Review: Free Doesn't Mean Better At OZZFEST 2007

Niyaz Pirani of The Orange County Register reports: In my first five minutes at Ozzfest 2007 on Saturday at Hyundai Pavilion in Devore, I'd already seen a girl flash a car in the parking lot and a very angry singer on the second stage demand that we all throw our devil horns in the air.

No question about it: This is a metal show.

What makes the 12th run of Ozzy Osbourne's namesake tour different is that this time it's a freemetal show. Nearly every seat in the house Saturday (July 21),unless a concert-goer opted to purchase an excessively priced "all-access" package, had been given away on the Internet.

Months ago thousands of metalheads signed up for tickets with event sponsors such as Jägermeister and Monster Energy, eventually taking spots in a queue to download gratis passes to the rock show. Not a bad deal, right? That depends on who you ask.

To the average heavy music fan looking to have a good time it's an almost unbelievable deal. Yet, under the surface, there were a lot of things wrong with "Freefest."

For starters, not everyone (certainly not me) might have realized that parking would run $20 to $30. Forget other costs like food and drink or a T-shirt — shelling out that much to park is ridiculous, especially since parking has sometimes been free at Hyundai in the past.

And what about the talent willing to stack the lineup of a free show? It's safe to assume this wasn't a big payday for the acts that played early on the second stage, nor was it a particularly deep bill. A quick glance at it reveals an obscure, fairly weak assortment for the average KROQ listener who likes his metal with some crunch. The list of no-name bands goes on and on, only a few worth discovering.

Read the entire review at The Orange County Register.