Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, along with their children Jack and Kelly, have released the eighth episode of their resurrected podcast, “The Osbournes” where they discuss whatever happened to Ozzfest
In this episode, the Osbourne family delves into the rich history of Ozzfest, recounting its thrilling origins, backstage escapades, and unforgettable performances by bands like INCUBUS, TOOL, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SNOT, DISTURBED, MARILYN MANSON, LIMP BIZKIT, and more.
They share cherished memories that made Ozzfest a unique experience, unveil their favorite moments, and even discuss some of the wild and chaotic incidents that occurred during the tour. They also touch on the significant influence the festival had in catapulting hard rock bands into stardom, recount backstage anecdotes about various bands’ pranks, and address concert safety, particularly in light of recent events. Additionally, they provide insights on the tragic incidents at Astroworld and offer a glimpse of what to expect from the upcoming Ozzfest documentary.
When Sharon was asked why the festival stopped, she replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah, it was a very weird beast because all the bands were our mates, but the managers were greedy and for some reason they thought that we were making billions on it and we weren’t. We made a profit. But it was not like — we couldn’t retire on it. And managers and agents wanted more and more and more, and it just wasn’t cost effective anymore. We stopped, because it just wasn’t cost effective.”
She continued: “Years and years ago, one of the bands — it was the second Ozzfest we did, or the third — wouldn’t go on stage until I agreed to give them 10,000 more dollars. And they were holding everything up, and I said, ‘Of course, of course I’ll give it you.'” Pressed by Jack to name the act in question, Sharon said “Glenn Danzig“, to which Jack replied: “Why are you gonna protect that twat?”
Sharon went on to say that she “didn’t give them the money” that they were demanding. “They went on and played, and I went, ‘Fuck you. You signed a contract, your agent agreed it, and you’re just gouging,'” she recalled.
Ozzfest originated over 25 years ago and was the inaugural national music festival exclusively dedicated to hard rock music.
Since the “free” edition in 2007, Ozzfest has not traveled as a festival in the U.S. The event transformed into a single-show occurrence in Dallas in 2008, skipped 2009, and played in only six cities in 2010.
In 2017, more than 17,000 concert-goers attended the all-day Ozzfest, with Ozzy as the headliner, followed by Rob Zombie closing out the next day’s Knotfest bill. This marked the second year that Ozzy‘s Ozzfest joined forces with SLIPKNOT‘s Knotfest to create a two-day heavy metal extravaganza.
A unique one-night New Year’s Eve Ozzfest event was held on December 31, 2018, at The Forum in Los Angeles, California. It drew an audience of 12,465 hard rock and heavy metal enthusiasts, as reported by Pollstar. The Live Nation-produced concert generated $1.2 million in ticket sales, with ticket prices ranging from $59.50 to $179.50.