Sunday, February 28, 2010

Blizzard of Ozz - First Uk Tour Live in Chelmsford



Ok here we go The first of the bootlegs, this one is from the Blizzard of Ozz tour recorded on the 22nd oct 1980 and showcases their debut album. I was fortunate enough to see them in Edinburgh only their third ever gig. The following account comes from Wikipedia There is a least one inconsistency. Acording to the article the Blizzard of Ozz album was released a week after the tour started Which was immposible as I had the album and knew the lyrics to all the songs (much to the annoyance of those standing beside me). So it was more like 1 week before the tour started. Also for some inexplicable reason the keyboard player was not on the stage
This was one of the best gigs of my youth, not only was Ozzy in excellent form but support act Budgie Blew me away, I have been a fan of there's ever since. As for Ozzy i got tickets to see him the next time he played Edinburgh only for it to be cancelled at the last moment, no reason given. Anyway on the way home Myself and a couple of friends came across the tour bus and guess what Good old Ozzy was on a different planet and kicking off at anyone and everyone in sight.I couldn't tell you if the gig was re-arranged or not as I took the refund and have never been the slightest bit interested in his carreer ever since


Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979,after his final performance with the band on 11 December 1978 during the Never Say Die! promotional tour. The singer began his solo career the same year, hiring Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads, former Rainbow bassist Bob Daisley and former Uriah Heep drummer Lee Kerslake.The band recorded their debut album between March and April the next year, releasing Blizzard of Ozz in the United Kingdom in September 1980.

Ozzy Osbourne and his band began their tour in Osbourne's native United Kingdom on 12 September 1980,
a week before the album's UK release.The band played three dates in Scotland, before moving on to play 25 dates in England and one in Wales between 17 September and 31 October.Keyboardist Don Airey, who performed on the album, was replaced on tour by Lindsey Bridgewater.On every date of the leg, the band were supported by Welsh hard rock band Budgie, who were promoting their eighth studio album Power Supply, apart from the Liverpool date when Budgie pulled out and were replaced by local hard rock act, Export. Following the first leg of the tour, the band began writing the follow-up to their debut album; Diary of a Madman was subsequently recorded in February 1981.

Shortly before the beginning of the tour's second leg, after recording Diary of a Madman, original members Daisley and Kerslake were fired from the band.Ex-Quiet Riot bassist Rudy Sarzo and former Pat Travers Band drummer Tommy Aldridge (both of whom were credited on Diary of a Madman in place of the fired members, who performed all bass and drum parts) were hired to replace them in April, performing on the remainder of the tour. Blizzard of Ozz was released in the United States in January 1981, before the second leg of the tour began in the United States on 22 April 1981, where it remained until 12 July. Ozzy's band were supported on the United States run by English heavy metal band Motörhead, who remained with the tour when it moved to Canada on 13 July, adding local hard rock band Queen City Kids (promoting their debut self-titled album) to the shows. Ozzy and Motörhead performed at the Heavy Metal Holocaust concert at Vale Park, England on 1 August, before moving back to the United States to complete another month-and-a-half of tour dates with English hard rock band Def Leppard, who were supporting their second studio album High 'n' Dry.

 The Band

Ozzy Osbourne – lead vocals
Randy Rhoads – guitar
Bob Daisley – bass, backing vocals
Lee Kerslake – drums
Lindsey Bridgewater – keyboards

Tour Dates (first leg)
1     12 September 1980     Glasgow     The Apollo
2     13 September 1980     Dundee             Caird Hall
3     15 September 1980     Edinburgh     Odeon
4     17 September 1980     Newcastle     Newcastle City Hall
5     18 September 1980     Bradford     St. George's Hall
6     20 September 1980     London             Hammersmith Odeon
7     23 September 1980     Manchester     Manchester Apollo
8     25 September 1980     Coventry     New Theatre
9     26 September 1980     Liverpool     Royal Court Theatre
10     28 September 1980     Birmingham     Odeon
11     29 September 1980     Leicester     De Montfort Hall
12     1 October 1980             Oxford             New Theatre Oxford
13     2 October 1980             Southampton     Gaumont
14     3 October 1980             Stoke             The King's Hall
15     6 October 1980             Blackburn     King George's Hall
16     7 October 1980             Sheffield     Sheffield City Hall
17     9 October 1980             Cardiff     Sophia Gardens
18     10 October 1980     Taunton     Odeon
19     13 October 1980     Great Malvern     Malvern Winter Gardens
20     17 October 1980     Newcastle     Mayfair Theatre
21     18 October 1980     Hull             Hull City Hall
22     20 October 1980     Bristol     Colston Hall
23     21 October 1980     Canterbury     Odeon
24     22 October 1980     Chelmsford     Odeon
25     23 October 1980     Ipswich     Gaumont
26     26 October 1980     London             Hammersmith Odeon
27     28 October 1980     Sunderland     Mayfair Theatre
28     29 October 1980     Middlesbrough     Middlesbrough Town Hall
29     31 October 1980     Brighton     Dome Theatre


The Tracks

1. "I Don't Know"
2. "You Lookin' at Me Lookin' at You"
3. "Crazy Train"
4. "Goodbye to Romance"
5. "No Bone Movies"
6. "Mr. Crowley"
7. "Revelation (Mother Earth)"
8. "Suicide Solution" / Randy Rhoads guitar solo/Lee Kerslake drum solo
9.  "Iron Man"
10. "Children of the Grave"
11. "Steal Away (The Night)"
12.  Encore: "Paranoid" (Black Sabbath cover)

4 comments:

  1. Hi Colin,
    thank you for this too.
    Tomorrow i'll search the Martha Velez file in my external hard disk... I play this album long time ago, so i don't remember its quality. So tomorrow i'll say to you if my copy is better of yours.
    For now i salute you.
    Roby

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good evening Colin.
    I've played the Martha Velez album today, going to work: sadly my copy too is a vinil rip not too good (I think that my copy is from the same font of yours- i note a fastidious crack in the track 9).
    Bootlegs: i have a double UH live in Berlin 1984 192kbs with complete covers, naturally of the Goalby era. Its quality is good and is a complete concert (with all songs of "head first", introduction too).
    If you are intrested for the blog, as the other times, say it to me.
    Thank you for this blog and goodbye
    Roby

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Roby
    Thanks. it does sound like we have the same copy of the Martha Velez album. I'll just have to buy the cd. And thanks for the offer of the heep "Live Outside the Wall" bootleg, but guess what I downloaded this evening? probably at the same time you were writing your comment!!.

    ReplyDelete
  4. HEY COLIN, GOOD MONRNING, IF YOU HAD, POST THE LINK-JOHN SLOMAN´S BADLANDS WITH-SLOMAN/SYKES AND MURRAY.
    MORE THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
    EDUARDO
    FROM
    BRAZIL.

    ReplyDelete

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