Ozzfest 2005-Ozzfest Ends, More Details On DVD Released

[noonespecial]

This is a cool thread, gets me psyched for Tuesday! Thank you!

[Malcolm]

IN FLAMES bassist Peter Iwers has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"Hey, all! We just started this whole roundtrip with the Ozzfest and the first show was yesterday! Wow, we really had a blast , I'm really looking forward to the next shows as well...

"I was a bit worried that people wouldn't get over to our stage in time, but once we hit the stage I was fine, everybody seemed to know about the fact that we'll start a few minutes early on every Ozzfest and got over from the second stage in time for our show....great crowd too!!!

[Malcolm]

 According to DROWNING POOL's web site, the band will be making a one-off appearance at this year's Ozzfest on August 25 at the Smirnoff Music Center in Dallas, Texas. The band will perform on the main stage in front of their hometown crowd in what promises to be the group's debut live appearance with their new singer, whose identity has yet to be revealed.

DROWNING POOL in June officially confirmed the departure of vocalist Jason "Gong" Jones less than two years after officially bringing him into the band. Jones has since teamed up with ex-STILL NAIVE guitarist Rob Dehaven and CANVAS members Clint Campbell (guitars and voice), Dean Andrews (drums) and Kenny Harrleson (bass) in the newly christened Orlando, Florida rock band A.M. CONSPIRACY.

Manager Paul Bassman told Launch Radio Networks that while DROWNING POOL was "very proud" of the album the band made with Jones, 2004's "Desensitized", the relationship with the vocalist "just didn't work out."

Bassman said the new singer was "really good" and someone the band had wanted when they first set out to replace original vocalist Dave Williams nearly two years ago (one rumored candidate is said to be former SOIL frontman Ryan McCombs).

[Malcolm]

ARCH ENEMY frontwoman Angela Gossow has posted the following message on the band's official web site:

"Here we are in Hartford today, played the first 2 Ozzfest gigs and a truly amazing headline show in Montreal, last night on the 16th of July.

"Montreal ? you guys and girls are simply pure fucking metal!!! Thanx again for the great support, the packed club and the frenetic response! You are the best!

"Ozzfest is going really well for us, great crowd response so far ? and this at an ungodly, way too early time in the morning. The signings at the FYE and J?germeister tents are overwhelming. Great to see so many fans there!

"Tomorrow we will play another off day headline show in Burlington VT. THE HAUNTED and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER will be supporting us. Make sure you don?t miss out on a night of raging metal if you live around there, crazy fuckers!"

[Malcolm]

Even as his second feature film, "The Devil's Rejects," is due to open Friday (July 22) in U.S. theaters, Rob Zombie is thrilling fans with a summer return to his music career. The hard rock artist-turned-filmmaker has a second-stage slot on the Ozzfest 2005 tour, which kicked off last week in Boston.

"Really, the movie was done and this just was something to get away," Zombie tells Billboard.com. "Had Ozzfest come up a couple of weeks earlier, I wouldn't have been able to do it because I would have been still working on the film. But now, my summer is wide open so rather than just sit around and do nothing, I thought it would be just basically fun."

Zombie doesn't discount the promotional benefits of touring with Ozzfest at the same time his latest horror film is in theaters. "Oh yeah, of course," he says. "It provides me with a really great outlet that most people wouldn't have. There is in a sense I think the fans of Ozzfest are definitely the same people who would go to see a horror movie."

Despite having a new album nearly completed and due out in early 2006, Zombie is avoiding any unreleased material onstage, instead focusing on his solo and White Zombie past. Purposely choosing the chaotic setting of the second stage area over a main stage performance offer, Zombie is dusting off such obscure material as White Zombie's "Electric Head" and "Blood, Milk and Sky," which have not been performed in more than a decade.

Zombie's last studio album was 2001's "The Sinister Urge" (Geffen/Interscope), which debuted at No. 8 on The Billboard 200. The set, which spawned top 15 singles in "Feel So Numb" (No. 10), "Never Gonna Stop" (No. 11) and "Demon Speedbag" (No. 13) on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, has sold more than 1 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

His 2003 career retrospective "Past, Present & Future," also featured the previously unreleased songs "Girl on Fire" and "Two-Lane Blacktop," the latter of which peaked at No. 39 on the Mainstream Rock tally.

Following a three-year hiatus from the concert stage -- during which he wrote and directed the 2003 film "House of 1000 Corpses," as well as "The Devil's Rejects" -- Zombie says his return to live performance has been gratifying. "It's great," he says. "The only thing I can relate it to is if you are an athlete and you haven't been able to play your sport for three years. That's what it's like getting back out, an experience that nothing else in normal life can ever replicate."

The nearly 40-year-old alternative metal visionary is packing in as many concerts over the next six weeks, including over a half a dozen solo dates during Ozzfest's off days.

"The headline show for fans is the best because we play the most material and it's a very stripped down show," Zombie says. "I've always found for myself as a fan of bands that have big shows, like Kiss or Alice Cooper, when I've seen them in a stripped down scenario, it's always become my favorite show because it's physically the most up close and personal you're ever going to get."

That said, Zombie's return to the stage appears to be short lived. With plans to begin his third feature film project in the fall, one he says will be decidedly different style than previous efforts, could this be his last tour?

"You never know," Zombie says. "There have been many tours where it felt like it may be the last tour so I can never predict that."

[Malcolm]

 On July 25, during a day off from performing on the second stage of Ozzfest, Grammy nominees KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will be playing a very special show at the Worcester Palladium that will be filmed for their first ever DVD. The Western Massachusetts quintet will be essentially playing to a hometown crowd for this event and bandmembers are excited to have this particular show captured for posterity.

"The show is going to be wicked cool," commented guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz. "Come on down and get immortalized in our DVD." With special guests AS I LAY DYING and ONCE BELOVED, the show will have a low ticket price of $5. The DVD will be directed by Lex Halaby (MUDVAYNE, CHIMAIRA) and will be released in November 2005.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are currently on Ozzfest supporting their sophomore Roadrunner Records release, "The End of Heartache", which has sold over 400,000 copies to date. On March 1, the album was re-released as a special two-disc version with six new/live tracks. Based on the strength of their latest radio singles, "The End of Heartache" and "Rose of Sharyn", and performances of those songs on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "Last Call with Carson Daly", the band's success has continued to grow rapidly.

[Malcolm]

 Swedish/German metallers ARCH ENEMY have posted the following message on their official web site:

"It's been a bad day today ? in the early hours of Tuesday morning (July 19) as the band were heading back to New Jersey from a successful off-day show in Burlington, VT, the bus broke down with transmission trouble. This had to get fixed properly which took some hours. Meantime, all efforts to get the band to the site on time to play their 2nd stage slot failed as there was just no way the distance could be covered in time, not even by plane.

"At the time of writing this the band are heading to the site to try and complete their signing and promotion commitments and hopefully they will at least be able to meet some of the fans who missed seeing them play today.

"Sincere apologies to all the fans at Camden, NJ who turned up today hoping to see ARCH ENEMY."

[Malcolm]

The Boston Globe is reporting that the wife of BLACK SABBATH frontman Ozzy Osbourne has Boston Herald editorial director Ken Chandler in her crosshairs after the newspaper once again ignored her ban on photos of the singer performing at Ozzfest. (Viewers of MTV's "The Osbournes" know Ozzy suffers from debilitating and potentially embarrassing body tremors.) After the Herald published a picture last year, Sharon was furious and called Chandler to complain. (He reportedly hung up on her.) Ozzfest publicist Shazila Mohammed said the Herald wasn't given photo access this year but still sneaked a shot of Ozzy into its Saturday paper. Chandler is on vacation, but managing editor Kevin Convey said yesterday, "No one is going to tell us what pictures we're going to put in the paper." Clear Channel, he said, has pulled the paper's remaining Tweeter Center summer review tickets.

[Malcolm]

The Philadelphia Inquirer has published several photos taken at yesterday's (July 19) Ozzfest stop in Camden, New Jersey. . An excerpt from David Hiltbrand's review of the day-long event follows:

"Some of the bands performing on the second stage are SOILWORK, TRIVIUM and MASTODON. HEAT PROSTRATION was a late, unannounced addition. EMS techs stand on the ramparts in front of the stage scanning the crowd for droppers.

"Fortunately, the Ozzfest audience gives up its dead. As soon as someone crumples to the ground, the body is lifted up and crowd-surfed, hand over hand, to the front to receive medical attention.

"Adam Riordan, 17, of Philadelphia, has retreated to the fringe of the crowd. 'I came for the mosh pit,' he says gingerly, 'but I got kicked in the mouth.'

"Ozzfest veterans like Joe Chernowski, 36, of Philadelphia, who is there with his wife, Joan, know you have to pace yourself. 'We may have to hide in the shade for a while if we're going to survive until tonight,' he says.

"Over the years, Chernowski has attended the festival in many cities, but he likes Camden best. 'I think it's killer that you have the city skyline as a backdrop,' he says. 'And the fans in Philly are pretty fanatical.'

"Shane Keen, 22, of Allentown, has taken refuge in the air-conditioned Tweeter lobby. He's dressed all in maroon, down to his spangly boots. His long, blond hair is braided.

"At the moment Keen is nursing his hurt feelings. One of the bands he came to see, ARCH ENEMY, just canceled. 'Their bus broke down,' he says bitterly. 'So far this isn't so good. The lineup was better last year, and it's way too hot.'

"The previous year was most memorable, of course, because the show's namesake, Ozzy Osbourne, bailed at the last minute. Krysta Kjelle, 19, of Edison, N.J., who travels with the show and works at a balloon-popping concession, recalls the aftermath.

"'We thought they were going to riot. We shut down all the booths and ran,' she says. 'But I love working Ozzfest. It's an awesome feeling meeting 30,000 people a day.'"

[Malcolm]

Deb Rao of Glam-Metal.com last Friday (July 15) conducted an exclusive interview with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Glam-Metal.com: Zakk, I saw you perform with BLACK LABEL the past two nights, and your show was simply phenomenal. How is everything on Ozzfest going so far?

Zakk Wylde: "It's awesome. We are having a great time. I haven?t had the chance to see [IRON] MAIDEN or SABBATH yet, because a lot of the times we have to get out of town real quick, right after our performance, because there is traveling. You know a lot of times people think you are hanging out, but you can't. But Ozzfest is cool, you meet a lot of great people. We have been signing at the FYE tent at whatever chapter of the BLACK LABEL that we are at, whether it is Hartford, Jersey, whatever. We have met a bunch of super-cool people that will be friends for life. That is always a bonus. After we're finished meeting people at whatever chapter we are at, I get a couple of minutes to warm up and get onstage and the next thing I know, we are back onstage again. Ozzfest just got started, at this point it's just before the machine blows wide open, and everyone knows what they are doing."

Glam-Metal.com: What exactly is "Suicide Messiah" about?

Zakk Wylde: "I actually wrote that song about Scott Weiland [VELVET REVOLVER, ex-STONE TEMPLE PILOTS]. A buddy of mine, who is one of my best friends, is like the Captain Shield of BLACK LABEL. He is a NYPD narcotics detective and ended up busting Scott. You know in certain parts of town, you know if you are down there, ya know what is going on, and he said, 'Dude this is Scott.' I love Scott, he is amazing. He is like 'Dude, I got a problem, and I gotta stop.' So that inspired me to write 'Bow Down, You Chose Your Maker, He Never Gives, He is always a taker, he is the Suicide Messiah.' Everyone I have ever know, I have never done that stuff in my life, always winds up dead or broke from doing that crap."

Glam-Metal.com: Yeah, I recently saw you perform at the WAAF beach party earlier this year, and you did a very heart moving tribute to Dimebag. Tell me about that special guitar that he had made for you.

Zakk Wylde: "Dime said, 'Zakk, I can't wait for you to see what I got you man.' I said, 'Christ, what did you get me now dude?' I was hoping he got me a 15-inch dildo to stick up my ass. (Laughs) He said, 'Well, it is not 15 inches, it is 22 inches.' I said, 'You know if that thing is under 15 inches, I ain't talking to you no more.' (Laughs) So I got this guitar, after he passed away and he never got to say, 'Dude, did you like it man,' and stuff like that."

[Malcolm]

Ed Masley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette earlier this week conducted an in-depth interview with Ozzy Osbourne. Several excerpts from the chat follow:

On BLACK SABBATH's enduring influence:

Ozzy: "When we first started writing music, we had no [bleeping] idea at that time that in the '80s, '90s, now 2005, that kids would look upon that as the [bleeping] Holy Grail. I still don't understand when people come up to me and go 'I'm not worthy' or whatever. I'm just baffled by it. And I'm not complaining at all, but when people tell me, 'Man, you were our biggest influence' and I go 'Which part?,' it's always the BLACK SABBATH thing. I mean, I was solo longer than BLACK SABBATH. I was 20 years solo and I was with SABBATH for 12 or something."

On the possibility of a new full-length studio recording with BLACK SABBATH:

Ozzy: "The truth of the matter is, we have tried on a couple of occasions, but when we originally wrote, we never tried. We just jammed, and it worked. It would take no time at all for us four to go in and make an album. What I'm trying to say here is, if it's not up to the same standard as when I left, why put out an album? I could do any [bleeping] thing and call it BLACK SABBATH. There's enough of them kind of albums out already, with the people who replaced me and Bill and Geezer along the way. In my opinion, it's gotta be better than anything we've ever done before. I'd love to do a 'Vol. 4' or 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' or 'Paranoid' or whatever. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. But I refuse to do an album just for the sake of calling it 'BLACK SABBATH' with Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler and myself and the album not being any [bleeping] good.

"I mean, BLACK SABBATH is a completely different animal than the BLACK SABBATH without me or an Ozzy Osbourne album. When we did those two songs for the reunion album, the review so rightly said 'One sounds like an Ozzy track and one sounds like a SABBATH-meets-Ozzy track,' because I've developed, I've changed. I'm not just the singer in the band anymore. I've grown a lot, without knowing I've grown a lot. I've never put an album out where I've gone, 'Now, that is perfect.' And usually, what I would call the filler tracks, I guarantee that someone will come up to me and go 'Why don't you ever play so-and-so or so-and-so live?' And I just think, 'You [bleeping] like that?"

On his favorite SABBATH album:

Ozzy: "I have a favorite SABBATH moment. The first album was great. The second album was even better. Up until 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath', it was cool. But we were ripped off by the management, all this legal [expletive], we didn't have a clue what we were [bleeping] doing or whatever. We were a band working to pay our lawyers' fees. And it kind of got sad at that point. I left at one point then rejoined, then they booted me out. We were all [messed] up on dope and all that [expletive]. But the one thing I'm really happy about is that at the end of the day we all got back together, and we're all really more friendly than we have ever been."

On trying to another solo band together:

Ozzy: "The problem I'm having is finding a [bleeping] guitar player, 'cause Zakk's [Wylde] off and running. I mean, I'm sure if I asked him, he'd drop everything and come with me, 'cause Zakk and his family and my family, we're like a family. So I really am looking for the next guitar player, but I don't know how to do it. I don't know where to go.

"When I've auditioned players, I have to sit in a [bleeping] room, and half of them just want to meet me, so you get rid of them, and then the other half, that can play, after 80, 90 [bleeping] guitar players, you don't know what the [expletive] you're listening to in the end. And then you pick the guy and you find out he's a [bleeping] Buddhist monk who's not working on Wednesdays or if it's raining or if his wife looks at him with one eye. Or he's a [bleeping] Jesus freak and he didn't really want to play. He just wants to convert you. But I'm sure it will happen eventually.... I hope."

On working on a musical about controversial Russian politician Grigory Rasputin with songwriter Mark Hudson, who's collaborated with AEROSMITH and Ringo Starr:

Ozzy: "I'm finishing up some music for a musical that I've been working on with a friend of mine for the last 10 years. I think I can afford, at this time in my life, to do some experimental [expletive], you know? Like a Broadway show. Not like [bleeping] 'Fiddler on the Roof' or anything. The one I'm doing is about Rasputin, the mad monk."

While there is a certain element of metal to some of the music, he says, "There's also some stuff where you'd go 'Ozzy Osbourne doing this?' I've seen a few musicals, and one thing I've noticed is they're not really musicals. A musical to me is [bleeping] 'South Pacific'.... Back in the '50s or '60s, when they did a musical, there was a song every five minutes or something. Now it's [bleeping] one song and it's all guys dressed as [bleeping] cats crawling all over the stage or something."

On "The Osbournes" TV show:

Ozzy: "I just don't understand it. I don't go 'Oh, today I'm gonna pick up a reality show, and it's going to be the biggest thing since sliced bread.' I haven't got a clue. It's as if it's all been meant to be that way. I keep saying to Sharon 'How long is this [bleeping] thing gonna last?' And she'll go 'We'll know.' Every year, it gets bigger. We played Hartford last night. [Bleeping] maximum capacity crowd. It was like a [bleeping] sauna up on stage, but it was [bleeping] great."

On Ozzfest:

Ozzy: "The way it started was she tried to get me on Lollapalooza in '94 or something, and they said 'Ozzy's like a dinosaur. He's kind of over.' And yet, their version of diversity is Tony Bennett to NINE INCH NAILS and all this. And Sharon just said very politely, '[Bleep] you. We'll do our own festival.' And I said 'Whoa, Sharon, hold on a minute. Don't go too crazy here. Let's just feel our way. See if it's gonna work.' So I think she put five or seven shows out. I said 'Don't go book the [bleeping] planet and end up with one [bleeping] drunk in Pittsburgh. Or London.' And it's grown and grown. I honestly don't understand how it's done it. ... I'm the guy that goes 'Oh [bleep] it, it's [bleeping] 10 years. There ain't gonna be anyone there.' But luckily, or whatever, it's getting bigger and [bleeping] bigger. It's the biggest [bleeping] thing for the summer now. I'm not trying to sound like a [bleeping] smirky [bleeper] now. I'm not one of these guys that takes it for granted. If I go on stage and my voice blows out, I'm really unhappy, because I can't give the show that I wanted to for the audience.

"I do respect and love everyone that comes to see me, because I'm very fortunate to be in the position at the age of 56 to have an audience anyway. And they haven't all got great jobs that pay high salaries. A lot of these kids have to save pennies and nickels and dimes every year to buy a ticket, and I don't forget that. I've met so many people on my side of the fence with the attitude of 'I'm cool, man. You're so [bleeping] blessed to have me on the stage.' That's not Ozzy. I come from the streets. I know what it's like to want something, and I have never forgotten that. I'm just one of them that's lasted the realm of time."

Ozzy says he'd like to take the next year off from Ozzfest to concentrate on other things but knows he can't:

"It wouldn't be a bad idea for somebody else to finish the job. But then it wouldn't be Ozzfest, would it? So [bleep] it, I've gotta get on with it. But hey, man, I've got a good life."

On the thought of retiring someday:

Ozzy: "When I'm out here, I want to be home. And when I'm home, I want to be out here. So I'm one of these contrary [bleeping] rock n' rollers. Then I really stop and think to myself how [bleeping] lucky I am. I was just watching this thing on VH1 about these [bleeping] ... do you remember that band in the '80s, did that song 'Be My Cherry Pie'?"

Would that be WARRANT?

Ozzy: "One of them [bleeping] bands," he says. "But this guy's got all bloated and he's got on one of these ridiculous 'who can get thin first' shows and I'm thinking 'I'm so [bleeping] lucky to be doing what I'm doing and still be cool. A lot of bands along the way are either dead or pumping [bleeping] gas."

"But don't forget, along the way, as high as I got was as low as we got. My kids all ended up doing dope. I was [messed] up. My wife got cancer. She gets over the cancer, I go home to my house in England and [bleeping] kill myself on a [bleeping] motorcycle. They had to bring me back."

On being sober now:

Ozzy: "I work a 12-step program. I'm 15 months without a drink or a recreational drug."

On how being sober has affected his performing style:

Ozzy: "I've got more [bleeping] energy, and I know what I'm doing more than I used to. I mean, I don't want to go too much on the sobriety thing because it's a personal thing. But believe me, if I thought by getting [messed] up, I would be a better man for it, I wouldn't be [bleeping] sober on the [bleeping] phone right now. I'd be drinking. I just wanted to at least remember what I did yesterday and not have to apologize to anybody, you know?"

[Malcolm]

BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi recently spoke to the Asbury Park Press about his new solo album, "Fused", and SABBATH's headlining slot at Ozzfest 2005.

Regarding how his collaboration with Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE) on "Fused" came about, Iommi said, "I got in touch with Glenn and we decided to get together and let's see how we get on.

"He came over and we just started writing again. It all clicked in very, very quick. We got a drummer (Kenny Aronoff), just to jam along with us. We just started writing, and it felt really good.

"The excitement was ridiculous. We were like a couple of kids. We really got a thrill from what we were doin'. We really appreciate what we've got and the chance of being able to write together again."

On "Fused", Iommi and company played their parts with few overdubs or digital tricks.

"We wanted to capture it live and all play together," Iommi said. "It enabled us to play in the studio live, which was good fun. Particularly on the last track ('I Go Insane'), which is quite a long track. Playing that live was really a test because if you make a mistake in it, you've gotta do it all again.

"So I think it kept us all on our toes."

Iommi considered pulling double-duty at Ozzfest 2005; that is, playing two sets per show, one with SABBATH and one with Hughes.

"We did actually think of that first," Iommi said with a laugh. "But it's probably a bit strange to go on before ourselves, if you know what I mean ? to go on with Glenn and then go on with SABBATH. I think on this occasion, we thought it best just to do it with the SABBATH lineup. But certainly, in future, I'd love to do some (live) stuff with Glenn."

[Malcolm]

Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects" took in an estimated $7 million over the weekend to debut at No. 8 on this week's list of top-grossing films, according to BoxOfficeProphets.com. "Audiences were obviously intrigued; the horror flick opened to $7 million from only 1,757 venues ? it had an excellent venue average of $3,984," reads a posting on the site. "'Rejects', a 'follow-up' to Zombie's 'House of 1000 Corpses', cost more than the $7 million it took to make 'Corpses' (Lions Gate finished with a $12.6 million on that one) and shows the director has picked up more of a following. 'Corpses' was huge on DVD, selling over a million units, and there is no reason why this one won't do the same."

Zombie recently told told Launch that "The Devil's Rejects" is a very different movie to its predecessor. "It has no relation to the first film almost in the sense that it has one consistent look, it doesn't jump around, it's a very gritty, real, bleak look," he said. "The characters are all the same characters, except we all got together and were like, 'I wanna make these characters real.' 'Cause essentially right now, they're cartoon characters. Like, let's take those and make them real people."

Actors Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Sheri Moon Zombie return from the first film.

Rob Zombie is currently headlining the second stage of Ozzfest for the first time.

Zombie's touring band this summer features former MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5, longtime bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson and ex-ALICE COOPER drummer Tommy Clufetos.

The Ozzfest 2005 lineup also includes BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, MUDVAYNE and, on the last eight dates, VELVET REVOLVER.

[Malcolm]

Ozzy Osbourne recently spoke to Revolver magazine about the possibility of a new BLACK SABBATH album surfacing at some point in the not-too-distant future and his health, among other topics. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Revolver: It's been rumored that you and the SABBATH guys have been writing material for a new BLACK SABBATH album.

Ozzy: "Yeah, I mean, Tony's [Iommi, guitar] been putting some riffs on tape and sending them to me, and I've tried to write some lyrics for them. But, I've said this before ? it would be easy for us to just go in and record a load of crap and put it out as a BLACK SABBATH record. But we don't want to do it if it's not going to measure up to the work that we did before. The other thing is, when we used to make records, we did it by ourselves; we didn't have people from the record company telling us how something should sound. Back then, nobody would've dared to do something like that ? we would have thrown them into the street."

Revolver: You've recently been diagnosed as having Parkin's Syndome. Can you tell our readers what that means?

Ozzy: "Right, let me make this clear, because eveerybody's saying, 'Oh, Ozzy has Parkinson's Disease.' I have not got Parkinson's Disease! I've got Parkin's Syndrome, which some people call a hereditary tremor. I've had it for ages, but I always thought it was from all the booze and the hangovers and whatever. But it was getting worse, my motor skills were getting affected; I remember going to the bathroom and I couldn't zip up my pants, so I knew something was up. I went for extensive tests, and when they told me I had Parkin's Syndrome, I freaked out. I asked the doctor, 'Will it shorten my life?' And he said, 'No, not at all. But you will have to be on medication the rest of your life.'"

Revolver: Did your years of taking massive amounts of booze and drugs have anything to do with it?

Ozzy: "I asked the doctor that very question ? I said, 'Is it drugs and alcohol related?' And he said, 'No, you would have had a tremor, regardless. But saying that, the drugs and alcohol probably escalated it.' But I'm quite cleaned out right now. I exercise regularly, I haven't drunk any alcohol for 13 months, and I don't smoke anything, be it pot or anything else. The only thing is, if I get angry or excited or sad, and I don't take my medication at the right time, it'll come back at me. But it's not gonna kill me, and I've not got Parkinson's ? and I'm not going to end up like a fucking pickle in a fucking wheelchair!"

[Malcolm]

ROB ZOMBIE recently spoke to U-Press Telegram about his second feature film, "The "Devil's Rejects", and his headlining stint on the second stage of this year's Ozzfest, which kicked off on July 15 in Mansfield, MA. An excerpt from the interview follows:

U-Press Telegram: Your wife has said that "One of the best things about Rob's filmmaking is that he doesn't cater to a teen horror audience. He has no interest in it." Why not?

Rob Zombie: "There's the trend with every movie, not just horror movies, in catering to teens. Anyone over the age of 25 is too old to be in a movie. That's a fallacy created by somebody. I was a kid once. I didn't feel that way. I had no problem watching Clint Eastwood. I didn't watch 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' and go, 'Look at that old man. Why don't they put a kid in there?' It's a weird thing, and it's hurting movies.

"There's nothing wrong with young actors. I just felt these movies were becoming like teen slaughter fests, which is fine. There's always been those movies, but it felt like that's all there was for a while. Can I see some seasoned actors, please?"

U-Press Telegram: "House of a 1,000 Corpses" was produced on a shoestring budget and made over $17 million, which led Lions Gate to make "Devil's Rejects". Were you resistant to doing it?

Rob Zombie: "I don't like sequels. I like movies having a beginning and an end. Sequels are a disturbing new trend where nothing can end. But at the same time, it's really, really hard to get movies made, to get movies funded. Lions Gate wanted to do a sequel. Of course, I wasn't going to turn it down, but at the same time I wanted to make it as much its own film as possible and vary from the look and tone of the first film. To me, the first film is 'Mad Max' and this one's 'The Road Warrior'."

U-Press Telegram: Universal Pictures was supposed to release the first film, but changed its mind and didn't. Didn't they know what they were getting into with you?

Rob Zombie: "Of course they did. How could they not know? They had the script; they saw the dailies. We shot the film on the Universal back lot. It wasn't like we were out of their sight. They could have looked out their window and seen what we were up to."

U-Press Telegram: Does it seem ironic to you that Universal recently released George Romero's "Land of the Dead", which is very violent and gory?

Rob Zombie: "Times change. Four years ago, there wasn't the big horror boom. Now it hits, and boom, everyone wants a horror movie. We're not stupid. We know everything is dictated by money."

U-Press Telegram: In "House of a 1,000 Corpses", the sequence at the hotel has a lot of torture. As a filmmaker, how do you know when you've crossed a line and the suffering characters inflict on each other doesn't add anything to the story?

Rob Zombie: "I'll take everything as far as I can if I still think it's beneficial to the movie and you're still making art. But when it turns into pure exploitation for exploitation, that's where I'd stop. Once it slips into gratuitous for the sake of it, that's not what I'm trying to do.

"With that scene, you just want to create that feeling of dread. It becomes menacing. It's more of a mental torture that they're putting on these people. Nothing is for shock value, as long as it serves the story."

U-Press Telegram: How do you work with an actor if he or she is uncomfortable with something. Do you have a sensitivity to that?

Rob Zombie: "You do and you don't. On the first film, I would have, but now I don't care. To me, it's all about the film. It's not about your feelings. It's not about your personal sense of right or wrong. It's about making this film great. If you're not here for that reason, you shouldn't be here.

"Certain actors were really uncomfortable with that (hotel) scene, but now they're not uncomfortable. All they do is look at it and go, 'Wow. It really worked.' That's the thing I realized. They may feel bad, but they're going to feel worse after the fact if they feel like they held back."

[Malcolm]

 The following message has been posted at Ozzfest.com:

"As a very special bonus for the 10th Anniversary of Ozzfest, 10 lucky fans can celebrate the occasion with Ozzy in person!!!! This package will include a photo with Ozzy, a special Platinum Member Crew Shirt signed by Ozzy, an amazing seat to see the main stage and a special crew dinner with Ozzfest 2005 MC Big Dave.

"This Platinum Package costs $1000. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit The Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program. To purchase this package, send your credit card info to info@divinerecordings.com along with a scan of your driver's license. Please put the city of the show you are purchaing as the subject of the email. These tickets are non-transferable and only available to the purchaser. This package is available for all Ozzfest dates after July 28th.

"This package is first come first served for 10 people only at each show. Get this package while you can."

[Malcolm]

BLACK SABBATH have cancelled tonight's Ozzfest performance at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, reportedly because Ozzy Osbourne fell ill. IRON MAIDEN will take over the main headlining slot for today's show, which follows last night's appearance at the same venue. Refunds are available through your point of purchase or can be arranged through the box office until 3:00 p.m. at PNC for those already inside the venue.

[Rob]

I was there tonight at the show where Sabbath cancelled.  I was pretty dissapointed when I heard the news.  However, I do like Maiden more than Sabbth, and they put on a much better live show than Sabbath (not that Sabbath's shows aren't excellent).  Maiden played a few extra songs I believe, and they were amazing.  I'd say they're probably the best live band in the world...definitely the best I've seen.  Bruce Dickinson is awe inspiring on stage.  The man is in his 50's and he still put every other frontman that performed tonight to shame.  Rob Zombie and Black Label Society also put on very good shows.  Shadows Fall and Mudvayne were atrocious.  But even without Sabbath, Maiden made the show totally worth the price of admission...which wasn't cheap.

[Malcolm]

IRON MAIDEN took over as the mainstage headliners at the Ozzfest bill for Wednesday night's (July 27) show in Holmdel, New Jersey after Ozzy Osbourne was apparently taken ill, forcing BLACK SABBATH to drop off the show. MAIDEN's extended setlist for last night's performance was a follows:

01. Ides of March
02. Murders in the Rue Morgue
03. Another Life
04. The Trooper
05. Prowler
06. Revelations
07. Wrathchild
08. Run to the Hills
09. Phantom of the Opera
10. Number of the Beast
11. Hallowed be thy Name
12. Iron Maiden
Encore:
13. Running Free
14. Sanctuary

[Malcolm]

Deb Rao of Glam-Metal.com recently conducted an interview with former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 (a.k.a. John Lowery). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Glam-Metal.com: How did you get the gig with Rob?

John 5: "I got a call from Dave Navarro to do the tsunami benefits in Los Angeles. We played at Arrowhead Pond. I don't like playing a lot of these jams, but when he said that Rob Zombie is playing, and I am a big Rob Zombie fan, I said I'll do it if I play with Rob Zombie. That went very well. We kind of just stayed in touch. I said, 'If you ever need someone for your tour, I will be there for you.'"

Glam-Metal.com: Let's talk about your new instrumental solo album that comes out September 13, "Songs for Sanity". What inspired you to do another album, what kind of style is it?

John 5: "It is a follow-up to my first instrumental album, 'Vertigo'. I am looking forward to it, because on this album we have special guests Steve Vai and country legend Albert Lee. I'm excited because the first one did very well. It is just crazy guitar playing. I am playing for the love of music, pretty much."

Glam-Metal.com: Now, I hear it has a little country twang in it.

John 5: "Yeah! It is really heavy rock on one side, and on the other side it has a country twist to it. I think a lot of people will like it because of the diversity on it. It is not the same old thing. Every song is different. It is really fun, and people like it and I'm a bit surprised by that. I did an autograph signing at Ozzfest recently and there was a bunch of goth kids there and then there were kids who were totally into guitar playing and they said they wanted to meet me. It was cool. I met such a wide range of people."

Glam-Metal.com: You have also played in the DAVID LEE ROTH band. What was it like working with him?

John 5: "That was my lifelong dream. All I wanted to do was play with David Lee Roth. I was a big fan of VAN HALEN. It was exactly what I thought it was going to be. He was so Mr. Rock Star, and that was great. He wanted the best of everything, he wanted everything right. It was all about David Lee Roth. It was great because he is the king. He never let down his 'star' vibe, which I liked, and I would never have changed that for the world."

Glam-Metal.com: Now Rob [Zombie] has said he enjoys playing second stage [on Ozzfest] better than the main stage. How do you feel about this?

John 5: "The main stage is just horrible. People are in their seats before they see IRON MAIDEN or BLACK SABBATH. It is so hard up there just giving it your all with people just sitting there. All the kids who are at the second stage are just crazy. It is nuts. It is great to see all the different age groups there."