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The 27 Club - Ottawa

Ozzy Osbourne died a few days ago. This news brought a deep and profound sense of sadness to me, as I'm sure it did to millions of others around the world. I even shed an actual tear singing “Mama, I’m Coming Home” as I drove down Dufferin St. The bat eating madman, whom I'm sure kept a nice diary, was truly one of a kind. Between him and a few other notable industry troubadours, he’s directly responsible for birthing Heavy Metal as we know it. Black Sabbath is without question, Genesis. Imagine living in Birmingham in 1970 and seeing Sabbath at The Crown Pub? It would be like witnessing the birth of a new galaxy. Brian Cox eat your heart out (the astrophysicist, not the actor). When people like Ozzy pass on, the world quickly floods the newspapers and socials with memorials and memories, telling stories and sharing jokes, and for a brief moment, the world is united. I'm certain that when it's my turn to fall off the perch I'll be forgotten by the time the pot of tea has run dry and the Blue Jays highlights come on the tele. And that's fine. I'm just a bloke. Not a pioneer.

In a time where the world seems to have completely lost its ways, it's nice to see that everyone can come together as one and remember The Prince of Darkness fondly. It seems all my childhood heroes seem to be dying, but that’s life. Lightning strikes. Once again though, all of this upset and sadness just proves that the world needs Rock n Roll. Now, more than ever, and not bloody "Love Island" or "90 Day Fiancé". I can't for the life of me imagine the world mourning some vapid wanker off Love is Blind in 50 years when he crooks it. Imagine that being your claim to fame in this world? I firmly believe these people have no integrity or self respect, just another flog looking for their 15 minutes. If someone were to create Hate Island, I’d be all over it.

Slander and impending lawsuit for libel aside, the proof is in the puddling. Oasis just reunited for an eye-watering amount of cash. GnR are on year nine of their reunion tour and seem to have no intention of slowing down. And I mean, why would you? Clearly the world's still keen for it. AC/DC are on what I imagine is their final hurrah. All of whom are selling out every stadium this side of the New Testament and the little piggies at Live Nation get to watch the cash roll in by the lorry load. 

Oz knocked off right in the middle of a small run of Canadian shows we were doing, just before heading to the UK/EU. In some ways I thought that was poetic timing. Not that he knew us, but we're slugging it out night after night and have the privilege of continuing to wave the flag he sued for bands like us all those years ago. I'm happy to spend the rest of my days trying to achieve even 2% of what he did. After I got told rather sternly to never come back to a certain dining establishment for cracking the shits on the barmen, I walked into a completely packed club. Every punter in here was ready to spend their evening with us and pay homage to our fallen hero. The 27 Club always puts on a great show, the beers are always cold, and it seems to rain whiskey whenever we’re here. It’s a perfect little club, tucked right between the farmers markets and gentlemen’s clubs downtown. I've played here a few times and it’s always great, these guys always show up for us. It's quite something, I don't think I'll ever get used to it. After all I'm just a guy from London.

For now though, I’m listening to Oz’s best solo record: The Ultimate Sin, on repeat as I board my flight to Manchester. I hope Gregg’s have done a double-check of their sausage roll inventory, because I’m coming in hot, ready to jump in the van, and continue this rock n roll circus up and down the UK and into Europe. A proper continent. As nervous as I am for five weeks away, I’m frothing for an Augustiner and a few laughs with the maniacs I spend half my life with. Final thought before I fly out: why are no two pieces of luggage ever the same? Check ya’s!

6/6.

#RIP OZZY


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