Ozzfest 2010 - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL 8/17/10

My adventure at the Ozzfest begins with DevilDriver taking the stage. My apologies go to all the bands that played before, but professional commitments prevented me from seeing you perform. DevilDriver came on sounding very heavy, and determined to make the best out of their time on stage. The band worked hard to maintain their initial momentum. The band got the crowd going, and the enthusiasm was shared on both sides of the stage. They sounded great, and very audible despite being very heavy, that's something not every band can do when playing on a big stage. All in all, Devil Driver's set was very impressive, and set solid foundations for things to come.

Halford was the first legendary name to rock this evening. Halford came on very strong and confident. The band was tight and full of energy. Opening with "Resurection," Halford made sure the fans were getting a special treat tonight. It was great to see Rob continuing with Halford despite his return to Judas Priest. What's more, they played some new material from the upcoming album. You have to give Rob Halford a credit for being the man of his word. The material performed by Halford ranged from the band's two album, and some Fight songs. The best thing about this show was the fact they focused on the solo years, and left Priest alone. In the past, Halford did many Priest covers, but now that Rob is back where he belongs he can concentrate on material that you won't hear at the Priest concert. Those songs are powerful, and deserve to be heard. Fantastic job from Rob Halford, and the company. We hope for more real soon.

Motley Crue opened with "Kickstart My Heart," and just continued to pull out one classic after another. The band came on very strong and powerful. Just about every song included some sort of audience participation. It was a very energetic show, the band member were all over the place getting the crowd going. Tommy Lee just pounded those drums as if he wanted to destroy them. Crue's set included a lot of classics from the first two records, but they added a good mix of all their bigger hits from the 80s. It was actually eye-opening as to how many memorable songs they did have. They did however surprised the crowd with their rendition of "Ten Seconds To Love." Motley Crue certainly reaffirmed the fact they are one of the premiere 80s heavy metal acts.

Ozzy closed the show, and the anticipation was great. After all, this was Ozzy's first time showcasing a new guitarist Gus G. After a very funny film intro. The film showed Ozzy in the most outrageous settings of the current trends. Of course ridiculing and poking fun of those mainstream antics the only was this madman knows how. Ozzy opened with "Bark At The Moon," and the whole place just exploded and howled with him. Staying close to the first two records, and an occasional Sabbath tune, Ozzy knew he had the winning formula at his hands. He did add some more current tunes, like "Let Me Hear You Scream" off the new album, but generally he went with well tested material. Ozzy's performance was of course full of antics, simple but effective. It was the attitude that carried the show, and how could you not follow. His band played great, and Gus G. is a worthy replacement. Gus did play the songs very precise, and faithful to the original versions, adding his own twist in the solo department. Ozzy is still the king when it comes to performing and showmanship, or Prince of Darkness if you please.

Apart from the great music Ozzfest had a lot other things to offer. There were plenty of venders with some interesting merchandise to sell, and some of the most outrageous characters in the audience you'll ever see. How could you miss it?

Mark Kadzielawa