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Iron Maiden And Sharon Osbourne Clash At Maiden's Final Ozzfest
08/22/2005 7:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
LAUNCH Radio Networks
Iron Maiden was pelted with eggs, interrupted by chants for Ozzy Osbourne, and inexplicably had its power cut several times during its final OzzFest performance in Devore, California on Saturday night (August 20), according to Blabbermouth.net. In addition, Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, came onstage following Maiden's set to call Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson a 'prick,' while offering thanks to the rest of Maiden and its crew.
Blabbermouth received numerous eyewitness reports about Saturday night's fracas. Many of the witnesses believed that the egg-throwing, power loss and other events were orchestrated by Sharon Osbourne amid rumors of bad blood between Dickinson and the OzzFest camp. One witness called the event "the most unprofessional thing I have ever seen in my 20 years of going to rock shows."
Trouble began when the show's MC began leading a chant of "Ozzy, Ozzy..." during Maiden's intro tape. As soon as the band launched into its opening number, it was pelted with eggs from one area of the venue floor. Many witnesses indicated their belief that the egg-throwers were planted, saying that they could have not gotten that many eggs past concert security.
During "The Trooper," in which Dickinson waves a British flag, an unidentified man came onstage waving an American flag, with the slogan "Don't F--k With Ozzy" painted on his back.
Maiden also lost its power at least three times, but managed to finish its one-hour show. At the end of the set, as Maiden was taking its bows, the "Ozzy, Ozzy..." chant started again over the PA system.
Once Maiden exited, Sharon Osbourne came on and addressed the crowd, saying that she loved Maiden, but that Dickinson was a 'prick' and had disrespected OzzFest since the beginning of the tour. Osbourne reportedly left the stage to a chorus of boos.
OzzFest continues Tuesday (August 23) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Velvet Revolver replacing Maiden on the tour's last seven shows.
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