Finally! A new Oz-TV is up on Youtube. I missed those when the band had a break. Now when they’re back out on the road, in South America, I can enjoy these episodes again.

I don’t understand why so many people watch what I think is meaningless TV, such as Big Brother. That is only stupid people locked up in a house, being just…stupid. It doesn’t inspire me, it doesn’t give me kicks, it doesn’t do nothing.

This stuff does.

 

Life on the road has always been appealing to me, but very few people are privileged to do that on a regular basis. Being in a rock band nowadays is a struggle for the most part. There is not any money in it really, you can talk to almost any band today and they will tell you how hard it is, and how much you have to sacrifice to even be able to DO that.

A few artists can make a good living doing that, the legends, the Metallicas, the what have you…. And Ozzy, duuh, of course.

My first experience of life on the road was when I was managing an all-female band, Modesty Blaise, back in the early 90’s. We were out travelling in a rented van, staying in cheap hotels that the promoters had us stay at, and of course you never had your own room, you always had to share. Well, if you were lucky enough to even have a hotel room. Sometimes they had you sleep on the floor in some room at the venue or whatever. When you’re a small band from nowhere, nobody cares. Show up, do your thing and get out of here. :) That’s the attitude.

 

But I loved it. It makes people bond like family because you’re together 24-7 doing something that you love to do, travelling around. It’s something that can’t fully be explained unless you’ve done it I think.

 

The best thing I’ve ever done in my life was the tours with Jon Oliva’s Pain. Had my own bunk on the bus, loved falling asleep to the jokes and laugs where people in the front of the bus kept yapping till 2 or 3 in the morning. I loved sleeping in a bunk because I sleep like a baby when something is moving. I loved opening the bunk-curtain in the morning, not quite knowing where we are, to the smell of coffee.

I loved that whole crazy life, where you never knew when you were gonna get your next meal or what was on the “menu” (it all depended on the place they were playing and the budget of that particular venue..). The first time I tried to put on makeup in a bus I gave up. I ended up looking like Alice Cooper.

Trying to get dressed in a bunk is impossible too, so I gave up trying to be “private”, nobody cares anyway we’re all in the same situation.

 

Being around music people was great, I felt like I belonged 100%. I never had to explain myself to anyone, people just GET IT because they are the same. You could sit there and talk about anything music-related and people would just add their own stories, they’ve all been out on the road doing this for years. It’s just a great thing, that feeling of being “home”.

Anyway, when I got back from touring with the band (I’ve said it a thousand times and i’ll say it again, the JOP-family is great, I love them dearly) I felt empty, I just wanted to get back out there.

I still dream of being on the road. Every day when I’m stuck with my everyday job, I wish I was out doing what Ozzy and the boys are doing – right now. In this very moment. And through these videos, I get a taste of their current everyday life which is the closest I’m gonna get to being out touring.

At least until this summer when I go out on my own rock’n’roll galore!