OZZFEST 07 - FOR FREE!!

[Junior]

"This will change everybody's impression of the way touring in the summer in America should be." -- Sharon Osbourne

Imagine a day of wall-to-wall hard rock.

Imagine the world's greatest headliner sharing a bill with cutting edge new artists.

Imagine if this brass-knuckled beast was hellbent on coming to your town.

Imagine this earth-pounding event...FOR FREE.

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.

Testing one, two, three...

That's right, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and tour producer Live Nation broke the news today at the Concert Industry Consortium in Los Angeles that their 12th annual hard rock spectacular — a 25-date extravaganza launching July 7 in Los Angeles — is pulling the plug on ticket prices and giving the power back to the fans calling this summer's Ozzfest "FreeFest." The other Ozzfestcities as of now are San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Kansas City, St Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Hartford, Charlotte, Atlanta, West Palm Beach, Nashville. Note: a final confirmed list of cities and dates is forthcoming.

"For the last few years," says Sharon, "ticket prices have steadily climbed as artists demand more and more money for summer tours. We certainly want everybody to make money, however we also want the kids to be able to afford to come out and have an incredible experience. If we continued with the traditional touring festival model, we would have no choice but to raise ticket prices again this year."

Cited as "one of rock's biggest juggernauts" in the cover feature of Sunday's New York Times' "Arts and Leisure" section (6/25/06), Ozzfest and Live Nation will turn to sponsors to provide added support for the festival's new incarnation. This summer's Ozzfest will provide select sponsors with a unique opportunity to engage fans one-on-one utilizing one of music's best known brands.

"We're reaching the same point we did years ago when kids no longer wanted to pay for overpriced CDs," compares Sharon. "As a result, they found alternative ways of getting music. That's what's happening with summer touring in this country, it's out-pricing itself. We started this and we want to keep it and we want to make it bigger and bigger each year by getting bigger sponsors to be involved with the festival and underwriting the festival. That's what it's about."

"For the past 11 years, music fans have made Ozzfest the most successful and enduring rock music festival in the United States," said Jason Garner, Live Nation President of North American Concerts. "What better way to say 'Thank You' to the music fans who have made this possible than inviting them to attend Ozzfest for free."

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. More details regarding the process are forthcoming.

As Ozzfest's founder and namesake, Ozzy will make his triumphant return to the headlining position on this year's mainstage after surprising fans last year by performing on the down-and-dirty second stage at a handful of dates. Audiences can expect the Prince of Darkness to unveil new songs from his forthcoming studio album, Ozzy's first disc of new material since 2001. While the rest of the in-progress bill is under wraps, Sharon points out, "we have bands committed, 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. We know there aren't any major headlining acts that would tour all summer for nothing, but we're confident we can turn some of the genre's biggest bands on to what we're doing and have them come out to play a date or two. If they're in town and want the rush of performing in front of 20,000 frenzied kids, they're more than welcome to join us. They can sell their t-shirts, CDs and whatever else they've got. They're also welcome to book their own shows in local venues on the day of Ozzfest. I'm not stopping them. People have to be creative and think of alternatives."

"Ozzfest was created to keep this genre of music alive by showcasing new talent," states Sharon. "You better believe we're going to keep perpetuating that by hand-picking compelling new bands that are hungry for Ozzfest's career-making exposure."

[Wickett]

hmmmm... wonder what corporate entities are footing the bill for this one.. as well as making the other bands pay-to-play, I assume..

Never seen Ozzy.. looks like I'll have no reason not to go, outside of Texas heat...

[AJHV]

fuck ya........... I m there

[wombattt]

Free Ozzfest at the Verizon....I'm there

[rh2752]

No Ozzy or Black Label Society. They will be touring in Europe during the summer.

[Wickett]

No Ozzy or Black Label Society. They will be touring in Europe during the summer.

Not according to the article.. straight from ozzfest.com

[buster65]

Not according to the article.. straight from ozzfest.com

YOU ARE CORRECT. OZZY WILL HEADLINE. got this from live daily


February 06, 2007 12:56 PM
by Rob Evans
LiveDaily Editor
Fans won't have to strain their budgets to attend this year's edition of Ozzfest </B>(music)--organizers plan to give away tickets for free.
"For the last few years, ticket prices have steadily climbed as artists demand more and more money for summer tours," said Sharon Osbourne, tour namesake Ozzy Osbourne </B>(music)'s wife and manager. "We certainly want everybody to make money; however, we also want the kids to be able to afford to come out and have an incredible experience. If we continued with the traditional touring festival model, we would have no choice but to raise ticket prices again this year."
Under Ozzfest's new business model, the tour--to be headlined by Ozzy--will be underwritten by various sponsorship deals.
Exactly how tickets will be distributed remains to be announced, but fans will eventually follow sponsored links at the Ozzfest website or tour promoter Live Nation's site to obtain tickets.
According to a press release issued Tuesday (2/6), Ozzfest will launch July 7 in Los Angeles. Other cities on the itinerary, which is still being hammered out, will include San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Denver; Albuquerque, NM; Phoenix; Dallas; San Antonio; Kansas City, MO; St. Louis; Chicago; Indianapolis; Columbus, OH; Pittsburgh; New York City; Boston; Philadelphia; Hartford, CT; Charlotte, NC; Atlanta; West Palm Beach, FL; and Nashville.
"We're reaching the same point we did years ago when kids no longer wanted to pay for overpriced CDs," Sharon Osbourne's statement explained. "As a result, they found alternative ways of getting music. That's what's happening with summer touring in this country, it's out-pricing itself. We started this and we want to keep it and we want to make it bigger and bigger each year by getting bigger sponsors to be involved with the festival and underwriting the festival. That's what it's about."
At this point, no other artists have been confirmed for the tour besides Ozzy. Among the dozens of artists who have performed on the tour since its 1996 debut are System of a Down, Linkin Park, Godsmack, Disturbed, Slipknot and Incubus. "Ozzfest was created to keep this genre of music alive by showcasing new talent," Sharon Osbourne said. "You better believe we're going to keep perpetuating that by hand-picking compelling new bands that are hungry for Ozzfest's career-making exposure."

[Raldo]

Coming to Hartford!!! I may just have to go.

[Vince G.]

Free Ozzfest. Bands won't be paid for performing. No lineup reported yet. I wonder if they're having trouble getting anyone to join this year's lineup?

[Wickett]

Free Ozzfest. Bands won't be paid for performing. No lineup reported yet. I wonder if they're having trouble getting anyone to join this year's lineup?

Is it clear that no bands will be paid for performing? I get the impression the bands will be paid via the corporate sponserships (the big ones, anyway).

[buster65]

The Ozzfest 2007 Fans unofficial MySpace page has been updated with the following information regarding the ticketing system for this year's event:

Q: Will OZZY OSBOURNE play at my show?

A: Ozzy will headline ALL Ozzfest dates on the main stage.

Q: How do I get tickets?

A: Those signed up to Ozzfest.com will get the info on how to obtain their free tickets first! You will need to get a ticket just like previous Ozzfests. However, you will do so online and for FREE. You will need to go to Ozzfest.com or one of our sponsors websites to do this. Those who are signed up to Ozzfest.com will get an email with instructions and links once tickets are available. You will print out your tickets and bring them to Ozzfest or get them from one of our sponsors. Yes each venue has its own capacity level and only the amount of people allowed will gain entry. You will know you will be allowed entry because you have your ticket in advance. The show will be general admission. The seats will be first-come, first-to-sit-there-and-watch-the-show-in-that-seat basis. There will be still a second stage and it will be located in the same area of the venue as previous Ozzfest. Yes, it will still be an outdoors show. Now you are inside and you paid nothing. Merch, beer, water, food and soda price will NOT be raised more than any other show at that venue in the summer of 2007 to cover your free entry.

Q: Will there be a limit to the number of tickets I can buy?

A: Again, yes, there will be. The amount has not yet been determined, but there will be.

Q: How will I gain entrance?

A: You will print out or recieve the tickets that you have secured and you will bring those with you to the event, where you will exchange them for entrance.

Q: How will the seating be decided?

A: As in previous years, the second stage will still be general admission for everyone without seats. However, as far as main stage, it will be first-come, first-served basis for both general admission AND the seats. Of course, you do not stake claim to seats, meaning that if you stand up and leave the seats, others are entitled to sit there.

Q: Will merchandise and concession prices be raised to make up for the lack of ticket price?

A: No. The prices will remain up to the individual artists to decide. However, there will be no expected raise in prices.

Q: How will the artists make money off this?

A: They are free to book themselves at local shows on days before, after, and days of the fest. Also, they are, as always, welcome to bring and sell merchandise.

Q: How different will the bill be from date to date?

A: Some second stage acts may change. However, the main stage acts will be committed and appear throughout the tour, unless otherwise stated.

Q: Will bands autograph CDs at the FYE tent in 2007?

A: There will still be a tent where the bands sell and do their CD signings. It may be FYE or could another store who handles it, but either way you will be able to purchase the bands' performing CDs and have them sign those.



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