Ozzy Osbourne Recalls What Touring With Metallica Was Really Like

Ozzy Osbourne remembered first encountering Metallica when he took them out on the highway in 1986. The Black Sabbath legend and “Prince of Darkness” shared what it was like assembly the steel band who have been then up and coming, plus his ideas on their ascent.

Shying away from any tales surrounding rumors of Metallica’s hard-partying methods, Osbourne known as the group a “good bunch of fellows” and talked about Metallica singer-guitarist James Hetfield‘s many skateboarding mishaps when he talked about their time collectively.

Metallica opened for Ozzy of his on the primary American leg of his solo “The Final Sin Tour” in 1986. For Metallica, it was the opening leg of their 1986–87 “Injury, Inc. Tour.”

Requested what it was like taking Metallica out, Osbourne provided an amusing anecdote to Metal Hammer. “I bear in mind strolling previous the dressing room,” the singer stated. “They have been taking part in Black Sabbath. I had no thought they have been massive followers. I believed they have been taking the piss!”

Osbourne continued, “Whereas we have been on tour, I might maintain seeing James hanging about like he needed to ask one thing. Finally, he walked up and stated, ‘We need to play [Black Sabbath’s] ‘Paranoid’ with you,’ and we have been like, ‘Certain!’ Then they confirmed simply how massive Sabbath followers they have been. [Late Metallica basisst] Cliff [Burton] had an enormous smile on his face the entire time.”

Osbourne added, “In fact, all of it got here again round, once I received as much as do it with them on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [in 2009], which was sensible too. … To us, they have been only a good bunch of fellows! The wildest we had from them was James, who should have broke his arm three fucking instances on that tour skateboarding.”

Accidents apart, Osbourne may sense Metallica have been going to be big. “You may inform simply from how the gang reacted each evening,” he stated. “However , they’re an important band. I bear in mind all of it actually took off once they put out ‘The Black Album.'”

As luck would have it, present Metallica bass participant Robert Trujillo would later carry out with each Ozzy and Metallica. The onetime Suicidal Tendencies bassist joined the previous within the late ’90s. He turned a member of the latter in 2003 to switch Jason Newsted.

“Rob has all the time been an important buddy of mine,” Osbourne stated, providing some perception into Trujillo’s change from Ozz to Met. “He is an important bass participant and an important man. He is the one man who, when it got here time to maneuver, did issues the fitting method. I all the time ask that the blokes who play with me, in the event that they get one other supply and need to transfer on, that is effective, simply do not drop me within the shit, give me time to get a substitute. Rob’s the one man who ever did issues proper by me for that.”

In current Ozzy information, Osbourne tested positive for the coronavirus, as did his spouse, media character Sharon Osbourne. Across the identical time, daughter Kelly Osbourne confirmed she’s pregnant with baby along with her companion, turntablist Sid Wilson of the steel band Slipknot. Final week, Metallica have been stunned to study a baby was born at one of their concerts. Hetfield called to congratulate the mother.

It is unclear when the Metallica-focused Steel Hammer interview with Ozzy was performed.