Black
Sabbath Concert Reviews
June 25, 2001
The Gorge
Washington State
OZZFEST 2001, JUNE 25TH AT THE GORGE WASHINGTON
This was my 5th Ozzfest show and after a quick tally in the
old ticket stub archive, also my 15th either Ozzy Osbourne solo or Black
Sabbath concert. While the Ozzfest itself is a great idea, this year’s
bill was laced with mostly lightweight – pop/nu-metal/rap crossover bands.
I’m quite not sure what Sharon Osbourne was thinking when she put the
line-up together but it is not going to make me run out and buy a
“Crazytown” or “Papa Roach” CD any time soon. We came to see Sabbath and
were content not to ruin the proceedings. It would have been a nice
compliment to a Black Sabbath festival show, and to their fans to have at
least one the few original classic NWOBHM bands still together in some
form or another sharing the bill. I guess the thought was that this
line-up would attract a younger, more merchandise hungry crowd.
At last year’s show when Ozzy headlined along with Pantera, there was
quite a party atmosphere going on in the Gorge campground. This time as we
made our way up to the site instead of a party, we were met with dozens of
police officers complete with shotguns and dogs. Apparently something
terribly wrong had happened at an earlier show in the Gorge and they
weren’t going to tolerate a rowdy Ozzfest crowd. Our car was searched for
weapons and fireworks, which was fine but after everyone had been cleared
through and set up camp, they sent around teams of security guards
searching people’s tents! I was sitting at my site minding my own business
just about to smoke a bowl of hash out of a 16 ounce Budweiser can when
suddenly security stormed through. They grabbed my make shift pipe and
accused me of smoking crack in it. Excuse me! They crushed my Bud can,
acted like complete assholes to us and then moved on to hassle other
Ozzfesters. Signs were even posted in the campground saying that crowds of
five or more people were not allowed to gather on the campsite. Some
party?
The next day we waited until quite late to go in and as the sun started to
go down, slowly made our way to the venue in time to catch the last few
songs from Slipknot. While they have a rather amusing stage show with all
those guys running around in clown masks, you have to wonder if there will
be much longevity to their kind of music. I know it is all in good fun but
what ever happened to writing “songs” with hooks, catchy lyrics, and cool
guitar parts. Somehow nowadays if you tune your guitar way down low, go
“junt, junt, junt” over a pre-recorded loop while someone with no singing
voice barks over top it is considered to be“metal”. Maybe I’m just too old
and it’s all really good but I just don’t get it.
The Ozzfestival production was slick and ran like clockwork. After a very
quick turnaround next up on the main stage was Marilyn Manson. I have seen
them before as a headliner and remember being impressed by their live
show. While the festival stage version was somewhat paired down, all the
sight gags they are known for (stilts, pulpit, video screens & pyro) where
still there. The band looked and sounded great. Dressed in nothing more
that what amounted to a small roll of black tape, Marilyn strutted around
on top of his game in front of such a large outdoor crowd. Guitarist John
5 was made up like the Joker on acid swinging his head around and
grimacing like a man possessed. They did all the hits and some new songs I
wasn’t familiar with. It was all very good, well paced and their
showmanship was fantastic.
After a short intermission as a few tunes from Tony Iommi’s solo album
played over the PA, it was finally time for Black Sabbath. The daylight
had faded and as the crew rolled out Tony Iommi’s wall of Laney amps,
Gezzer’s monster bass rig and Bill Ward’s most Sabbathy looking drum kit,
a large crucifix that said simply “Black Sabbath” was suspended from the
top of the lighting grid. Behind the amps there were two large wings with
skulls and horses etched on top. The stage looked really cool. The sun had
fully set when an intro video montage began to play over the video
screens. The anticipation in the crowd to see Sabbath was getting intense.
Part way through the video opening with the stage crew still making some
final adjustments, a live mic opened over the PA and we heard “Come On!
Come On!! Come On!!!” Yes, Ozzy was finally in the house. The crowd on the
floor was worked up into a fever pitch and pushed forward up against the
chain of security guards that lined the entire front length of the stage.
Then Ozzy taunted the crowd some more. “I can’t fucking hear you?!?! Come
On!! Come On!!! The security guards got locked into their final positions.
While still hidden behind the stage Ozzy charged up the crowd even more
with “Are you mother fuckers ready to go fucking wild!?!? Let me fucking
hear you!!!!” The video montage came to an end and there was a huge roar
from the fully sold out amphitheatre as rather happy looking, plump Bill
Ward mounted up on the drum platform. Tony Iommi and Gezzer Butler walked
on from each side of the stage grinning from ear to ear like they though
this was probably a pretty cool thing to be still doing. Then finally from
behind center stage through a thin fog of dry ice, a slightly haggard
looking Ozzy appeared.
I don’t know what it is that he has other than just pure charisma but by
merely standing there slowly waving his arms in the air Ozzy still has the
ability to make a huge crowd go absolutely fucking ape shit! Opening with
NIB the sound coming off the stage was as nothing short of stunning. When
those four guys get together and play, holy mother of fuck is it heavy!!!
This was only the 9th show on the tour and Ozzy’s pipes were in fine form.
Although his movements have slowed down and his leapfrog’s may not have
been quite as high, he still sounded great. I have been to shows before
when he has lost his voice and watched him struggle though the set anyway.
It is a lot better show when he is able to give his best performance.
I was looking forward to hearing the new Sabbath song "Scary Dreams” which
up to that point had been in the set at all of the earlier shows but for
the Gorge it had been dropped. They had also played a few different older
songs at previous shows but those were gone too. I’m not sure why because
Ozzy and company seemed to be in excellent form. “The Wizard” with Ozzy on
harmonica was a song I had never seen them do before and the only change
from a very basic stripped down Sabbath set.
In order at The Gorge it went:
1. NIB
2. Snowblind
3. The Wizard
4. Into the Void
5. War Pigs
6. Black Sabbath
7. Iron Man
8. Paranoid
9. Children of the Grave
That was it, and then Ozzy said “Thank you, please don’t drink and drive
so we can come and kick your ass again next year – goodnight!” Even the
banter between songs right down to “The crazier you go the longer we will
play” seems to be scripted on Ozzy’s teleprompter. During the set he
periodically took some deep blasts off an asthma inhaler. Thankfully,
there was no serious incident like a few years ago when here in Vancouver
he took a couple of huffs off the inhaler during the beginning of the
fourth number then went off stage and never came back, the lights came on
instead.
Yes, sure it would have been nice if this time if they played a little
longer and did some other songs but it was still fucking Black Sabbath and
I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. I don’t know of any other band
ever that could draw 45, 000 people from three different states and parts
of Canada into the middle of the desert, come out and do nine songs then
send everyone home with a smile on their face. Ozzfest 200? Ozzy solo?
Another Sabbath show? Yes, of course I’ll be there. “Or you children of
today, are children of the grave - Yeah!”