In a new interview with Billboard, Ozzy Osbourne criticized Bruce Dickinson for being disrespectful during Iron Maiden’s 2005 appearance on Ozzfest.
When reminded how Dickinson publicly criticized him and the tour, even mocking Ozzy for his reality TV show, The Osbournes, the former Black Sabbath singer replied:
“He would go on the stage and turn to the audience and say bad things. Be disrespectful. ‘I didn’t condone the f*cking lights,’ and all this. If you don’t want the gig, just say, ‘I don’t want the gig.’ But it’s pretty f*cking stupid if you accept the gig and all you do is complain about it.”
Sharon Osbourne also said the following before Ozzy:
“It was just the singer. The other guys in the band are great, great people. No problem at all. But when you’ve got a singer that is so eaten up with jealousy for the headliner, it never goes well.”
What Did Actually Happen During Ozzfest?
The feud started when Iron Maiden members complained about the tour focusing too much on Osbourne. Their dissatisfaction grew, and after a month, they left the tour. Dickinson often complained backstage, saying they didn’t need a teleprompter or reality TV show to be a ‘legit band.’ Then, Sharon decided to act.
During a concert, she cut Iron Maiden’s power three times. The audience threw objects, and Iron Maiden left the stage. Sharon then told the crowd she loved Iron Maiden but called Dickinson a ‘disrespectful prick.’ Later, Ozzy said he supported how Sharon handled the situation and was surprised by Bruce’s actions since he could have spoken to him directly. The singer revealed that Maiden’s bassist Steve Harris came to him and said he was sorry and added:
“And so, I mean, Sharon got pissed off… it was nothing to do with me. I suppose Sharon got pissed off. I’ll back my wife up to the hilt, but I didn’t know what was going down. But you know what? A few f*ckin’ quid out of that Ozzfest. If you’ve got something to talk to me about, be a man. Come to my face and say, ‘I think you’re a f*ckin’ asshole.’ Don’t be a f*ckin’ idiot. It’s so pathetically childish.”
Iron Maiden’s manager, Rod Smallwood, condemned the attack on the band. In 2006, Bruce denied attacking Ozzy and Black Sabbath but criticized reality TV, including The Osbournes. Harris later clarified that he never apologized to Ozzy for Dickinson’s behavior.