TOUR REVIEWS

July 23rd - Post Gazette Pavilion - Burgettstown, PA, U.S.

Hell hath no fury ... like the 10th anniversary of Ozzfest (by Brian Krasman for The Daily News - July 22, 2005)

Partying priority at Ozzfest (by T.M. Menees for Washington (PA) Observer-Reporter - July 24, 2005)

john e. bogus:

Just a quick note to let you know about some differences in the
Burgettstown set. Same set list as given on your page for the Mass. show, but subtract "Into The Void", "The Wizard", and "Sleeping Village" / "Children Of The Grave".  Yes, you heard right - they didn't do the very best part of this years set!  Seems
that while Sarah was out at the concessions, she heard someone say that the show had a 10:30 curfew...  And since this information wasn't listed on the official site for this particular show, I referred to the schedule of set times for the Nissan show and they ended up being the same.  (The Nissan show had Sabbath onstage for 90 minutes -or- until 11:00)  So, Sabbath's set got cut short by just under a 1/2 hour, they were onstage for a little over an hour. 

Really excellent early-in-the-tour charged performance.  Ozzy sounded better at this show than he has for the last several tours I've seen him on.  Of course, the rest of them were right on too, but Ozzy sounded much better than usual.  The mix in the venue was excellent, not as much subsonic bass in the mix as compared to other shows from the 2001 tour and onward.  DAT tape turned out really excellent, sitting here listening to it now - about 70 minutes, not including the intro and outro (yes, I rolled
tape during those).  Could have got away with video, but was running late and didn't go for it.

Phil Haddix:

Although I enjoyed the show there were some things that left me quite
disappointed:

1. The fact that they didn't do their entire set because of a curfew is pure
bulls**t.  Because the bands were running early, there was a 30 to 45 minute
break between Maiden and Sabbath.

2. I wish they wouldn't have dropped "The Wizard" and "Sleeping Village".  Probably the single most disappointing point of the show.  The poorly arranged/performed (?) medleys were probably a close second.

3. The sound was not excellent as stated by 'john e. bogus'.  The band's
levels sounded as if they were a backup to Ozzy's vocals.  Although Ozzy did
sound as good as I have ever heard him, his levels were not balanced with
the bands.  Could you imagine seeing Sabbath live without feeling Geezer's
bass or Tony's guitar?  Until Saturday night, I thought that I couldn't
either.  The band's levels were turned down that much, I kid you not.

I have been going to see Sabbath live since 1979.  I do not make a habit of
complaining about a band that has been a staple in my life for over thirty
years.  I don't think that I am so disappointed in the band as much as I am
the way the evening transpired.  Truly disappointed nonetheless.

john e. bogus responds to Phil's review:

1. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.  It must be considered that my report of this was something overheard at a concession stand.  The schedule of set times was not published for the 7/23 show.  However, the set times did, in our observation, seem to adhere to the schedule published for the 7/24 show.  By my wife's watch, the lights went down and the intro tape started rolling just after 9:20.  Sabbath was onstage from about 9:25 until about 10:35.

2. Agreed.  The medley is what should have been dropped from the set!  I think many fans would rather hear one or two complete songs, rather than bits and pieces of several. "Symptom Of The Universe"?  Would have been nice to actually hear Ozzy sing that one, especially with him being in outstanding form this evening.  "Sweet Leaf"?  We've already heard that one a million times. "Electric Funeral"?  We got that one on the 1999 tour.  "The Wizard" and "Sleeping Village" > "C.O.T.G." would have been much more fun to hear.....

3. The mix was simply unusual for a band and venue of this type, and I can see where the average rock fan who has attended these shows for years would not like it. T he vocals were way up in the mix, and there was very little subsonic bass.  The lack of subsonic bass is what wasn't "felt", and was why the band seemed "turned down" at this show.  I enjoyed it and thought it was a refreshing change from the way the band is usually mixed.  It was almost similar to a mix for a television appearance.  Bear in mind also that position in the venue will make a difference in how the show sounds AND and that there is no "repeater PA" for the lawn at this venue.  The tape will bear both of our comments out, although like any audience stealth recording, it has it's flaws.  Ozzy did sound really excellent at this show.  Perhaps the soundman realized this at the soundcheck and did a much more vocally-oriented mix that evening?  I'm not disappointed in the band's performance either, but figure that someone didn't do their job somewhere.  The schedule should have been confirmed and published long in advance, as it was for the next day's show.  The shortened set time at a show where Ozzy was really "on" was the disappointment to me.....

Maiden, Shad, KSE highlight Ozzfest (by Brian Krasman for Daily News - July 25, 2005)