Sharon Osbourne has detailed her controversial actions against Iron Maiden during a festival tour in a recent interview with Metal Hammer. She addressed a long-standing incident involving her interference with Iron Maiden’s performance during their tour with Ozzy Osbourne.
“I love Iron Maiden, it’s just the singer [Bruce Dickinson] because he was so horribly disrespectful,” Osbourne said. “But if you’re going to take Ozzy’s money, and play before him every night of a festival, and you’re bad-mouthing him to the crowd, you’ve got to pay.”
“So I had him pelted with cans of baked beans that were open, and cut his sound,” she continued. “Ozzy only has respect for the guys in Maiden. And he didn’t even know what Bruce was doing. I never told him, until the night that it happened, when it was the last show, and he just looked at me and goes, ‘You’re terrible.'”
The incident occurred during Ozzfest 2005. It became a significant moment of tension between two of metal’s most prominent figures and shaped the relationship between the bands.
The Sound Sabotage
Documentation from historical records revealed the peak of tensions during Iron Maiden’s final 2005 Ozzfest performance. The sound system was deliberately cut off mid-show. Dickinson’s microphone and the band’s instruments lost power, leaving them unable to perform properly.
The technical interference marked the beginning of several calculated disruptions. These events would become one of the most controversial moments in Ozzfest history.
Audience Manipulation
Louder Sound detailed how audience members threw eggs at the band. This reaction came after Dickinson criticized Ozzy’s use of a teleprompter and his reality television fame.
The performance deteriorated into a hostile environment. This reflected the intensity of the behind-the-scenes conflicts that had developed throughout the tour.
Official Statements And Aftermath
American Songwriter covered the Ozzfest website’s official statement. The statement accused Dickinson of “berating Ozzy and belittling the audience.” Iron Maiden’s manager Rod Smallwood responded with a formal condemnation of the sabotage.
The controversy continued after the incident. Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris addressed the situation directly. He denied reports of the band apologizing to Ozzy and claimed media outlets had twisted his words.
