Ozzy Gets Some Loving

Some may think Ozzfest is a mixed bag because it’s a freebie, but at least one critic has praised it.

Jim Harrington, music scribe for the Contra Costa Times, recently gave thumbs up to Live Nation for its ticket distribution at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif.

Some fans followed the proper protocol and applied for tickets online. Others just showed up at the gate. But Live Nation was ready with a contingency plan and had a batch of ducats ready for the more capricious attendees, and predictions of a riot caused by gatecrashers at Shoreline were averted, Harrington said.

He also commended "Free Fest" because it allows Ozzy "to be an even greater hero in the eyes of his fans – a generous icon who is more concerned with giving back to his supporters than he is with making money."

Harrington conceded sponsorships and merch/concession sales are helping to even things out, of course.

Others spin Free Fest in the opposite direction, noting that the support acts aren’t the usual Ozzfest fare and their affordability is making for a lot of no-shows and day-of-show ticket releases.

The Kansas City Star interviewed industry execs who said it’s grown more difficult for Sharon Osbourne to afford the support acts. One of the people to say this was Ozzy in a phone interview in early July.

"I was like, Sharon, what the (bleep) are you talking about?" Ozzy reportedly said. "I said, ‘You’re smoking my (bleeping) weed, aren’t you?’ She goes, ‘No, the only way I can put the brakes on these (bleepers) is to (make Ozzfest free).’

"What happens is this: Every time we do Ozzfest, somebody wants another (bleeping) 30 grand or 50, or more than they got the last year. So what happens is, it comes out of the price of the ticket."