• facebook
  • twitter
  • rss

It's Official: GUS G., TOMMY CLUFETOS To Perform With OZZY OSBOURNE At BLIZZCON

August 21, 2009

OZZY OSBOURNE's official web site has been updated with the following announcement:

"Ozzy will be performing [on Saturday, August 22] at the Anaheim Convention Center [in Anaheim, California] as part of the closing ceremonies at BlizzCon '09. However, due to [longtime OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist] Zakk Wylde's current touring commitments with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and [longtime OZZY drummer] Mike Bordin's ongoing reunion tour with FAITH NO MORE, Ozzy will be playing with guitarist Gus G. [FIREWIND] and drummer Tommy Clufetos [ROB ZOMBIE, ALICE COOPER, TED NUGENT] for this special performance. They will be joining current Osbourne band members Rob 'Blasko' Nicholson (bass; ex-ROB ZOMBIE) and Adam Wakeman (keyboards).

"Ozzy loves the challenge of working with new musicians and is enjoying the sound and energy that this band has been producing in rehearsals this week.

"Catch Ozzy's performance as part of DirecTV's pay-per-view airing of BlizzCon '09, which is also available as an Internet stream from www.blizzcon.com."

In addition to his current axe-slinging duties with FIREWIND, Gus (real name: Kostas Karamitroudis) has played in MYSTIC PROPHECY, NIGHTRAGE, ARCH ENEMY and DREAM EVIL.

Ozzy told Classic Rock magazine in a June 2009 interview that he was on the lookout for a new guitar player, apparently to replace Zakk Wylde. He also indicated that he was auditioning a guitarist from Greece, but declined to give further details.

As for why he wanted to break away from Wylde, who has played with Ozzy on and off since 1988, Ozzy said, "I haven't fallen out with Zakk, but Zakk's got his own band, and I felt like my stuff was beginning to sound like (Wylde's band) BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. I just felt like I wanted a change, y'know?"

In an interview with a Eugene, Oregon radio station on July 29, Zakk slammed Ozzy over his Classic Rock comments, saying in part, "I've gotta be honest with you. The boss hasn't even given me a phone call, so I mean... I'm just like... I don't know what's going on over there. Are we doing this thing or are we not doing it? . . . I mean, it's like, dude, you don't wanna play with me anymore? Fine. Play with whoever the hell you wanna play with. I couldn't give a rat's ass. Like I'm gonna get all jealous or whatever. But you know what?! Man up and give me a phone call and tell me what the hell's going on."

Wylde's answer after that abruptly turned into an obscenity-filled rant directed at Ozzy that had to be heavily bleeped by the station.

The former BLACK SABBATH singer has been working on his latest solo album at his home studio in Los Angeles, He said that Wylde had recorded material for the project, but added, "I don't know if I want to use it."

The largest event of its kind, BlizzCon is a celebration of Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft game universes and the global player communities surrounding them.

Gus G.:

Tommy Clufetos:

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).