De heren van Iron Maiden zijn tijdens hun laatste optreden op het Amerikaanse Ozzfest festival, op 20 augustus in Devore (Californië), bekogeld met eieren, ijs, en andere dingen. Ook viel tijdens het optreden diverse malen de stroom van de versterkers, waarvan gedacht wordt dat het geen ongelukje was. De Ozzfest organisatie was namelijk al niet zo blij met enkele tirades van zanger Bruce Dickinson, die diverse malen al commentaar had geleverd op het onrespectvolle publiek op de eerste rijen. Volgens hem zitten de toeschouwers er daar niet voor de muziek, maar zien ze het als een dagje uit zonder zich te interesseren voor de bands. Na afloop bedankte organisatrice Sharon Osbourne de band nog hartelijk, maar kon het niet laten om Dickinson nog te beledigen. Daarop werd zij dan weer uitgejoeld.

Sharon Osbourne has kicked Iron Maiden off Ozzfest, calling singer Bruce Dickinson "a
little man" and "a jealous prick".


"Insider" info
This comes from someone I know who is friends with Nicko, hung out with all of Maiden this past weekend (including the Hollywood Rock Walk induction, which he said went awesome was the stuff of LEGENDS), and also saw the recent fiasco in California from the side of the stage. He found out:

- The goon squad Sharon planted in the crowd to throw eggs at the band was a little geographically isolated from the rest of the crowd, and was even being "guarded" by Ozzfest security around them. This comes as no surprise.

- Sharon did in fact approach other bands on Ozzfest to get in on the Maiden sabotage, but they didn't go for it out of respect for Maiden.

- Sharon didn't like the fact that Maiden's performances on the tour crushed Sabbath's performances, and got an awesome reaction night after night from the crowds, one that far surpassed the reaction Sabbath got on the tour. This was partial motivation for Sharon's sabotage of Maiden. Apparently, the bitch isn't only dishonest, hypocritical, unprofessional, greedy, manipulative, devoid of character, and a small person over all; she's jealous, too.

- Sharon has overblown Bruce's comments about Ozzy, which Bruce says he's made only in jest, although he still sticks to his comment about Ozzy's reality show/pop culture diva status being totally lame and unmetal.

- Bruce and Steve do NOT dislike America as a nation; they hate how concerts are run here, with too much security all over the fans, reserved seating in big venues, etc..

- Bruce told him right after the Rock Walk induction that in his now-controversial comment about lame, uninspired spectators in the front rows at Maiden shows in the U.S., he was actually commenting on music industry people who get hooked up with great tickets and go to the shows, not as actual Maiden fans, but as just casual spectators who wanted to see a live band they got great seats for via their industry connections (which we all know happens all the time). Bruce feels those are seats that actual hardcore Maiden fans could/should be enjoying instead.

- As a side note, this person also found out that Ozzy and the rest of Sabbath actually DOES want to make a new album together, but Sharon isn't letting Ozzy do it because that would mean having to give up more money to the other Sabs. Instead, she wants Ozzy to do a new solo album, which won't cut into his profit$ as much since he'll be paying his backup band a lot less money.