Ozzfest 2007

Oh, shit! Where do I begin?

Well, I got in there at about 12pm and didn't leave until 11pm, so I spent a good time watching some really great bands play, some veteran and some newcomers. I got to the Second Stage and watched Behemoth play the first set, and managed to get some videos and pics off my cellphone. Then Cthonic, a Black Metal band from Taiwan, came out next and performed pretty well. The bass player was a hot Asian chick who also provided siren-like screams. And I caught a guitar pick from their guitarist! HAHAHAHA!

Next came In This Moment, with Maria Brink soaked in water and her boobs glistening in the sun in her cute blue baby-doll dress. They weren't too bad, but their style of music isn't my taste. The same for Behemoth and Cthonic. But then you had Daath come out and they took the "No Crowd-Surfing" sign and threw it into the crowd.

(Oh, yeah, and for the next four to five hours in the hot sun, I kept dodging all these bodies being tossed around, male and female. My worst fear is that some asshole will kick me in the face and break my nose. Luckily that didn't happen.)

Then you had Ankla, who played their Metal with a Latin percussion flavor added to it. And 3 Inches of Blood doing their best Iron Maiden vocally with some American Metal added to it. But it was Nile who really brought it in big time and brought the crowd back up despite the heat. There's an obvious love there between band and fans. It's palpable and deep.

Quick mention - I saw Jack Osbourne out there checking out the bands. I yelled his name out and told him to smile for the camera, but the dork just waved at me. I swear, he getting fatter and uglier like his sister!

Then we had The Showdown from Kentucky or Tennessee, and they played this medley of Metallica's "Sad But True" and "Whereever I May Roam" with Pantera's "Cowboys from Hell" and "Walk." Oh, yeah, their guitarist had DIME signature Dean guitar that was fuckin' beautiful.

When Devildriver came out, it was another high point. Dez, DD's frontman, is a fucking maniac! He's also a wine expert. Much like Nile, these guys definitely connect with the crowd, inciting the hugest mosh-pit, and making the best kind of Metal so far. That is, until Hatebreed came out. Jamey Jasta gave a schmaltzy but touching thank-you to us, the fans. Then he goes into the lovely hardcore/metal catalogue of theirs from the 10 years to now. You gotta love these guys' enthusiasm in giving us a show. The best part was when he brought this 6-year-old kid on stage and started talking to him, calling him "the future of metal." That was pretty fuckin' cool of him.

Sadly, due to my exposure in the sun for a long time, I was suffering from heat stroke. I got a bad headache to the point of nausea. Dehydration will do that to you. But I soldiered on and went up to my Lawn seat and caught a little of Lordi and Static-X, not very interesting. But then Lamb of God came out, and holy shit, did they rock. They played some of their classics "Ruin," "Redneck," "Walk with Me in Hell," "Black Label," and "Now You've Got Something to Die For." Chris Adler is the best drummer! Randy was awesome! Willie, John and Mark are masters of their instruments.

And then Ozzy came out! They had a funny mash-up series of clips with Ozzy on "The Office," "The Queen," and "Pirates of the Caribbean" and him touching Jane Seymour's tits, pouring milk on them and rubbing his face in between them. Funny shit! Got the crowd motivated. Then he comes out and does his thing! He played "Bark at the Moon," "Mr. Crowley," "Not Going Away," "Suicide Solution," "Road to Nowhere," "I Don't Know," "Mama, I'm Coming Home," "Crazy Train," "War Pigs," and "Paranoid." Oh, yeah, and Zakk Wylde was showing off again. Playing his guitar forward and backwards, and ended up playing the American National Anthem, which was pretty cool.

Great show overall, and it was free. So I came away with some pretty cool swag. I got a guitar pick, a picture with Jamey Jasta, I also shook his hand and talked to him a bit. He personally told me he's NOT going back to Headbangers' Ball. I also got a Monster Energy rag, which I lost, and a free compilation Ozzfest CD.

So, I'm happy! :)