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Ozzfest 2002
I’m 200 miles from home, it’s raining and I’m booing one of my
favourite bands. Something is not right. During the course of the day I will
get soaked in a downpour, bowled over by a band I’ve never heard before, lose
faith in a band’s live abilities and, yes that’s what’s wrong, boo one of my favourite bands.
First thing’s first, up step The
Black Label Society to get things rolling although, with Zack Wylde at the guitar (looking every bit as metal as a giant
Zack Wylde shaped lump of titanium), it is
questionable whether they could have failed to set the mood (4/5). With time
for only four songs, The Mad Capsule
Markets fail to recreate the energy and excitement present at last years
Mean Fiddler gig (3/5). Soon Drowning Pool
take the stage much to the enjoyment of the younger generation of festival
goers and, after an agreeable set, finish well, if a little predictably, with
mini-mosher pleaser “Bodies” (3/5).
Punk rock is next on the bill as Millencolin take their turn to play.
Using the Black Label Society’s equipment (because theirs went missing at the
airport) the band failed to sound like themselves.
They didn’t deserve the boo’s they received, but put a punk band on a set with
the likes of Slayer and Cradle Of Filth and what do you expect, however they
failed to really ignite until the songs “Botanic Mistress” , “Fox” and set
closer “Kemp” and by that time it was too late.
After a serving of grease on a plate for lunch the Lost Prophets were up and, quite
frankly, they weren’t worth eating up for. The sound on the opening song was so
totally dire that it makes you wonder what sound checks are for. Even with the
sound fixed (to a certain extent) and the former Earthtone
9 vocalist guesting they still failed miserably to
project their music around the arena (2/5).
Now, as a Slayer virgin
I didn’t really know what to expect and, thankfully, I was in for a pleasant
surprise. For the first time since Zack Wylde the air
was awash with the sound of crunching guitar riffs and overwhelming double-bass
fuelled anarchy (5/5).
And so to System of a Down. A lot must be done to live up to the sheer exuberance offered
from Slayer but, to System of a Down, even this is no tall order. They manage
to fill the main stage in an altogether different style to slayer, but the
effect is much the same. Quality. As for System’s
stage presence, they clearly have the best so far. Each member of the band
brings his own unique idiocy to the show and the effect is entertaining to say
the least. Daron Malakian,
probably the craziest of the four, is immense tonight. The seamless mixing of
“X” into “Suggestions” and later on “Bounce” into “ATWA” is nothing short of
mind boggling and puts even the best DJ’s to shame, whereas the solo he plays
while simultaneously spinning around like a propellerhead
is equally as impressive. Serj Tankien’s
voice is simply stunning, changing from a fierce screaming psychopath into a
squeaking childish loon in one stroke of his extremely well developed beard.
The set is unfortunately cut short when rain interferes with the equipment and
the band respond with “we want to play on”, “go on boo us”. And so I came to be
booing one of my favourite bands at ozzfest 2002.
After a brief pause the band were allowed to play one more song and, perhaps to
trick the powers that be, named it “Suite-Pee-Sugar” which meant we got 2 for
the price of one on their final song. Tonight I have found my favourite live
band but it isn’t even System of a Down (5/5).
Tool are always shrouded in mystery and enigma and tonight is no
different. Soon after an illustrative demonstration of the “F” word from the PA
system we are treated to the masterpiece that is “The Grudge” in all its glory.
Maynard James Keenan is standing at the back of the stage next to his drummer
with a black stripe painted up the centre of his face, over his bald head and
back down the other side, the guitarist and bassist stand, motionless, in a
triangle with Keenan and the videos play on the three giant screens which adorn
the stage. It must be said that the videos themselves are works of art. Surreal
and mind bending they fit perfectly with the music and allow Maynard to impress
us with his glorious vocals rather than entertain us with banter. When he does
speak to the audience he is warm and witty. “Everybody take
your hand and put it in someone else’s pocket, on three” is his novel idea for
warming things up. If there is only room for one art-metal band in the world,
and personally I think there is, then Tool are that
band.
Finally we come to the reason behind the whole event Mr Ozzy Ozzbourne.
Love him or hate him he is definitely an entertainer and tonight’s show is no
exception. Beginning with clips of the Double-O spoofing recent pop videos
including him dressing up as Ali G it is difficult not to laugh. He plays an
impressive list of songs with notable highlights being “That I never had” and
“Mr Crowley”. What most people won’t dare admit, however, is that tonight Ozzy looks like a doddering old fool. He is no spring
chicken and personally I was embarrassed for him as he attempted to run around
the stage with about as much bravado as an aged tortoise. Nevertheless he does
put on a good set and for the second time today Zack Wylde
fails to disappoint, especially when the rest of the band leave him to a 15
minute solo including some behind-the-head action which leads to him using the
guitar strings as dental floss (4/5).
All that remains now is those 200 miles back home, oh and a sh*t load of coffee for the drive.