OZZFEST NO LONGER SUMMER-LONG FREEFEST, NOW ONE-OFF EXPENSIVEFEST
Monday, April 14th, 2008 at 3:58pm by Vince Neilstein
As expected, the rumor that this year’s incarnation of Ozzfest would be a one-off destination show (or possibly a small handful of one-offs) was confirmed today. According to the Shadows Fall official website, the event, dubbed Ozzy Osbourne’s Monsters of Rock (sidenote: lame title), will take place July 26th in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and will features Ozzy, Judas Priest, Serj Tankian, Hatebreed, Cavalera Conspiracy, Voivod, Testament, 3 Inches of Blood, Priestess, Zimmers Hole and Dillinger Escape Plan.
Not a bad lineup… at all. But honestly, given that last summer’s “Freefest” experiment apparently failed so miserably that pretty much the whole festival was scrapped this year, couldn’t we do without another boring Ozzy headline performance to bring the ticket price down from the egregious $120? Not that we’re planning on going, but anyone who does plan to attend could surely do without Ozzy’s frog-hop and water hose gimmick for the umpteenth time. Dude needs to call it a day already, and Zakk Wylde… well, he’ll figure something out.
On second thought, I hear they have some pretty killer ganj on the West Coast of Canada…
-VN
This is not Ozzfest. This is something seperate. Great line-up though, hope the OF line-up is just as good, or the same.
I’m not sure if this one-off show is a replacement for Ozzfest, or that Ozzfest is dead. The official site, http://www.ozzfest.com (duh!), states that ‘08 dates and band announcements are forthcoming.
Sidenote: Not Ozzfest.
i fucking love the guy that writes these articles!!!!
also, Calgary is about as “West Coast” as Salt Lake City. that being “not at all”.
HOLY FUCK, CALGARY GETS A REAL METALFEST
120 bucks is expensive, but I’ll probably be there. It’s a rather excellent lineup for what usually comes out here. McMann Stadium? Damn, thats a big place. Football stadium. They can’t possibly expect to fill it out.
Also, Calgary isn’t west coast, its western. Think the Texas of Canada, with less guns but more oil.
Just noted that ticketmaster says the cheap tickets are 50 bucks, which is actually pretty reasonable. I think Blabbermouth fucked up the pricing.
Well if it’s only fifty bucks and it comes to Montreal or QC,I’ll definitely go.
Not the biggest new-era Ozzy fan but I still dig his old stuff and he always performs old songs in his shows so that’s fucking worth it,whatever people say.
And I dig the fucking line-up.It’s definitely great after the shit line-up of last year’s Ozzfest.
If I’m not broke as fuck after Tuska,I’m gonna be there for sure.
voivod-nice
I think its a great idea, North America needs a large ONE DAY or even a “Wacken Open Air” or “Download” ALL WEEKEND type festival in which people can chill/party there while their favorite bands play. If its successful, this could be a beginning to North America having such an event without having to pay thousands of dollars to fly over to Europe.
Either way you look at it, there is possibility…not a failure.
I’m totally backing this shit, too! Priest, Testament and Voivod + some new jacks = awesome. This reminds me of the Ozzfest UK one-offs where they’d jettison some of the crap from the line-up and give it a more “local” flavor.
Theres no Calgary bands, but they’ve definitly got some quality Canadian metal in there mixed with the big names
if it’s in Canada it doesn’t count
This really isn’t Ozzfest. Ozzfest is confirmed to be actually happening and actually being called Ozzfest 2008. I’m sure it will be something different, it’s just not this at all.
You need to keep your mouth shut! Ozzfest was still great last summer. I don’t go there to see the other bands, I go for the Ozzman.
According to the HUGE crowd at the Holmdel, NJ venue, it was not a disaster nor a failure and Ozzy was great. I can never get enough of his leap frogs or his buckets of water, after all, that IS his trademark.
Long Live The Ozzman!!!