Ozzfest Becomes Freefest
Say what? According to a press release put out by Team Ozzfest, this year the legendary summer tour will be free to fans. “2007 will forever mark the year Ozzfest spiked the concert industry’s punch and gave every head-banging American kid a reason to strap on an air guitar with the historic announcement that tickets to the summer’s premiere touring concert festival won’t cost fans a dime.” We are so air guitaring RIGHT NOW.
Seriously, the plan seems to be that via a combination of extreme sponsorship and very generous bands, Ozzy and Sharon have found a way to fight against the ever-inflating cost of tickets. So which big-hearted acts are willing to play to throngs of sweaty non-paying kids? “We have bands committed,” Sharon Osbourne said, “but we’re hoping that after today’s announcement we’ll have a whole influx of artists who want to be a part of something this ground breaking.” Sharon explained that artists would be able to sell their merch, book other bill-paying dates while playing Ozzfest and would not have to sign on for the full run. Still, the whole securing ticket problem sounds ominous: “To gain entry into the event, fans will go to www.ozzfest.com or www.livenation.com to find links that will direct them to special sponsor sites where tickets can be secured,” the release reads. “More details regarding the process are forthcoming.”
What do you think about this? Is there fine print to be read or have Sharon and Ozzy done the impossible?