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Abyss' Review (7/15/05, The Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA):
Lost In The Reels Of Confusion
Photos by Hel
The Black Dahlia MurderFeedback I've received from readers has often commented on the fact that many of my live reviews center around how intoxicated I happened to be at the given event. Some find it amusing, some find it annoying, and, interestingly, many seem surprised. You see if God gave me any one talent (it sure as hell ain't writing!) it's that I'm not a sloppy drunk. Yep, some people get looks, some people get brains, and lucky me I get this... You see, most people never know how drunk I am because I rarely stumble or slur my words, and, for the most part am completely lucid right up until the point that I pass out. It may not be much of a talent, but it's all I got.
Of course, none of this talent was in evidence at this year's Ozzfest. I made the trek from NYC to Massachusetts with my high school buddy Dave to meet my college buddies, Pestilence, War, and Famine. After what felt like an eternity trying to get a sober ride to the venue from our hotel (eventually we got a cab) we finally got into the venue, where we got beers and ventured to the side stage. This would be one of my last lucid moments of the day.
The HauntedYou see, as we made our way to the side stage, which was stiflingly hot in the mid-day sun because it was in the middle of a parking lot, it became obvious that the beers would be going down far too quickly. Unfortunately, when it's that hot you have to drink your beer REALLY fast, or it will get warm. Of course, when you finish your beer it's still hot, so you start thinking, "Gosh, I'm hot. I should get a nice cold beer." Lather, rinse repeat. It is because of this, and no shortcoming on my part, that I found myself ludicrously drunk much earlier than I expected to be.
There was a great deal of metal in between all of this indulgence, however. We started with The Black Dahlia Murder, who played a new song off of their upcoming CD, Miasma, as well as some favorites from their debut. And while I usually really like this band, I was a little less than inspired here. They sounded good, to be sure, but it took me awhile to get into them, perhaps because I needed to get my head into the right frame of mind after a long car ride.
MastodonThe Haunted started to wake me up, presenting a set that centered heavily on their newer, more accessible material. In recent years I had found myself forgetting about this band, and it was refreshing listening to them again. The crowd seemed very excited and surprised me a little with their enthusiasm. I guess I still have the pre-conceived notion that the average Ozzfest attendee is expecting the nu-metal fests of the early 2000s rather than the new trend of putting actual metal bands on the stage.
The next huge act of the day was Mastodon, who keep getting better every time I see them. They tore apart the side stage, and grabbed the attention of everyone in the vicinity. My friend Dave was a rookie and fell in love with the band as they shredded through songs like "Blood & Thunder," "Megalodon," and "March of the Fire Ants." Their drummer by himself is a wonder to behold, forcing everyone in our little group to pick their jaws up off the ground. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have enough time to do their more jammy material, but this band remains one of the most exciting young bands in metal.
In FlamesUnfortunately, we're old and the alcohol and heat got the better of us, causing us to seek shelter in the shade and causing us to miss a few acts. We actually never made it back to the side stage, but did get to see all of the main stage acts.
Even though I expected to be disappointed by In Flames, they still left a bad taste in my mouth. They had a short set that was packed full of their more 'contemporary' hits and they simply failed to move me. The rest of the crowd seemed equally disinterested. In truth, even if the band had focused on their older material, they probably still wouldn't have grabbed my attention. They've always been a step behind At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity in my opinion, and are basically just a mediocre band.
Shadows Fall played a great set to what was basically a hometown crowd. I've now seen this band so many times that I have nothing original to say about them. They seemed right at home on the big stage, which I was a little surprised about, and they did a great job of holding the attention of the growing crowd as they filtered in from the various other distractions scattered about the venue. They had a larger crowd than I would have expected at that time of the day and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are main stage material.
Shadows FallBlack Label Society is a mainstay at Ozzfest, and I must admit I like them, but they are usually relegated to background music. We drank and reveled and didn't pay much attention and then used Mudvayne as an excuse to find some food. I've never liked them and figured I'd get the chore of nourishing myself out of the way before Maiden and Sabbath got on the stage.
By the time Maiden took the stage I was far more drunk than I ever planned on being. Of course, this made it easy for me to scream along with Bruce and make a fool of myself, but it also made headbanging a perilous endeavor. See, we were on the lawn which, like most amphitheaters, is on an incline making it hard to keep one's balance while headbanging, and nearly impossible when one's equilibrium has been decimated by alcohol. Of course, this didn't stop me from headbanging, it just caused me to fall into a lot of people. Sorry about that.
Iron Maiden were really cool. I was initially a little disappointed that the stage show wasn't bigger. Unlike the last time I had seen them at Madison Square Garden, there was no huge Eddie head in the background (although someone did come out in an oversized Eddie costume), but the band made up for this with a spirited performance that centered solely on their first four albums. This didn't mean we heard songs that were all that obscure, but it was awesome to jam to "Phantom Of The Opera" along with "Number Of The Beast." Judas Priest last year, Iron Maiden this year. It looks like Ozzfest is really making an attempt to be a serious metal festival.
Black Label SocietyDespite the fact that I was inebriated beyond belief, I do have a pretty good recollection of Sabbath. I've seen Black Sabbath about five times since their initial reunion, and I've never seen them sound better than they did this night. Of course, it was the first show of the tour, which probably significantly helped Ozzy's voice, but the overall show was spectacular. Unlike the previous year, in which I complained that the set was far too standard, the band mixed things up a bit. "Dirty Women" and "After Forever" were both special treats that were mixed in amongst the 'classics,' but they still did the medley thing they always do where they start playing a killer song and then move into another one after just a few bars. The end result is that if this is the last tour for Black Sabbath, it will still be sad, but it was a fitting way to go out. They remain the masters. One word review: Classic.
Death's Review (8/13/05, The Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA):
In four summers of living in LA, I've never gone to the San Bernadino Ozzfest. Too far away, too hot, and too much of an LA scene for my taste. Instead, we make it our annual tradition to road trip somewhere else to see the show. Two summers ago it was San Diego, last year and this year a car of five of us joined about five other carloads of LA metal warriors en route up to Mountain View, CA - in the heart of the Silicon Valley - for this year's version of the annual traveling festival, heavy metal's own three ring circus, aka the heavy metal summer camp, Ozzfest 2005.
Arch EnemyOf course, this year and last year were the best yet, with this year's fest being pretty much an underground metalhead's dream show, circa 2002. In Flames, Shadows Fall, Mastodon, Arch Enemy, Soilwork, The Haunted - this one looked more like the New England Metal and Hardcore Fest from three years ago or Milwaukee Metalfest from 1999. Wow. The "underground" metal scene has truly "arrived." But even better was the prospect of seeing Iron Maiden again, this time promising to only do songs off of the first four albums. Personally, I love the entire Iron Maiden catalogue, but this proclamation promised a less than standard issue set list, and I was intrigued.
We made the five hour drive north through the desert on Friday night, getting to the hotel room after eleven but nonetheless staying up and party and hanging out almost the whole night, before "waking up" mega early the next morning to be sure to get to the venue and get our passes and get inside in time to see Arch Enemy. We were exhausted but we soldiered on and were on the side of the stage watching Arch Enemy by the time they went on. Gus G. replaced the temporarily departed younger Amott brother on guitar, and filled in admirably. The rest of the band was their usual technically proficient selves, with Sharlee D'Angelo on bass and Daniel Erlandsson on drums providing a particular highlight. The crowd was loud and strong despite the early hour. We also hung out behind the second stage and watched killer performances from other Swedish metal maniacs such as The Haunted and Soilwork.
Soilwork (w/ Chuck Billy)We just partied past tired and straight on to full-on madness. By mid-afternoon we were way further along than we should have been. But along the way, we were hanging around and jamming out with all sorts of random cool people and seeing all sorts of awesome music. The backstage area was fun - this being the Bay Area and all - and many of the thrash legends were out for the occasion. One minute I'm talking to Gary Holt about the new Exodus lineup and forthcoming album (The Haunted's drummer was sporting an Exodus t-shirt), the next I'm shaking hands with Chuck Billy. Along the way, I saw Peter Dolving of The Haunted bust out leather underwear onstage in tribute to the local San Franciscan culture, and stood on the side of the stage as Chuck Billy sang "Follow the Hollow" with Soilwork. Perhaps the most surreal moment of the day was standing behind Will Smith as he was banging his head watching his wife's band, Wicked Wisdom. Anyway, by the time I found myself doing shots in the Jagermeister tent in the early afternoon, I knew it was going to be tough to make it all the way to Black Sabbath later on that night.
Back over at the second stage, I'm three sheets to the wind and talking about my beloved Oakland Raiders with the numerous Bay area thrasher fans - the Raiders first preseason game against the 49ers was set for later that night. Soon it was time for the mighty Mastodon, Ozzfest 2005's most interesting band and definitely the answer to the "which one of these bands is not like the other" question. Mastodon 2005 reminded me somewhat of the reception garnered by Neurosis on the Ozzfest 1997 tour - critically acclaimed, punishing live set that pretty much went over the head of a large percentage of the audience. Still, the setting was awesome - the sun was blazing, the crowd was large, and there were people on horseback up on the mountain to the left of the stage standing tall on the horizon watching the mighty Mastodon's set. Perhaps even more surreal was seeing Jada Pinkett Smith on the side of the stage going absolutely nuts throughout the entire Mastodon show - you could tell she honestly loves the band, which I found surprising.
Wicked WisdomAnyway, by the time Mastodon was done and I had pounded another couple of beers, things began to become a serious blur. I don't remember seeing Killswitch Engage. I watched Rob Zombie with a huge crowd at the side of the stage - Chuck Billy was rocking out with his wife and kids. Cool. Rob Zombie isn't really my thing, although I watched House of 1,000 Corpses on HBO and thought it was cool. I'll check out The Devil's Rejects at some point too. I remember watching the set and trying to figure out the difference between White Zombie and Rob Zombie (is it like the difference between King Diamond and Mercyful Fate?). Anyway, my friend kept calling Zombie's new look Zappa, Jr., which made me laugh, and the crowd seemed to be into it.
We entered the main stage area and scammed down into the front to watch In Flames, who played well (mostly stuff from Soundtrack to Your Escape and ReRoute to Remain) to the arena as it was filling up. Many of the people in the seats didn't know what they were seeing, and so we had In Flames in the broad daylight to a stadium full of dudes eating nachos and drinking movie theater sized sodas. And then there was our group, that had been partying since 9 am. After In Flames, we had to keep it going or risk losing everything, so we hit the bar where some dude in a Black Label Society vest who was hanging out with Pat Lachman of Damageplan buying everyone shots of Crown and Coke. The drink was cold, smooth and perfect for the moment. Made me think of Dime. We went back in the venue for Black Label Society. They were cool but I was done. Halfway through the set, I sat down in the seats and literally started to fall asleep. It was still light out mind you. I was dreaming about something cool and metal when my buddy slapped me on the shoulder and shouted along to the chorus of "Suicide Messiah." I got up and soldiered on.
Rob ZombieWe got another beer between sets and came back for Shadows Fall. I kept it together and shouted along for the Massachusetts thrashers. It was nice to see them playing to such a large crowd, yet seem comfortable doing it. Clearly a decent chunk of the audience did not know the band, which was kind of cool, knowing that they were getting to play before a new crowd. By the end of the set people were pretty into it. Anyway, we skipped Mudvayne, instead going back to the buses behind the second stage to hang out and get ready to see the mighty Iron Maiden. We got back to the arena just in time, and literally ran right up front to the very first row, center, to watch one of the greatest live sets I'd ever seen. I mean c'mon, Iron Maiden from the front row center? How often am I going to be able to do that? I savored every moment.
The band opened with "Murders in the Rue Morgue," and continued with classic after classic, including uncommon treats like "Revelations," and "Phantom of the Opera." Iron Maiden were in amazing form, each of the band members on top of their game and the band as a whole seeming only slightly aged from their late-eighties prime. At one point Bruce Dickinson asked the crowd to raise their hands if it was their first time seeing Iron Maiden, and at least half to two-thirds of the audience raised their hands. I was shocked. These fans were going nuts the entire set too, and so I think this all bodes well for Iron Maiden's next U.S. studio release. As always, everyone in the venue (more than 20,000 strong) came away a bigger Iron Maiden fan than they were before. I was going nuts, jumping up and down and screaming my head off with everything I had left in the tank and then some.
Iron MaidenBy the time the show ended, I was so completely cashed I couldn't do much but hit the concourse, eat, pee, and look at some of the vendor booths with Hel. Having heard that this would be Ozzy's last stint on the Ozzfest, we walked up onto the lawn to at least catch one song of Black Sabbath - "After Forever" ("would you like to see the pope on the end of a rope, do you think he's a fool"). But it was so packed and Hel could not see, and we were without our laminate escort who got us up front for Maiden - so we had no hookup and we therefore decided to bail and walk around a bit. We could hear Ozzy wailing away and doing a better job than I had expected as we perused the merchandise and walked around in the summer night. We eventually wandered back to the second stage bus area and hung out for a couple of hours chatting and winding down before leaving some of our other friends who were unbelievably still going and heading back to the hotel for some much-needed sleep.
All in all, it was everything the day was supposed to be - an awesome day out in the summertime fun with some of my favorite bands playing - a veritable heavy metal summer picnic. We of course did so much damage to ourselves too quickly so early on that we literally could not keep it going all day. Fifteen hours of partying is intense. But it was great fun to try, and I have to say, Ozzfest 2005 was clearly the best one yet. I almost went again to San Bernadino the following Saturday, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Can't wait for Ozzfest 2006. Early uninformed predictions: headliner or two like AC/DC or Metallica, Lamb of God on the mainstage, possibly Lacuna Coil also; God Forbid, Opeth, Unearth and Meshuggah on the second stage, maybe a second stage bone thrown to an old-school thrash band like Testament or Exodus, a bunch of newer hardcore/metalcore bands, and maybe a second stage headlining slot from someone like Slayer or the reformed Anthrax. Time will tell whether I'm on the mark, but this much is for sure - it will be a fun summer once again, and maybe Ozzy will do San Bernadino as one of the select dates, which will finally get me out to that venue. Even if that happens, I'm still road tripping somewhere with my same crew to keep the flag of tradition flying high.
Hel's Review (8/13/05, The Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA):
Before I begin my review of the show, I'd like to share an observation with you. This observation is based on generally accepted psuedo-facts about the bands on this year's Ozzfest bill. Obviously, much of metal has been derived from Black Sabbath. Iron Maiden has been the inspiration of many of the Gothenburg, Sweden bands, most of whom seem to be on this year's bill, and some of whom have basically admitted they ripped off Maiden (i.e., the "melodic" part of melodic death). Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage helped spearhead a movement we used to call "Gothenburg, Massachusetts" around here, and have basically admitted they ripped off the Gothenburg, Sweden bands. These bands spawned metalcore, the style of the bulk of the rest of the bands on the bill (with a few notable exceptions). Quite the incestuous little fest they managed to put together here, didn't they? I’m betting the organizers never truly realized the scope of interconnectedness of the bands they lined up this year. Just something that dawned on me at the show that I found rather fascinating, that's all. Thought I'd share...
TriviumWell, there's no doubt that I had a lot more fun this year. Being a good soldier last year by following the stringent rules set for the photographers garnered more freedom for me this year. The same person was in charge of the photographers for the venue again and she instantly remembered me. Between her being really wonderful, my main stage photo pass, and a "guest" pass, I was able to come and go as I pleased. Well, it is possible I wasn't really supposed to, but I did and no one made an issue of it. I was greatly relieved by this, particularly when I began to hear my colleagues making complaints much along the lines I myself made last year.
It Dies TodayThe day began, unexpectedly, with Arch Enemy. It Dies Today was scheduled to be first, but apparently they were late or something and were dropped. Good for me, since I was not really eager to begin my day with one of the many hardcore bands on the bill. Their new album cover art looked great on the giant banner behind the stage, and the band instantly took command with the first pit of the day beginning during their first song. The performance was much like I have seen them give in the past (with fill-in guitarist Gus G. fitting in nicely, though it was sad to see only one Amott onstage), but the fact that they mustered themselves at such a insanely early hour gets them bonus points.
After a lickety-split set change, Trivium took the stage. Now, I have to tell you that at this point, I am well and truly sick of Trivium. Sirius' Hard Attack plays multiple tracks constantly - to the point where I feel like all I ever here on there anymore is Trivium. So, yeah, color me unexcited. Still, you can't argue with the enthusiastic reaction of the crowd - these kids loved, loved, loved it.
The Black Dahlia Murder came out after another efficient set change and delivered three songs like their pants were on fire to a crowd who screamed back at the band as if their pants on fire too. I had been tipped off that they'd be splitting their set with It Dies Today in an act of pure unselfish coolness for their bus-mates. Abruptly one band jumped off and the other took over after the briefest of segues, with much confusion ensuing amongst my fellow photographers, and I imagine among many in the crowd as well. I know I'm not the only one who would rather have seen the rest of Black Dahlia's set, but the fans seemed to appreciate the surprise and you cannot deny that it was a classy move.
The HauntedThey just let us stay in the photo pit, because mere moments after It Dies Today vacated The Haunted were on. It is always a treat to see The Haunted live, and it felt like it had been quite some time since I had last done so. Their set was very energetic and before I knew it, my three songs in the photo pit were up. I'd gotten another good tip a little earlier, so I made sure I found a good spot at the side of the stage so I could try and capture Peter's tribute to San Francisco - a studded, zippered pleather g-string. I, and the rest of the Bay Area, saw far too much of Mr. Dolving on this day - though thankfully I only saw the full moon from the side...
Even though when The Haunted's set was finished it seemed like the perfect time to slip off, I persuaded the crew to hang around for one song and let me shoot Wicked Wisdom since they were taking the stage at that moment due to another line up change. I have to tell you - if it were not for the fact that I was still trying to get shots of all the bands at this point, I wouldn't have even made it through that one song. I'm sure Jada's a really nice person and sincerely enjoys the music, but it is glaringly obviously that for all her kindness and sincerity, she doesn't actually "get" metal. She'd been paying attention, and even came up with a way to "jump" into the crowd for a song like all the other second stage singers do (by having a giant guy pick her up off the stage, lift her onto the barricade, hold her in place, and then when it was time, lifting her back up again - with Jada even tucking her legs up at this point - and setting her gently back onstage), the execution of which is a big indication of what I'm talking about. Moreover, the song I watched, and the rest of what I heard while we hunted for food was god-awful. Even worse than the "big dog" I choked down while they were finishing their set.
Heading backstage again, I noticed that Bury Your Dead was onstage thanking Wicked Wisdom for letting them take their slot. Unlike the situation with The Black Dahlia Murder, however, it seemed WW did not shorten their set but instead literally took the earlier slot. Still, it allowed the band to perform when they would have been bumped, and I'm sure their fans were happy about it. Not being one of their fans, I was simply happy to continue taking a break for a while longer. And I did, also missing Gizmachi in the process. Poor Gizmachi, I seem to always miss their set whenever they're on a bill. Maybe one day I'll see them and finally figure out whether or not I like them.
Wicked WisdomMy time out in the field was worthwhile, as I scored another tip, this time learning there would be a special guest appearance by Testament's Chuck Billy during Soilwork's set. So I made damn sure I was down front before they went on, and made sure I stuck near Chuck once I spotted him standing just slightly offstage. When he came out during the second song of the set, "Follow the Hollow" I was planted right in front of the conveniently empty mike that I happened to notice onstage. I had decided beforehand, I was absolutely going to get a good shot of this. The performance was awesome and it was clear everyone enjoyed this treat immensely. Myself included, of course.
Another break was in order following Soilwork's set, since I really had little interest in A Dozen Furies, or as I like to call them, "A Contest Winner." I saw plenty of the band during the MTV reality show that declared them winner and in the process overlooked the tiny detail of one of the band members having already been on Ozzfest in another band... But that has little to do with my distaste for the band, I'm merely sick to death of metalcore.
SoilworkI would not be detained from seeing every instant of Mastodon, however. The two bands I was most looking forward to seeing at this year's Ozzfest were Iron Maiden and Mastodon, as a matter of fact. I was not disappointed in the slightest. They delivered a tight set, and clearly impressed the crowd. The assortment of people gathered on the sides and behind the stage was enormous, and I felt obliged to join them after my time in the photo pit was over. Of course I positioned myself to see Brann Dailor as well as possible, but the vast number of people already in place made that task a trying one. It was an intense and entertaining performance that was over all too soon.
I had somehow lost everyone in the chaos of making sure I got to shoot Mastodon - well, it turns out that I actually ditched them, as suddenly the only people who could come and go freely from the second stage trailer area to the second stage backstage area were people with laminates and me with my photo pass. Any other passes needed an escort with a laminate. Gee... So I finally tracked them down and learned they wouldn't be going anywhere else for at least a few minutes, so I figured I might as well snap some shots of As I Lay Dying since they were just starting their third song. I admit I only watched that one song, since I have seen them before and I'm not a big fan, but their performance was as energetic as ever and their fans were clearly enthused.
Killswitch Engage was next. At this point, I have seen this band so many times live that it is like déjà vu every time now. Particularly since they also played the Ozzfest second stage just a few years ago. Were it not for Rob Zombie they would probably be headlining it, and somehow that second-to-last slot did not really do them justice. Somehow, it made the whole thing a little, well, forgettable... I'm not sure their fans would agree, as the crowd was truly rabid during their set, and that's as it should be.
MastodonI shot Rob Zombie because he was the headliner and I could. Never been a fan. Not of White Zombie, nor of him. Bleck. But everyone else sure seemed excited. He definitely seemed to have comfortably jumped back into role as frontman, and he was energetic and commanding. During his set, he broke the news to the fans that this was to be Ozzy's last year headlining the festival, even though the Osbourne camp would not officially release the news for a couple more days. So it truly was news to all those present, and caused quite a stir.
About halfway through Rob Zombie's set I started telling my friends we had to go. When it was clearly nearing the end I became more persistent; I knew if we didn't head over to the main stage before his set ended we'd be trapped and I wouldn't make it down into the main stage photo pit before In Flames went on. My pleas fell on deaf ears, though they in turn persuaded me to stay. Unfortunately it turned out I was right. I finally made it to the main stage photo pit during In Flames' third song and was booted out minutes later. Argh.
Now, last year, after the photographers were finished shooting a band on the main stage the folks in charge would corral us all and walk us backstage to a tent complete with couches and beverages where we were required to sit until it was time to shoot the next band. NO watching any of the bands after your three songs were up. This year they responded to the complaints lodged the previous year, and instead set aside a little area off to the side mid-house where people could see the bands while they waited. I chose to flex my individuality and continue to take advantage of the freedom I had wrangled throughout the day, sitting in the seats with my friends instead. But I thought it was cool that they had changed things around and set aside this space.
As I Lay DyingBlack Label Society came next. I’ve never really been a fan of BLS, but there is no denying Zakk’s talent with the axe and seeing this band live repeatedly and not having to listen to them much in between is apparently wearing me down. I actually kind of enjoyed the show, though after about half the set I started to get bored. Still, Zakk is always fun to take pictures of, and I thank him for taking the time to flip me off.
The boys from Shadows Fall looked perfectly at home on the big stage. Brian had ample room for his microphone and dread swinging antics and they sounded very good. The upgrade to the main stage seems to be working well for them. They really did look like rock stars up there. I suppose Brian must be somewhat bummed that there’s no crowd for him to jump into anymore. More than any of the other bands on this bill, it seems that Shadows Fall is taking a step to a larger level then they have ever reached before. It will be interesting to see where they go from here.
Now, you may have noticed I have stopped mentioning the crowd’s reaction to the bands since moving over to the main stage. At the second stage, the fans are crowded right up against the barricade, and people are coming over it, so you feel far more involved in what is happening amongst the people watching. At the main stage, the crowd stretches on forever and the people who were so involved early in the day are mostly removed to somewhere near the sun and moon up on the “lawn” (is there even grass up there?). So if they’re still really into the show, it’s no longer evident up front. This year there actually was an area for people to stand just in front of the stage. But the people it was reserved for paid big bucks for the option to stand there, yet seemed to be mostly sitting in their seats instead. Because of this arrangement, the barricade was pushed uncomfortably close to the ramp at the front of the stage, seriously restricting the photographers’ ability to move from one side of the stage to the other. Fortunately, the number of photographers always eventually dwindles at Ozzfest, dropping dramatically from the second stage to the main stage, and then continuing to lower as the number of bands you get to shoot is dependant on what kind of pass you have and which bands you had approval to shoot. No one shoots Ozzy. Ever.
Killswitch EngageSo even though I did have approval to shoot Mudvayne, I don’t like the band and it would be my last opportunity for food, and I took it. But when we stopped in front of the hot dog stand again, I rebelled. I flatly refused to eat another nasty “big dog.” Problem was, there were huge lines everywhere and stands seemed to be running out of food. So I found a sausage stand across the way and snagged one, only to return to the big dog gang and have Death enviously ask me where I got it. So we returned to get him one too and I was psyched to discover they finally had more garlic fries. I left much happier, though quite a bit poorer.
Finally, it was time for Iron Maiden. I had tried to get back as promptly as I could, yet when I arrived at the meeting place there was no one there except the photographers who were done shooting for the day and were just hanging out watching the show. I had to talk my way down front, which was not and easy task, despite the fact that I really was supposed to be down there. Fortunately I was able to convince a security supervisor that I was sincere and she let me go. And I was still early enough to have to sit around and wait for what felt like forever.
Iron Maiden was most definitely the highlight of Ozzfest for myself and everyone else I had talked to that day. And for good reason, those of you who have seen them live know what I’m talking about. They always deliver a hugely energetic performance and look like they’re having the best time they’ve ever had while doing so. The staging was not the same elaborate scale they generally travel with, bringing only a handful of backdrops, a giant devil and an oversized Eddie, plus the flag and military outfit, of course. Still, it only reinforced the fact that Iron Maiden shows rule because of the music and the performances and not the props. Those are just a bonus. An amazing number of people in the crowd raised their hands when Bruce asked who had never seen them before – I think every last one of them will be out to see them the next time they come around.
Iron MaidenBecause this really may be the last time to see Ozzy play with Black Sabbath, I wanted to just lay my eyes upon them once. It had been a long day, and we had some people to catch up with before we left, so I was resigned to not watching the whole set. Of course we weren’t able to get back down to where we had watched Iron Maiden from once we’d left, so it was up to the lawn where our “seats” actually were. I literally could not see a single person onstage. I’m short and everyone around me was tall, and even the steep grade of the “lawn” didn’t help. It was hopeless, so after a song we gave it up.
All in all, this may very well have been the best Ozzfest I’ve been to yet. Things worked out nicely for me to be able to balance taking photos and actually spending some time with the people I came with, something I never imagined could actually happen. The line up had a lot of bands that I was genuinely happy to see, and all of them gave the crowd a show to remember. There were even some extra special treats upon the way. Here’s hoping next year is able to live up to this one.
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