Free Ozzfest This Year

**elcid** · #1 02-08-2007, 06:34 PM

Anyone hear about this?

Free Ozzfest
Updated 11:46 PST Tue, Feb 06 2007
Ozzy Osbourne and wife/manager Sharon Osbourne held a press conference at the Concert Industry Consortium February 6 that was promised to be historic, and was.
Osbourne dispelled rumors that he was retiring and announced the first free festival tour in the history of the U.S.
"Ozzy's been touring for 30 odd years and he's done very well, and just wanted to give something back," Sharon said.
The tour starts in San Bernardino July 7 and will continue through 25 cities including San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Hartford, Charlotte, Atlanta, West Plam Beach and Nashville. A final confirmed list of cities and dates is forthcoming.
How this will work logistically is unclear, but it will be a ticketed event and is a Live Nation tour.
"For the last few years,ticket prices have steadily climbed as artists demand more and more money for summer tours," Sharon said. "We certainly want everybody to make money, however we also want the kids to be able to afford to come out and have an incredible experience. If we continued with the traditional touring festival model, we would have no choice but to raise ticket prices again this year."
The bands will not be paid. This gives artists an opportunity to get exposure by playing in front of thousands of Ozzfest fans, Sharon said. The artists will have the opportunity to secure other gigs during the tour.
A lineup is expected within two weeks.

Drow Swordsman · #2 02-08-2007, 07:31 PM

Bands won't be paid?? Ouch...though I guess this makes sense.

What will this mean for limited seating and mosh pits?

I'm not really sure how they plan on pulling this together...I was perfectly fine paying a good $70 or so for reserved seating for an all day thing.

The lineup is getting worse and worse every year...both times I went bands that weren't headlining pulled off a better show than the headliner. Disturbed last year, and Iron Maiden the year before that..

Meanwhile, Gigantour seems to get better and better every year...it's almost ridiculous how good their 2006 line up was when catering to metal fans. And 2005 with Megadeth, Dream Theater, Anthrax, and Symphony X?

Ozzfest pulls in the big dough, but whenever I go they certainly seem to be pulling in a different kind of crowd than I'd expect. More "metalcore" and "emo" fans I see there than metal...

But I could speak for too long on this issue and probably already have.

With the not so great show Ozzy has put on the last two times I've seen him, depending on the lineup, I may not go again.

C.Thep · #3 02-08-2007, 09:36 PM

Ozzfest totally blows

Ick...Hardcore. Man do I despise that crap.

I wish it were like wakken

ZOMB13 · #4 02-08-2007, 09:54 PM

I want to go, to see Ozzy,

Paul_R · #5 02-08-2007, 10:16 PM

That's pretty bold to go with free admission considering all the costs. \

Maybe this will spark a better lineup for bands who don't need to make a buck but need to boost popularity?

Holy Katana · #6 02-08-2007, 11:02 PM

If Ozzfest is free, and since it's coming to Nashville, then I'll definitely go if there's a band or two that I like there.

Lefty Robb · #7 02-09-2007, 10:15 AM

free admission, but $50 for a bottle of water I bet....

crevis · #8 02-09-2007, 10:17 AM

Do I get free plane tickets too?

Ibateur · #9 02-09-2007, 10:36 AM

plane

... and no

crevis · #10 02-09-2007, 10:40 AM

LOL I can't believe I typed that.

Demiurge · #11 02-09-2007, 04:42 PM

The bands don't get paid..... hell, most of the smaller bands probably had to pay-to-play anyway. Bet they'll have to pay more. I'm sure Zakk Wylde/BLS can afford to play for free, but who else can?