURNE OZZFEST TICKETS FREE THIS YEAR by Leanarda S. — freebies, free things, free | Gather
- ^ Fisher, Mark. Ozzfest’s ‘Freefest’ rolls into area Aug. 24. Times West Virginian: August 15, 2007.
- ^ SMNnews.com | Ozzfest - Date Lineup History from 1996
- ^ Ozzfest 2002 U.K
- ^ a b c Love, Bret (2001). "Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millennium - Review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r545890. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
- ^ Cunningham, John (September 1998). "Concert Review: Ozzfest '98". Juris Publici. University of Richmond School of Law. Archived from the original on 2008-02-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080203160336/http://law.richmond.edu/jurispub/1998/09/Cunningham.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
- ^ Goodman, Abbey (2002-09-03). "In Stores Now And Coming Soon: New Music From Ozzfest, Aaron Carter, In Flames, Jazzyfatnastees & More". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1457285/20020903/carter_aaron.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
- ^ Battle for Ozzfest | Show Cast, Episode Guides, Trailers, Aftershow & Previews | MTV
- ^ Sharon Osbourne Admits Cutting Iron Maiden's Power MTV:August 26, 2005
- ^ Harris, Chris. Iron Maiden Pelted With Eggs At Final Ozzfest Performance MTV: August 22, 2005. Last accessed October 7, 2006.
- ^ Iron Maiden Manager's Official Statement Regarding Ozzfest Feud KNAC: August 23, 2005.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmBb8IjGJmA
- ^ a b Dome, Malcolm (2006-09-01). "Iron Maiden: War all the Time". Metal Hammer (157): 34–40.
- ^ The Ozzfest Community at Ozzfest.com, Heavy Metal & Hard Rock
- ^ The Ozzfest Community at Ozzfest.com, Heavy Metal & Hard Rock
- ^ The Ozzfest Community at Ozzfest.com, Heavy Metal & Hard Rock
- ^ Harris, Chris (2008-04-15). "Ozzy Osbourne Announces Monsters Of Rock Headlining Gig -- So What Does This Mean For Ozzfest?". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1585580/20080415/osbourne_ozzy.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ "Bands". Ozzfest. 2008. http://www.ozzfest.com/static_content/view/bands.html. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
- ^ Harris, Chris (2008-05-13). "Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne Sign On For One-Day Ozzfest". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1587371/20080513/metallica.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- ^ "Ozzfest...Metallica Arrives Saturday, August 9th in Dallas, Texas". Ozzfest. 2008-05-20. Archived from the original on 2008-06-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20080615193001/http://www.ozzfest.com/blog/entry/69. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
- ^ Freedman, Pete (2008-05-22). "Ozzfest 2008 is One Show Only...In Frisco". Dallas Observer. http://www.dallasobserver.com/2008-05-22/music/ozzfest-2008-is-one-show-only-in-frisco/. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
- ^ OZZFEST RETURNS: EXPLOSIVE 2010 BILL THIS SUMMER TO BE HEADLINED BY OZZY OSBOURNE AND MOTLEY CRUE
External links
- Ozzfest 2008 info
- Official website
- Ozzfest '98 Tour diary, photos and interviews
- Ozzfest News Coverage - 2 New Jersey Deaths at Ozzfest 2007
- Ozzfest 2008 - Metallica on Board
Ozzy Osbourne Studio albums Blizzard of Ozz · Diary of a Madman · Bark at the Moon · The Ultimate Sin · No Rest for the Wicked · No More Tears · Ozzmosis · Down to Earth · Black Rain · ScreamTribute albums Live albums Extended plays Mr Crowley Live EP · iTunes Festival: London 2010 - EPCompilations/box sets Best of Ozz · Ten Commandments · The Ozzman Cometh · The Essential Ozzy Osbourne · Prince of DarknessSingles "Crazy Train" · "Mr. Crowley" · "Flying High Again" · "Over the Mountain" · "You Can't Kill Rock and Roll" · "Symptom of the Universe" (live) · "Iron Man/Children of the Grave" (live) · "Bark at the Moon" · "So Tired" · "Shot in the Dark" · "The Ultimate Sin" · "Crazy Train" (live) · "Miracle Man" · "Breaking All The Rules" · "Crazy Babies" · "Close My Eyes Forever" (with Lita Ford) · "No More Tears" · "Time After Time" · "Road to Nowhere" · "Mama, I'm Coming Home" · "Mr. Tinkertrain" · "Changes" (live) · "Perry Mason" · "See You On the Other Side" · "I Just Want You" · "Walk on Water" · "Back on Earth" · "Gets Me Through" · "Dreamer" · "Changes" (with Kelly Osbourne) · "Mississippi Queen" · "In My Life" · "I Don't Wanna Stop" · "Not Going Away" · "Black Rain" · "Let Me Hear You Scream" · "Life Won't Wait" · "How?" (Benefitting Amnesty International) · "Let it Die"Other songs "11 Silver" · "The Almighty Dollar" · "Dee" · "Diary of a Madman" · "Hellraiser" · "My Little Man" · "S.A.T.O." · "Suicide Solution"Concert tours Blizzard of Ozz Tour (1980-1981) · Scream World Tour (2010-2011)Former band members GuitaristsBassistsBob Daisley · Rudy Sarzo · Pete Way · Don Costa · Phil Soussan · Geezer Butler · Mike Inez · James LoMenzo · Robert Trujillo · Jason Newsted · Chris WyseDrummersKeyboardistsRelated articles Band members · Discography · Aimee Osbourne · Black Sabbath · I Am Ozzy · Jack Osbourne · Ozzfest · Sharon Osbourne · Kelly OsbourneCategories:- Music festivals in the United States
- Concert tours
- Metal festivals
- Recurring events established in 1996
- Ozzy Osbourne
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