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Judgment Committee Reviews | Ozzfest | Tattoo |
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Abyss's Review
(Ozzfest: 7/22/00, Camden, NJ)
(Tattoo the Earth: 7/20/00, Giants Stadium, NJ):
Ozzfest '00 vs. Metallica Tattoos the Earth, or : At least you can always count on Ozzy for beer.
This year there are two big budget metal tours running rampant through the U.S. In this corner, we have the challenger, Tattoo the Earth. Weighing in with Sepultura, Slayer, Slipknot, and a special appearance by Metallica (Yes there were more, but I didn't see them. Note to promoters, put festivals on weekends.) And in the far corner we have the Champion, the Ozzfest. Weighing in with Kittie, Soulfly, Methods of Mayhem, Incubus, Godsmack, Pantera, and Ozzy Osbourne (amongst others). This fight is scheduled for as many rounds as it takes for Abyss to get drunk…. Sorry, too late (or as Brittany Spears would say, "Oops… I did it again." ---- I apologize for that, I didn't mean to become a sloppy drunk.)
"It dawned on me then that I would have to see New Metallica completely sober." First I'll start with the challenger. Metallica did a one off at Giants Stadium, joining the Tattoo the Earth tour, headlined normally by Slipknot. Now, while I know it was a full day of festivities, I got there late because The Man is keeping me down, and while waiting in line to pick up tickets I heard two of the most frightening things of my life. The first was that
Slayer was taking the stage while I was standing behind fat rednecks who kept arguing that their friends assured them that they were on the list. Being as Slayer was the only band I was really excited to see, this was a tragedy in my mind. The second scary thing was one of such vile horror that I still get a chill up my spine every time I think of it. I heard someone say, "There's no beer sold in the venue." AHHHHHHHHHHHH! And when I went in, the horror was confirmed. (What kind of sick, sadistic experiment was this?) It dawned on me then that I would have to see New Metallica completely sober, and it took a killer set by Slayer to keep me from losing it. They ripped through their set – a predictable set, of course, but no one seemed to mind. Closing with "Angel of Death" I almost forgot about my shaking hands.
Slipknot was next, and to be quite honest, I didn't really care at the time. I'd heard very little of them before, and brushed them off as a Korn Klone, and never gave them the respect that they deserve. While they are definitely a "new" metal band, they tore the stage and crowd apart. They were awesome, making me feel very jaded for never giving them a chance. I couldn't believe how heavy they are, seemingly just as inspired by Death and Black Metal as with Urbancore. They have definitely won a new fan. Even though their stage show reeks of gimmick, they back everything up, and are a great live act. It's hard to believe an album that heavy went platinum (Unfortunately for the band, since there are more bandmembers than residents of Rhode Island, each member only made about $60.) I hope this serves as a gateway for more aggressive metal to gain some popularity.
"Unfortunately for Slipknot, since there are more bandmembers than residents of Rhode Island, each member only made about $60." Metallica hit the stage with all the pomp and self-importance on would expect, but they hit the stage hard. They opened with a searing version of "Creeping Death" in which James actually went back to his heartfelt screaming, rather than that stupid vocal crap he's doing now. And when they went straight from that into "For Whom the Bell Tolls" I actually started thinking that maybe Metallica still have some merit. But once James started singing that song, the cracks started to show. He reverted to his new style of singing that can actually wreck perfectly good songs. We were treated to a surprisingly sloppy version of "Whiplash" with just Kirk, Lars and Jason playing as James went backstage to treat his recently injured back. Most interesting was when Jason barked out the lyrics "We'll never stop, we'll never quit, 'cause you're Metallica". I had no idea I was part of the band, which means I have a say in band decisions. How bout this: I vote we stop putting out crappy albums… I also seem to be missing some royalty checks.
Ozzfest was, of course, a much bigger event. A beautiful Saturday afternoon combined with alcohol (thank God) and metal to make for a great day. We walked in to the main stage when Tommy Lee's new band, Methods of Mayhem, were on the stage. All right Method of Mayhem fans! Raise your beers with me! Got 'em raised? Good, now I want you to repeatedly bang them over your melon heads, because if you like this band you deserve a beating. I couldn't believe how bad they were, but I think their whole band can be summed up in one word: pointless. When I saw shirts of theirs being sold I thought of it less as merchandizing and more as a tax on stupidity.
Kittie played the second stage, and it's amazing how far they've come in just a year. When I first heard them at the Milwaukee Metalfest last year they were a pretty poor live band that I said could offer a lot if they got some experience. Boy did I call that one! (Thank you, Thank you. No, please stop, I'm blushing) They came across much heavier than on their album, and it seems their technical ability has increased tenfold. I'm truly looking forward to their next album, and was greatly impressed at their ability to work the crowd.
"Kittie played the second stage, and it's amazing how far they've come in just a year." Soulfly were up next and played well if not all that exciting, probably suffering a little bit due to the fact that they had to follow Kittie after such a successful set. They did sounded pretty good, but basically I spent the whole time imagining a reunion of Sepultura.
Godsmack returned again as well, playing through a set comprised of songs that are mainstays on hard rock radio, and I have to admit that I always seem to enjoy them. They may not be the heaviest thing out there, but they do what the do very well, so I just take them for what they're worth. They played a new song which didn't disappoint, and I enjoyed watching the drummer pound the shit out of the drums.
Pantera warmed us all up for the Ozzman. While I've seen them much too often to get overly excited, it was nice to hear some good old aggressive thrash amongst all of the newer bands, and until people wake up and put some real metal on the bill (Death, Black, Grind anyone?) this will have to do. Of course Phil went on rambling about how they're the best real metal band around, and if we look at record sales he may be right (challenge from Slipknot, however). I didn't, however, appreciate the "Cemetery Gates" tease that was aborted for "Fucking Hostile." I really think that was unfair.
"Ozzfest wins, for the most obvious reason of all. They sold beer." Ozzy started off with another hysterical video featuring himself, and came out with an elaborate stage show that was far and away more extravagant than in the past. He proved himself (again) to be the epitome of showmanship, and had the crowd thoroughly entertained for his entire set. Even as we tolerated his strange fetish with getting crowd members wet, I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face. The set list had one surprise in it, an awe-inspiring rendition of "Diary of a Madman" (Finally, a song off of that album besides "Flying High Again"). His set was, as always, too short, but there was hours of good times crammed in there. I can't wait for next year.
So let's go to the scorecard. In the battle of headliners: Ozzy vs. Metallica, the Ozzman walks away with it. Between Pantera and Slipknot, it's Slipknot by a nose. And of course Slayer beat out an out-matched Godsmack. But the Ozzfest wins anyway, for the most obvious reason of all. They sold beer.
Ozzfest:
Tattoo the Earth:
Death's Review
(Ozzfest: 7/22/00, Camden, NJ)
(Tattoo the Earth: 7/20/00, Giants Stadium, NJ):
Ah, summertime. To me, it's about a relatively short list of essential activities: baseball games, swimming pools, the beach, big budget popcorn movies, theme parks, and outdoor amphitheater concerts. And, while underground bands remain conspicuously excluded from the yearly American shed-tour parties, it's difficult to remember a time when so much arguably hard and heavy music was represented on the summer outdoor festival circuit. Sure, these shows are $50-a-pop corporate promotional bullshit, filled with large-budget, pay-to-play bands with little artistic merit beyond their bland lack of distinction from the rest of "nu-metal de jour," and presented as if fully representative of today's metal scene as a whole. But these shows are also a chance for a cooped-up metalhead to go out, press the flesh a bit, get some sun, hang with friends, drink some beers, and check out all the crazy people while hearing some music marginally related to the scene and way of life. So the Judgment Committee set aside a weekend and sojourned to the great state of New Jersey, this week the host to the two largest of these corporate behemoths, Ozzfest and Tattoo the Earth.
I must immediately stress that my ability to accurately assess the Tattoo the Earth tour as a whole is quite small, as the New York-metro area show had added Metallica to the bill, of course as the headliner, for a one-off appearance. Of course, for me, this was an added bonus. But for many other diehards (Hel and Abyss?) it was probably more of a pain in the ass. Tattoo was on a Thursday, starting at 1 p.m., making it, of course, impossible for our group, each with jobs in Manhattan, to get there anywhere even close to the published start time. Of course, because Metallica was on the bill, the start times of everyone else moved up about two hours. In practical reality this means we missed almost everyone - up to and including all but the last four and a half songs of Slayer. That half-song was the muffled sounds of a distant "Hell Awaits" bellowing through the football stadium's cavernous hallways as we searched for our elusive section (ultimately 180 degrees around the stadium). By the time we showed our tickets and sat down, the band was already into "Stain of Mind," one of the Slayer songs I like the least. As I sat and listened, praying each song would not be the last, I saw Jeff Hanneman thrashing his long hair around, saw Tom looking like he was having fun, and heard Kerry King's killer guitar sound and trademark searing lead noises. Slayer played "Chemical Warfare," then "South of Heaven" and then "Angel of Death," all while the Metallica and Slipknot fans stared and respected and the Slayer fans thrashed wildly. It was a football stadium, and it was still daylight, but Slayer was Slayer and that, of course, means they were very, very cool. Araya noted that it was only the third time ever that they had shared a bill with Metallica, including the first time back in 1983.
"My god, metal is back. Everybody is out on the road this summer." I was totally impressed with Slipknot. They just absolutely tore up everything, and I now completely understand and approve of their ascent to the title of new metal (not "nu-metal") kings for the sub-Generation Y set. Raw, death metal influenced aggression and one hell of a stage show was the order of the day. I look forward to the band's next release and urge you skeptics to give this band a try. No, it doesn't mean that you approve of nu-metal pansies if you like Slipknot: Slipknot are more interesting, more real. They are pure pop aggression distilled to its essence, and have undeniably struck a chord.
This left a long set change before Metallica. As things began to get dark, we walked around the Stadium. This did not seem at all like a festival, perhaps ruined by the stadium setting and by Metallica's presence. We did not have access to the floor, instead having seats on the side. There looked like there might have been some sort of booths down there, but maybe they were just ordinary concessions, who knows. There was what looked like the remnants of some parking lot party outside, but again, who knows. In the over four hours we were at Giants Stadium that night, I did not see anything at all having to do with tattoos. Saw a ton of Metallica merchandise stands though.
"Slipknot absolutely tore up everything." Metallica was Metallica, circa 2000. Kirk shreds, his leads sounding just like they are supposed to. The set list was decent, starting with "Creeping Death," then "For Whom the Bell Tolls," then "Seek and Destroy," before going into "Sad But True," "Whiplash," then "Fade to Black." Other set highlights consisted of "Master of Puppets" into "Sanitarium" back into "Master," followed up by the complete "Battery," and the always great live "One" (complete with actual fireworks).
Of course, newer Metallica like "Fueled" and "King Nothing" were almost embarrassing next to the aforementioned classics. Still, being outdoors on a perfect weather night listening to the tunes of my youth under the stars with friends... it could be worse.
Speaking of "the tunes of my youth," I noted recently that between July 20 and August 30 I was scheduled to see live just about every band that made a major difference to me between say, 1986 and 1994. Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax (although I think they just got kicked off the Maximum Rock Tour), Slayer, Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Rob Halford, Pantera, Queensryche, Dream Theater, King Diamond, Destruction, etc. Plus Slipknot, Sepultura (missed 'em), Soulfly, Kittie, Opeth, Cannibal Corpse, etc., etc. My god, metal is back. Everybody is out on the road this summer.
"Of course, newer Metallica songs were almost embarrassing next to the aforementioned classics." So Saturday was Ozzfest 2000, my third Ozzfest (saw 1997 and 1999 as well). We chose Camden, NJ because it was on a Saturday and we could do the "hang-all-day" thing. Well, of course, we didn't get there until 3 p.m., and chilled in the parking lot blaring an advance copy of Into the Abyss by Hypocrisy, as well as the new Origin, for a while before going in.
By the time we got inside and drifted quickly through one-half of the extensive festival area (much more to do than I remember there being in past years, including video games from Sega Dreamcast like U.F.C. which Musashi had been trying to get me pumped up on so he could play it on my Dreamcast, and some weird headset-Dreamcast thing which Abyss talked me out of playing when he pointed out how many sweaty heads that thing had already been on), we finally settled into our pavilion seats to catch a little... Methods of Mayhem. I saw like two songs, and gabbed with friends and pounded beers the entire time. Then we walked around some more, pounding more beers while realizing, from the number of shout outs we got for our relatively underground collection of t-shirts our group was wearing (among us, if I might brag for a moment, a group of four hot women sporting t-shirts ranging from Dying Fetus to Shadows Fall to the most attention-grabbing shirt of the festival, a Cradle of Filth baby-doll with the words "Sucking Corporate Cock Since 1996" emblazoned across the back), what should have been absolutely obvious: underground metallers were quite the exception amidst the mainstream crowd generally populating the Ozzfest, although those who were present were tremendously vocal about their allegiances.
What about the music? Honestly, besides those two Methods of Mayhem songs I didn't see anything else on the mainstage before Pantera. Not even necessarily by design. We did hang out by the second stage for a while and watched Kittie and Soulfly in the process. Kittie was much better than they had come across on their record, and seem to have both improved in their playing skill and shifted a bit more toward a death metal vibe. Still, they are teenage girls with brightly colored hair, playing downtuned, Coal Chamber derivative songs for the nu-metal masses. They aren't nearly as bad as I thought though, and perhaps their recent emphasis on harder metal sounds will translate into a cool sophomore release. All in all, Kittie's performance was surprisingly one of the best of the day.
By Soulfly, I was really getting drunk. I remember they opened with "Eye for an Eye," but after that, things get hazy. Hanging out in the sun, with people all around and a rapid succession of 24 ounce beers was beginning to take its toll. But I do know Soulfly played some new stuff which didn't sound that much different from their old stuff. I want to like Max's new record (I did enjoy the last), and hope it catches my attention more upon release than it did Saturday afternoon. To the best of my recollection, Soulfly did not play any Sepultura material.
"A good show from a veteran metal warrior and the sold-out crowd loved every minute of it." So I switched to Hawaiian Punch and grabbed some food to settle in to the seats for Pantera. No surprise here, Pantera was very cool. But the short set limited the depths to which they could delve into the new record. I only remember hearing "Hellbound," "Goddamn Electric," and "Revolution is My Name." I was teased by the intro and clean verse to "Cemetery Gates" before Phil yelled "not tonight!" and the band ripped into "Fucking Hostile." I also think we heard "A New Level," "This Love," and "Becoming" before things wound up with "Cowboys From Hell" and "Primal Concrete Sledge." Very cool. Also of note: Phil hinted from the stage at a fall tour with Morbid Angel.
Then there was Ozzy. How many times have I seen Ozzy? I can't even count them. How many times have I seen Ozzy since "No More Tours"? At least six or seven, probably ten if you include Black Sabbath. But tonight Ozzy played "Diary of a Madman" in its entirety, which I understand had been unveiled for the first time ever in Charlotte, NC eleven days before. I also heard "Believer," but not "The Wizard" as rumored. "No More Tears" and the band's medley (which included "Over the Mountain" and "Symptom of the Universe") were also highlights. I am bored of "Crazy Train," "I Don't Know," "Mama I'm Coming Home," and "Paranoid," but it was a good show from a veteran metal warrior and the sold-out crowd loved every minute of it.
So I did it. Two corporate metal festivals in three days. If only I could have done the Maximum Rock trifecta. Anyway, I personally liked Ozzfest 2000 better. It had more of the feel of going to a heavy metal Six Flags theme park: big-budget, sanitized, adrenaline-fueled summer fun. Lots to do, even if you were not thrilled with the bands on stage (which chances are, for true metallers, you won't be). I'm sure the fact that it was on a sunny Saturday, and that they sold beer (they didn't sell beer at Giants Stadium!) didn't hurt. But from any random casing of the average populace at a Jack Koshick event it is clear that we all collectively need to get out more and get some sun, even (especially) you goth-types. So while I think it is noble to fight the power and devote you money to true metal rather than these tours, I also think sometimes it's OK to lighten up a bit and just go out and play. That's what I did at these two shows, and I am definitely glad I did.
"It is clear that we all collectively need to get out more and get some sun, even (especially) you goth-types."
Ozzfest:
Tattoo the Earth:
Hel's Review
(Ozzfest: 7/22/00, Camden, NJ)
(Tattoo the Earth: 7/20/00, Giants Stadium, NJ):
Let's just say that I did not approach these two shows with a great deal of optimism. Too many bad bands on each bill with too few decent bands I would want to see. Problem one. Problem two, I have a low tolerance for bad music and my friends are the ones who eventually suffer. So how do I get through these two shows without alienating the people who tolerate me best?
I don't think I did too well with Tattooing Metallica. To begin at the beginning, this show was on a weekday in New Jersey. I hate NJ, and shows there always put me in a bad mood. Seeing Metallica these days always puts me in a bad mood, and apparently, the anticipation of seeing them seems to also. So when I heard that Slayer was taking the stage while we were trapped in will-call hell, well, you start to get the picture.
"Too many bad bands on each bill with too few decent bands I would want to see." Once we finally circled Giants Stadium and settled into our seats, we'd definitely missed multiple songs. But I was cheered immensely by the remainder of their set, and was happy to see Slayer regardless of the circumstance. So, yes, they put on a great show. The only negative thing I have to say about Slayer sounds like a mom thing to say. I don't approve of the crowd they're associating with these days. Regardless, they alone made this show an automatic 3 Skull affair.
After the only set I wanted to see the entire day, I reflected on the bands we had missed, and I realized I only regretted missing one of them, and them only minimally. That band would be Sepultura, and there was a time when I would have been as devastated over that as I was over those Slayer songs I missed. But that was before Max left the band and since that happened, the band is only a shade of its former self. And they're not keeping very good company these days either.
Slipknot came next and their show was much as I recalled. The other time I saw them occurred before all the hullabaloo, when no one knew who they were. Both times, the predominant thing in my mind - wonder at how many people can fit on one stage! It's amazing that they don't knock each other over more often. There were a couple of interesting things about their set, and neither was the music. While I think it's great they use many death metal elements, the other things water it down and make the aggregate unimpressive, in my opinion.
"Slayer alone made this show an automatic 3 Skull affair." The things I liked about the Slipknot set were, first, their innovative interplay with the crowd. I have always hated what I call, "crowd participation time". My philosophy (goal?) in life is never to do what I'm told, so why in the hell would I do something just because some asshole with a microphone tells me to? As a result, I appreciate when bands try to do something different. These guys made everyone kneel down on the ground and jump up at the same time. Cool to see once.
But what truly amused me about Slipknot's set was the fact that they never mentioned Metallica. Not once. When I saw their sad little pyrotechnics at the end of their set, it occurred to me that they must really be pissed. Not only does this shitty band come along and steal their headlining slot, but I guarantee they were dicks about having enough room for their pyros. What was probably a cool little fireworks show on every other date, was reduced to a couple of sad little flashpots. So I gotta give them props for giving the big M the big cold shoulder.
Now, you know how marijuana is often called a "gateway" drug, because it supposedly leads to using other, "harder" drugs? Well, if Slipknot does go in the direction they claim, and actually get heavier with their next album, I hope they can serve as a "gateway" band, and get all their silly little lame fans into real metal. I love when bands try to prove themselves to the "true" metal community - I say, let 'em try! If they fail, we've always got something to make fun of.
"Both times I've seen Slipknot, the predominant thing in my mind - wonder at how many people can fit on one stage!" Metallica put on a better set than I expected. But then, I expect absolutely nothing from them these days. They crushed my heart and stomped on it so thoroughly, I can't muster any enthusiasm, to put it kindly. As the first bit of "Creeping Death" began, I wondered how long it would take before James' vocal lessons would evidence themselves. Toward the end, I was beginning to wonder if he had just "softened" his style for the Symphony thing - the last time I saw them live (see that review on the webboard for an explanation) - and maybe it wasn't as bad as I'd remembered. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I thought I knew better than to give them the benefit of the doubt.
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" put that silly fantasy to rest. His vocal coach has indeed destroyed his voice. Man, if I got my hands on the pansy that told James that growling would destroy his chords... James shouldn't sing, that's all there is to it. Later, when Jason took over the vox on "Whiplash" the truth became clear. And that brings me to my current thought on this band - axe Hetfield, he's dead weight and totally expunge-able at this point. Maybe if they did, and taped Lars' mouth shut, Metallica might actually become musically relevant again. Fun to dream, isn't it? Oh, and yeah, they put on a big pyro show, just as I expected. Poor Slipknot.
Fortunately Ozzfest was on a weekend. Well, not fortunately, I guess, we planned it out and had to drive a couple of hours in order to go on a Saturday. Just like last year. And just like last year, the venue was in the ghetto. And we had to walk many blocks to get to it. Fun. As it was for Tattoo, there were many more bands I didn't want to see playing at this festival than bands I did want to see. Unlike Tattoo, I think was I generally a little more cheerful. I'm betting because Ozzy was headlining instead of Metallica.
"Axe Hetfield, he's dead weight and totally expunge-able at this point." Whatever the reason, it was a glorious sunny day, and it was great to be outside. I generally ignored all the bands I didn't want to see. There was too much else to do, with getting everyone beers and all. Additionally, there was accessible vending - at Tattoo, we didn't find any side stages or booths or anything until after everything was over, and then only remnants. Not so with Ozzfest, there were people selling shit everywhere you turned. So that was a nice diversion from bands I didn't care to see, and helped me remain cheerful - if that's even a word that can be applied to me.
I did venture to the side stage, curious about what has happened to Kittie. Touring has been good to them. They are a much tighter, more experienced band than the one on the album. The singer(s) - I didn't even know there was more than one until now - have gotten much better with the death metal growl, and the songs sounded heavier than on their record. Refer back to my final comments on Slipknot - now again I say, if they want to try to be truly heavy - let 'em try! I admit I'd love to see true "extreme" metal become the dominant force in the music scene. I'm not saying I think it will happen though.
The next act of interest was Soulfly. Let me pause a moment here and mention that I couldn't actually see any of the side stage. Being small certainly has its drawbacks, and they are generally most tangible at events of this type. Anyway, most of my comments regarding Sepultura apply here as well. This band is a mere shade of what Sepultura used to be. In fact, if you put modern-day Sepultura and Soulfly together, they still don't add up to what Sepultura used to be. Overall, with Soulfly, Max has attempted to pick up where he left off with Roots and will continue to do so by the sounds of the new songs played, but the Soulfly material just doesn't have the same edge.
Pantera was the first mainstage band to see. Damn, Phil is looking nasty these days. I do enjoy his support of metal in such surroundings, and they played well. The cloud of dust that formed over the lawn seating was a sight that was awesome to see. It seemed evident that Pantera is appalled at most of the other bands on the tour, and are trying to show them how to be metal. I applaud them for that. But in the end, I come away with one predominant thought - Phil, clean yourself up, man!
"If you put modern-day Sepultura and Soulfly together, they still don't add up to what Sepultura used to be." Time for Ozzy. By now, everyone should already know one thing when they go to see Ozzy live. You may get wet. I think this is akin to the Gallagher phenomenon in the 1980s - everyone who went to see him knew that a poncho was in order, because he always smashed a watermelon with a sledgehammer. Ozzy's favorite live pastime is soaking his audience. For Ozzy, the Ozzfest is all about two things: 1) the pre-show video and, 2) bigger and better ways to get his fans wet.
Now, for those who don't understand or don't think there is a purpose forwhy he soaks his fans, I will take a moment to explain. Frequently at large shows people try to get as close as possible to the stage, and the people who are already close to the stage get progressively more crushed as the show goes on. Those who do not know enough to exit this scenario begin to sweat profusely from the heat generated by all those combined bodies, and become dehydrated as a result. Promoters can't have people passing out amidst the mass, so they generally have security soak the first few rows to try to help.
Ozzy has taken a hand in helping, and over the years has become more and more obsessed with playing with water. So these days, he spends most non-singing moments of the show roaming the stage spraying water. His obsession manifested itself most elaborately with his new stage set up. He now has a contraption he can climb into that hoists him high into the air and gives him more power and water-spraying range than ever before. It's damn entertaining to watch, I gotta say.
Unfortunately, Ozzy seems to be spending more time thinking about playing with water (and parts for his pre-show video) than about metal. If anyone has seen Ozzy appear on television with his son Jack recently, they know he fully dotes on his son (and apparently so does Sharon, since she allows it). He is so doted upon, he is given complete faith in regard to his musical taste, and is obviously being allowed to just pick whatever bands he likes for the tour. Now, most of us know that kids barely in their teens do not generally have a very fully developed musical palate. Ozzy apparently does not. So we have to sit through all the crap that Jack likes. This is not good, not good at all.
As far as Ozzy's performance is concerned, he's the consummate showman. He knows what the fans like, and gives it to them. He does his patented frog leap much less now, but still tosses it in where required (if you've seen him many, many times, you now what I'm talking about). All the classic Ozzy moves and faces are in place. I admit, at this point in the day the pain in my lower back was excruciating. So I adopted the policy that I'd sit for songs I've seen him perform live more than 10 times. I got to sit a lot, but didn't miss much thanks to the strategically placed Jumbo-tron screens.
"Everyone should already know one thing when they go to see Ozzy live. You may get wet." Same old Ozzy, at least as far as the show he puts on. Always great, always fun, he does cause the day to end on a high note every time. He certainly perfected (probably even invented) the art of touring forever without releasing a new studio album. But it's definitely time for a new one now, Ozzy. With the exception of "Diary of a Madman" - which was by FAR the highlight of the day for me - I have seen him do every single song live multiple times before. He needs to take things in hand again, record a killer new album, and stop letting Jack's bad taste influence him. What about your other kids, Ozzy? What about us?
So which was better? Duh. Ozzfest, silly. Tattoo only rates as highly as it does because I still love Slayer. They've not yet given me a reason not to, and I thank them for that. I refuse to penalize them for the bad company they are keeping at this juncture. Ozzy should definitely be penalized, but it feels like yelling at my grandpa, and I don't have the heart to. Besides, on the whole, he still managed to bring out more bands that I liked. Ozzy reigns as king of the summer festivals for one more year.
Ozzfest:
Tattoo the Earth:
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