OZZY OSBOURNE DEBUTS NEW GUITARIST GUS G., PUTS ZAKK WYLDE IN THE HOSPITAL
Monday, August 24th, 2009 at 10:00am by Axl RosenbergFirst, let’s just talk about how we arrived at this place we currently find ourselves:
- Ozzy gave an interview where he announced that Zakk Wylde was no longer his guitar player.
- Zakk Wylde’s response was basically “HUH?!”
- Ozzy dodged speaking to Zakk for weeks.
- Word got out that Gus G. was getting Zakk’s job and would make his debut at Blizzcon.
- Randall Amps confirmed that Gus G. was getting Zakk’s job and would make his debut at Blizzcon.
- Ozzy’s camp finally confirmed that Gus G. was getting Zakk’s job and would make his debut at Blizzcon – but blamed Zakk’s touring schedule with BLS for the switch, despite the fact that Zakk had been giving interviews where he talked about doing the Blizzcon show.
And what makes me angry about all of this now isn’t that Zakk got screwed – it’s that the Osbournes still refuse to be honest about everything. They’re continuing to handle this situation as though the whole “Whoops, we forgot to tell Zakk he’s fired” thing never happened. Telling the fans that Zakk couldn’t do the Blizzcon gig because of his BLS tour might have sounded like a valid excuse, had we not all been aware for ages now that Zakk was being shown the door. This is one situation where a little “We fucked up”-type honesty would’ve really hit the spot, but apparently Sharon takes her cues from the Dick Cheney “Never admit defeat, continue to ignore reality” playbook.
So. Ozzy did indeed do the Blizzcon gig, and Gus G. did in fact play guitar. (Ozzy also debuted new drummer Tommy Clufetos, who used to play with ongoing bass player Blasko in Rob Zombie’s solo band, and has experience dealing with post-menopausal divas like Sharon from previous gigs with Alice Cooper and Ted Nugent.) And Gus G. is a great guitar player and he did a really good job. He had absolutely no trouble duplicating Zakk’s squeals, which is shocking.
But the performance did seem to highlight the ongoing problem that no guitar player, no matter how awesome, will be able to fix: Ozzy still sucks. He sounds like shit and makes Mick Mars look athletic. And Gus G. will, hopefully, manage to write some awesome songs for Ozzy, and they can autotune the shit out of the Prince of Being Full of Shit and give us a semi-decent Ozzy record.
But live, it’s over. Ozzy is a figurehead now, a mascot for metal (as Rob Pasbani at Metal Injection wisely observed), and nothing more.
Meanwhile, how did Zakk take the news that he was, indeed, out of the job? He went to the emergency room for blood clots.
Sharon just won’t be happy until she kills someone, damn it.
Here’s more of Zakk playing with Gus G., Clufetos and Blasko – a seriously awesome band that seriously needs a new singer.
-AR
Zakk Wylde upskirt… gross.
HAHAHAHAHA! I was thinking the same thing! Maybe we can sell that pic to one of those porno sites!
Rule 34 in effect.
I’m really starting to feel bad for Zakk. And I have fucking hated that dude for awhile. And based on the clot socks he is wearing in that picture, there could be a real serious problem with his health on the horizon. Of course…all that drinking… And Ozzy is shaping up to be a real asshole. I always thought it was Sharon’s complete manipulation of everyone around her, but the fact that Ozzy is treating not only his friend but die hard supporter for YEARS like this is just uncool. I’ve even lost a smattering of respect for Gus G because he took the gig. I know…shitload of money and all but…credibility.
That Yuto kid, however, continues to impress me. He is destined for stardom. I think I am going to buy my daughter an instrument for her 3rd birthday. Her mom will resent the shit out of me, so it could be beneficial on multiple fronts :)
+1
Why is Gus G not supposed to accept such a huge opportunity just because someone else lost the job he’s filling?
I agree. It ain’t his fault that Ozzy is dicking around. I would take a job in which the vacancy existed as a result of someone getting screwed over. You gotta pay the bills…
maybe it’s just time to replace ozzy?
lol
Excellent article – you guys said it perfectly.
Crazy Train with Gus G duelling the 7-year-old kid could not be more fucking surreal. Kid’s amazing, yeah – it’d almost be cool how Ozzy lifts him like he did Randy on the album cover of Tribute – except it’s a liiiiitle too close to a crotch grab. Hmm.
Ozzy=Metal MJ?
I literally drank an entire bottle of scotch yesterday. I left my house this morning without my wallet and house keys, I however did have my cell phone..either way I was late to work..and i’m still very much not sober. When I did arrive to work I was hit in the face with a large reality check and am still trying to balance my comicly over-sized, bright green “the game of life” checkbook.
I guess my point is, this is not appropriate monday morning cannon fodder. It doesn’t help that this article was expertly written, just makes the whole pill of information that much harder to shove up my ass! Can you please post something about horses or a readers poll of their favorite Death album? I would much rather prefer to weigh in on that topic.
Epic win on your behalf Sir, go home and finish another bottle
Fuck reality.
Wonderful. Well done, sir.
I don’t feel bad for Zakk he had a long run as Ozzy’s guitar player. (Pretty much longer then all the others combined).
Ozzy should have changed a long time ago.
I don’t think people feel bad he lost it, in general. But rather the way he found out.
Somebody needs to tell Ozzy when to quit, he’s obviously to far gone to realize what an ass he’s making of himself. Sad, really.
He’s been putting on shows like this for years. It’s amazing that anyone still pays to see Ozzy. Very sad.
no shit… It’s not entertaining as music, and it’s definitely not entertaining as a failure… kinda feel bad for the old koot
actually not at all, he’s rich as fuck
god that sucked.
If I were Zakk, I wouldn’t give a shit ’bout Ozzy firing me. Maybe Zakk’s even better off now – he needs to move on, find a new ‘wife’.
Well, anyhow, I leave you with this, since everyone’s expressing their extreme hate toward Ozzy, the druggie.
http://i27.tinypic.com/2en7nlt.jpg
The only issue I have with the pic you posted is the assumption that John 5 is a shitty guitarist… people really need to check out his solo stuff and disregard his work with Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson.
That is all.
Well, I didn’t write what’s in that comment but, in general, I don’t think a lot of metalheads listen to John 5. Many judge right away according to their own personal good-metal-bad-metal-bands list. I hate his solos.
Maybe if more people listened to his solo stuff, we wouldn’t have shitty bands like Marilyn Manson around.
Then again, I suppose it’s his own fault for slumming in these bands, so I guess it’s not surprising that he gets pigeonholed. As long as he keeps shredding on his solo albums, so much the better.
Why is it SHOCKING that he can duplicate a fucking pinch harmonic? Zakk doesn’t have a fucking trademark on the move. Jesus christ, get off his fucking dick.
It’s called “sarcasm,” nit wit.
omg, he really sucks vocally now, I laughed loud at one of hi’s “come on!” sounded like an old drunken sailor to me.
The material is good, but Ozzy just doesn’t have it in him anymore at 60. Dio is still doing well at 67 and Bruce Dickinson is still ripping it up 51, all the years of abuse Ozzy put himself through have killed his career far too early.
Dio is 67 ??
he was born in 1942.
If Ozzy picked me up on stage I would kick him in the face.
haha like watchin a soap opera. fuckin retarded. Zakk just got publicly fucked over hard!!!!
Ozzy seems a little off, especially in I don’t want to change the world. Gus G is awesome, I kinda expected more. I hope Zakk starts talking shit about Ozzy, this is just cruel.
i wish he died i hate zakk wylde just as much as i hate pantera
I can’t understand a word Ozzy is singing. The guy needs to retire since he has been doing the same dumb shit for years.
Wow… That was awful on Ozzy’s part. I saw him as part of Sabbath on Ozzfest however many years back, and he sounded a lot better than this, but this was horrible.
And it sounds like Gus G. just duplicated Zakk’s guitar parts rather than putting his own spin on them. I guess that’s not a huge surprise, but it does mean that we’re subjected to a boatload of pinch harmonics.
And does Ozzy seriously have his hair braided? What the fuck?
Wasnt’ that kid in Goonies or the second Indiana Jones movie?
I’m going with Goonies… he looks more like Data to me.
“Booty traps!”
Great article. I love how the scathing sarcasm turns into unabashed hate towards the end.
Yo, yo, yo Dawg, check it out. Yo, you’re pitchy, dawg.
gotta love ozzy’s voice cracking. dudes sucks all kinds of balls. and gus g’s tone sounds like one of the no talent ass clowns “shredding” it up at your local guitar center. good move sharon!!!!
When I clicked to watch the first and Ozzy’s voice cracked for the first time I had to kill it. It’s just sad to watch.
why does ozzy insist on singing or talking through 99% of the songs. the way he was saying “come on, let’s go crazy!!!” during the solo for “bark at the moon” was plain retarded. not to mention the fact that his vocals were mixed about twice as loud as the guitars. let’s face it, NOBODY listens to ozzy CDs for his vocals. NOBODY
funny how Ozzy won’t let Gus play his ultra GAY shaped signature model he has with ESP
zakk in stockings?
Why is Ozzy dressed up like one of those queers in Korn?
What the fuck is this shit?
RETIRE!!
You could play a drinking game with the amount of times Ozzy tells the audience to “go fucking crazy”.
hahaha. my buddies play one for everytime zakk does a pitch squeal and everytime rob zombie says “yeah”. needless to say, it’s a short game everytime. haha
ozzy is an honest to god windowlicker
BIG DEAL BOTH ARE FUCKIN RICH WHAT ELSE? WE HAVE AN ELECTRICITY FAILURE HERE IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WHERE OUR GOVERMENT STEALS THE BUCKS WE PUT ON TAXES, NO TAX REFUND. CRIMINALITY/ DRUG DEALING/ AND IM STILL A METALHEAD.. SO U SUCK IT UP AND GOD BLESS U
I guess computers in the Dominican Republic don’t come with a caps lock option.
the gov’t stole that too
What I don’t understand is why people continue to suggest that Ozzy was EVER a good vocalist. Sure, his voice went along well with the music in his Sabbath/solo golden years (if you can even call it that), but his lyrics have always sucked ass for the most part and his voice sounds like an uncharged dental drill with rust in the sprocket.
As others pointed out earlier, this is sad, and kind of pathetic. Ozzy is so finished, I mean listen to him … Ok, he was an impotant figure in the early rock/metal scene, but come on, make room for others. We don’t need this. And should he teach that wife of his some manners; if they wanted Zakk out, why the hell all the lame excuses. If Ozzy was a man, he would stand up and tell the guy “ok, I need some changes, so lets go separate ways and still be friends” ,,, but no …
My biggest fear is that the Osbournes will eventually find an excuse to sue Zakk Wylde for something. These people should stop, or be stopped; by force if necessary. This ain’t some mtv freak show, this is real life. And in the real life doing things like these will blow away any trace of respect from the real people.
Gus seems like a nice guy, but I suspect that he wasn’t allowed to play at his full potential.
Get better Zakk, and keep on rocking, SDMF.
“Here’s more of Zakk playing with Gus G., Clufetos and Blasko – a seriously awesome band that seriously needs a new singe ..”
You have a typo, I guess you meant ozzy …
exactly, I wondered how Zakk could be in both the hospital and playing guitar with the old guy who kicked him out and his replacement.
Ozzy hasn’t done anything good since Sabotage in 1975. The songs on Blizzard of Ozz are weak – only the guitar parts impress me.
Massive lol at Ozzy scuttling around onstage yelling “go crazy” and not finishing any of the choruses of “Crazy Train” (except for the one at 6:25 where even he knows he’s lost it). Poor old guy.
Ozzy is a fading face in the metal world. We can only hope that more innovators will come to take his place, as the only part of Ozzy that really remains respectable is the memory of what Ozzy once was.
The sight of a 7 year old kid on stage hammering it out with adults is pretty badass though. That brought a smile to my face.
Gus G was fucking sick, definitely a fresher take on old tunes, but Ozzy is annoying as fuck.
Ozzy will forever be one the godfathers with metal, but he really should have thrown in the towel a while ago and faded into the woodwork. I feel sorry for Zakk, the loyal service he’s given Ozzy through the years is undeniable. Zakk had Ozzy’s back at every turn and to publicly be fucked over like this is inexcusable on the Osbournes’ half. I hope Zakk recovers quickly from whatever medical issues he may be having at the moment, and puts all his frustrations and anger over this situation into one hell of a Black Label Society album.
Does anyone else hate that fucking keyboard?
Does this mean we’re gonna get a re-recorded No More Tears?
Ozzy just please PLEASE retire.
I don’t want to see another shitty album or you humiliating yourself.
Unless he is trying to sound bad o_0
its amazes me that so many people are there and still into ozzy. its like how bad does he have to get before he loses the respect from every one of his fans?
Maybe we can get Ozzy’s band to put out a band without Ozzy. He’s obviously the weakest link here.
Wow. Ozzy its time to retire. No really give it up.
Ozzy is dead to me. Dead. Jesus I”m in mourning.
im gonna go with ozzy is dead
its just easier to deal with that way
at least i got to see ozzy with zakk
He didn’t sound half bad on the Sabbath song, which is in a lower register. I think he has a problem that a lot of aging singers have when it comes to hitting the high notes. He just can’t sing that high anymore. Rob Halford he is not. He should rejoin Black Sabbath.
It too bad Ozzy couldn’t man up. Hell Zakk has left before on friendly terms. Hell he made Oz the godfather to his children for crying out loud. No matter what you think of Zakk, you can’t give this one to Ozzy, it sucked.
And remember, zakk had little or no input on the last couple of albums, so Ozzy’s “excuse” is bullshit too.