Rollin VIP with Ozzie!!!

Managed to score a last minute VIP ticket to Oz Fest so I could tag along with my brother Andy and his buddy John. We rolled up at 9pm, next to the tour buses, in VIP parking, just in time to get in and catch the Oz man himself take the stage. Andy and John had lawn seats and I planned on kickin it with them on the lawn for most of the show. I had a little trouble talking my way in the common folk entrance instead of the VIP entrance until a manager came over to see what the issue was. She had overheard "VIP" and tried to bend over backward to make sure I was being taken care of - all I wanted was to walk in the regular entrance!

Ozzie took the stage like a giddy little kid who can't get enough of the spot light among adults. It may have taken a few songs for his vocals to sober up to being legible but he certainly had the energy and enthusiasm of an aerobics instructor. Periodically he unleashed a fire hose loaded with foam upon the first dozen rows like a kid with a new toy. Zakk Wylde ROCKED on guitar and Faith No More's Michael Bordin wailed on drums while his kids peeked out from behind the drum riser. I waited till the last 20 minutes to go down to my assigned seat on the 20th row. All the ushers continued to bend over backward every time I flashed my VIP ticket. When Crazy Train came on everybody tried to rush to the very front row. The usher in front of me tried to keep everyone back but just smiled and waved me by when I flashed the VIP! I got to about the 12th row before being stopped. Just as well because Ozzy threw several buckets of water on the first few rows and continued to wield his foam hose to the end.

Observing the demographics of the fans at this event was also quite entertaining. The range was all over the board: little kids, junior high kids, generation X,Y,Z etc., die hards, has beens, "normal people", over the hill, sober, three sheets to the wind and just about anyone in between. After the show, as we waited to escape the VIP parking, it was hilarious to see how uncool some prima dona on a bullet bike can be when they rev their high pitched Ninja next to a leather clad grandma sitting on her heart thumping Harley.