Back from Ozzfest! It was MAYHEM, MADNESS AND MISCHEIF. It really was history making, to say the least. What was history making about it? It was the first time Ozzy had Metallica in Ozzfest, the first public playing of their new album- the first outside ears to hear it (besides those nearest and dearest to them), the first metal concert Charlotte (BFF) has been to, first time to Dallas, and first time I'd ever been on a trip with neither husband nor parents with me...
WHOA BOYs, HANG YOUR HATS, THESE LADIES ROCKED THE ROAD! Land speed records, toll booth laws (hey, we didn't have change!) and the Vicksburg Country Club rules were broken. Well~ lets say they had something riding on their golf course besides the cute little cartie-things. (Yes, we did drive on the golf course in broad daylight in a car that read "OZZFEST 2008" on the windshield).
The drive there was wonderful because we went via roads less travelled~ or never travelled for me~ and it was beautiful. The traffic was great, no detours or speed traps.
We got there, the hotel was very nice... complete with concert shuttle service! No need to drive in crazy post-concert conjestion. I've got to say, this was the coolest this Hampton Inn has ever been ;) Tons of metal heads all over the place- waddling, headbanging and evil-eye gesturing to and fro.
but get THIS: We were in the PIT of the main stage at an Ozzfest. OK, take time to say all hail to the Queens :) Yes, the pit... for a while anyway, but we had to get out after a few bands because the heat was too much--- people were passing out standing up because there was no water besides what the security got for us out of pity. We could have been squirted with water hoses, but they had only one on the opposite side of the stage that wouldn't reach our area.
People moshed right behind us, we tossed over crowd surfers, got kicked in the head from those we didn't catch soon enouth, Charlotte's glasses almost took flight out of both our reaches, people were dropped on our heads, I had to shove a guy by the head away from us, we were slammed up against the rail and other people~ it was great. This is what a metal concert is about! We jumped up and down in unison to the thrash metal playing- when we could without passing out.
We were in the pit from 11 am til 4:30 pm, just before Jonathan Davis. You have to read those backwards~ remember, like listening to your old records backwards? CAVALERA CONSPIRACY 3:35 - 4:15
SHADOWS FALL 2:50 - 3:25
APOCALYPTICA 2:10 - 2:40
IN THIS MOMENT 1:30 - 2:00
We really hated giving up our spots, but we opted to get tossed over the the fence-rail for water. We then booked as fast as we could to the nearest water-bearer.... honey, I shoved tatooed, doo-rag wearing monsters aside for some ice out of the beer bottle bucket and I'd do it again, too. Its amazing how instinctual thirst is, REAL thirst. The kind that makes your tongue swell and spots swirl in your vision~ this was heat stroke weather. I was not about to pass out and go to the emergency room and miss Ozzfest.
After we hung out in the stinky air conditioned bathroom (you couldn't drink tap water, it was all hot) and drank the cheapest drink they had in bulk, diet Dr. Pepper, we had a salty pretzel for health reasons. You need salt when you dehydrate.
During Jonathan Davis, we meandered across the stadium to hang out in the shade and I eventually mustered the energy to retrieve nachos while Charlotte nursed her migraine. A hotel breakfast, half pretzel and nachos were our only sustenance the entire day... in some countries, we would be considered wealthy for that, but here, water was gold.
While Hell Yeah played (TOO GOOD for their own good, btw) we ate nachos. When we felt up to it, we looked for a better seat to watch the main shows.
Ozzy's came on with his usual energy and crowd whipping-up... the whole show ended up unusually good~ he took out "War Pigs", something in the other Ozzy concerts I've not seen before, then "Fire in the Sky" and a few others that'd not been done.
Much of his latest album was played (yes!!) and Zak ground out his stellar solo. (Folks who know Zak Wylde knows that he slept during school and practiced guitar all night long. God knows what He (She) is doing, so, teachers, please don't pick on *those* students, they may end up in good places afterall).
After everything was said and done for Ozzy, fireworks went off. In between our neighbors pot-puffs, a few good songs played while we waited for Metallica... Disturbed, a few others. Then the lights went down. A few teasers from the crew trying out the guitars and drums. Silence.
Out cranked the heart shaking base of "Creeping Death"! Lights flew up and Metallica mastered the stage with a vengence and verve that matched the hype of all previous concerts put together. Everything was as good as the rumors preceding them said they would be and all my years of waiting for the show was worth it. "Harvester of Sorrow", "Sad. but true", "Master of Puppets", "And Justice for All"--- I've never seen that many fists pumping in the air in unison ever.
Oddly, they ended when I originally quit listening to Metallica. My most favorite band had been "abandoned" after the black album because I picked up the conservative battle, trying to look like a respectable something or other. (I'm sorry... honestly, I didn't know any better.) After an outstanding war-like pyrotechnic "One", they introduced one of their first band members (Lord, was I hoping for Dave Mustaine!) but instead brought out one of their best friends (or Lars's best friend, ego maniac that he is) King Diamond to do something from Garage Days. I didn't recognize it- or him- but tolerated it to wait to see if they'd do something from Load or Reload. Nope... "Seek and Destroy" was the end.
After a near fist fight to get a cab (hey, she knocked us out of the way, so I knocked her back and Charlotte cussed her) we made friends with her embarrassed friend. Ironically, we were going to the same hotel, but the cab driver didn't want to pick her up, so he took off.
We zig zagged through double cab fares to stumble upon our original cab driver that got us there: a Brooklynite named Ozzy!!! Angels were guiding us. Yaaaay Ozzy-Ozzy-Ozzy!!! This guy made the cab drive almost as exciting as the concert. He honked people to get out of the way while we cheered him on.
The Utah girls in the back said this was their first cab ride... I said, poor future cab drivers, its all downhill from here. This is the coolest cab rides we've ever had! LOL, extreme cabbies :) An ambulance behind us had trouble getting people out of the way, but not Ozzy~ the NY horn from hell kept honking til they got out of the way, clearing the path for the ambulance. I guess they thought we had an emergency. Well, technically, we did- with no where to go to get out of the way, we did help the ambulance.
When we made it to the hotel, we b-lined to the juice bar (no booze for us) and rehydrated with glass after glass of water, apple juice and cranberry juice. Up to the room then, we laughed til we hurt at what photos we could get on the lap top. We both laughed til tears rolled down my cheeks! We were so exhausted we crashed without showers or undressing.
Getting up to drive home was haaaaard.... we waddled down to the breakfast area where hungover and half deaf metal heads were stumbling about. An 8 hour drive back home and voila, here we are. More will come later, but its taken me a while to just piecemeal this together through the odd jobs that keep calling my attention. It was hard to get back into the swing of things, but it was great to get home to Stephen. I missed him terribly. I couldn't sleep until I got home :)
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