November 17, 2025 • 32 mins
On the way back from a family road trip to see Paul McCartney, we make a pit stop to interview "Ozzy & Me" author, Stephen Rea. We talk about his heartwarming memoir detailing four decades of friendship with Ozzy Osbourne. Then my son and I try to recap his first rock concert.
More info: https://stephen-rea.com/
Our website : www.afdpod.com
More info: https://stephen-rea.com/
Our website : www.afdpod.com
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And Slish was the very first person to sign that
poster because I walked out of Alsie dressing room and
he happened to be there.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Well, Welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion, Episode number
five hundred and forty. My name is Brando. Welcome to
the podcast, mister Stephen Ray, how are you, sir?
Speaker 3 (00:20):
I'm good. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Normally as our mutual friend Bill, who's running this tour.
I'm usually sitting at home in my comfortable studio, but
I'm actually on my way back from Pittsburgh right now
with my wife and son because we just saw Paul McCartney. Wow.
So I just thought i'd mentioned that just because I
always think when I I think a lot of things
(00:43):
when I think of the Beatles and Paul McCartney. But
how cool it was for Ozzy, someone like Ozzie who
really idolized them and almost like wanted to be a beadle.
So there's my transition right there. So Steve o author,
it says Steve on your uh eartam, if you're listening
(01:03):
on just audio, I don't want people to think of
assuming you were. I'm thinking we're best friends yet, So
Ozzie and means the name of your new book, And
if you can kind of tell us how you know
your friendship started. I guess you can thank your mom
for that, And what Ozzie suggested writing all these things down?
And when did you decide to write this book, like
(01:26):
when did you star it all together?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Yeah, it's a crazy story.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Back in nineteen eighty five, so of course, years before
the Internet or anything, he announced he was doing a
show called Rock and Rio, which at the time was
the biggest rock festival the world I'd ever seen.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
It was a ten day event. It had Assie and a.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
CDC and Queen and Rod Stewart and Yes and all
these headliners that were sort of voted by the people
of Brazil. And my dad suggests that I thought he
was joking that we should go and see this. Sure,
And I was a huge Aussie fan at the time.
And my mom wrote to the Aussie Osbourne Fan club
and said, we're thinking about going to Brazil. We have
(02:02):
no idea how you get tickets or anything about where
the show is or organization or anything at all. Can
you please give us some details? And Ozsie secretary called
my mom and said, if you guys are serious about
going to Rio, and if you get yourself there, don't
worry about anything. We'll take care of everything once you're there.
And they did, and we went to Rio, and they
(02:24):
gave me a backstage pass. I watched Ozzie's shows from
the side of the stage. I traveled to the gig
and Ozzie's bus on Ozzie's bus, and then on the
last day, Ozsie invited me and my parents to have
breakfast with him before we left, just the four of us,
now handlers or security or assistance or anything. And so
(02:46):
that was the start. That was how I met Ozzie
and the start of our friendship. But to your the
second part of your question as to why did I
write the book, the short answer is a soccer injury.
I hurt myself playing soccer back in January twenty and
I had an operation and I was in a cast,
and I couldn't go anywhere, I couldn't do anything.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
And it was a story.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
That's sort of been obviously bouncing around in my head
for so long, and I thought, I really don't have
an excuse not to write this story, so of course
I started it in January twenty twenty. We all know
what happened in March twenty twenty, and then I was
I was basically in the house for that year, and
that's when I knocked out that first draft.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Of the book.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Okay, so is it safe to say that this book
was not meant initially to be post posthumously as this wasn't.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Absolutely it was always It took six years. January will
be six years since I started writing the book, and
it's gone through a lot of changes and everything else.
And it was always scheduled to come out in November
twenty twenty five. And in fact, one of the things
that I was worried about, Jack mentions this. Jack Ozzie
Selm was kind enough to write me forward and he
(03:58):
mentions this in his form word that when it happened,
I was so worried that the family were going to
think it was like a Kaishin that had been rushed
just to Kaishan on his death, which of course had
hadn't been had been scheduled year in events. But Jack
knew that Jack had read an early version of the book.
Everybody that I had worked for the osbourness or in
the Osbourne family knew I had written this book and
(04:20):
knew it, and also hopefully that I'm not the sort
of person that would ever kaishen on something like this.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, and I think that's important just for people to
to hear. But I mean, if you read anything about
yourself or the book and where the friendship started, I
just think that's so cool. Why do you think, because
I'm sure they the Osbourne's Ozzie have gotten if not
millions of fan you know, requests throughout his career. Was
(04:48):
your mom just that goes you a lawyer? Or was
she good that persuasive? What do you what do you
what do you think it was about you and your family.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
That I think the the initial entry, if your like,
I think was a few things. One was it was
just so crazy. I mean, again, we live in an
age of intercontinental travel and flysh sales for airlines and
this sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
But this is forty years ago.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
This is Belfast in the nineteen eighties that was known
for people blowing each other up and shooting each other.
And the fact that this fifteen year old was going
to go six thousand miles to see this show. I
think part of that was just the ridiculousness of it.
The second thing was the Osbornes have always fostered a
kind of family atmosphere. You know, alo Osi had this
(05:32):
reputation He's the Prince of Darkness, He's the wild man
of rock and everything else. They take care of people,
They care about the people that they know and the
people who work for them. And I think part of
it was they did sort of take me under their wing.
I was fifteen years old. I went and tour with
him at sixteen years old. I was young enough. I
obviously wasn't an adult, you know, some awareness. But at
(05:53):
the same time, I think part of it was they
saw me as like part of their family and whatever
reason they liked me, I guess, and they were okay
having me around and I didn't. One of the things
I sort of talk about later in the book is
that you've been around them, people want things from them
(06:14):
all the time. People always want when you come on
our podcast, will you sign this record? Will you appear
at my at my store? Well you do this video.
People want things from them always, and I like to
think I never ask them for anything.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I like that, and they probably that they can tell.
They can tell when someone's sincere and someone's trying to
use them. It's I think that's special and it speaks
to kind of person that you are, that you're your
parents were, So I think that's that's super super special.
And before because I know we got a limited time
and you're you're doing a press or tour, you know
you might be able to see them wearing my guns
(06:53):
and roses and the if you know the name of
the podcast, Appetite for Distortion, so always using his six
degrees of gene are big and I've had some good
Ozzy conversations, especially with Billy Morrison who's been on the pod.
So the six degrees, I guess for you because Slash
has mentioned quite a few times in the book. So
(07:17):
I know you said you party with him. I don't
know if you want to talk about partying with him,
but what can you say about maybe your experiences with
Slash who was also friends with Lazy.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
So yeah, a couple of so a couple So yeah,
I did.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Actually I had a night at his at his how
I said, I don't know if he still lives there
in LA. This is back in the nineties. My good
friend is Mike Iaes, who used to be Assie's bass player,
who's nine Alison Chains and he was very close to
Slash then. So we did have a night like all
night with Slash at his house, and I do there
is a moment where I sort of stumble out, you know,
(07:48):
I'm a kid from Belfast. We're still got the troubles,
we still have all this horrendous stuff going on. And
I am at Slish's house partying with rock stars and
walking out sort of on the sunset strip unlike this
Californian cobalt blue morning. So yeah, I mean I was
aware of how lucky I was to be enjoying the
(08:11):
sort of thing. And then right at the end, I
did you asked about the book being scheduled to come
out and that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I did add a chapter.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
We sort of held it and I wrote a chapter
at the end about the final show. And one of
the things, one of the stories I tell is that
my job at the final show was to get a
poster signed by every artist that that's going to be auption,
I believe, for charity. So I went around like all
the dressing rooms and got everything signed, and Slash was
the very first person to sign that poster because I
(08:41):
walked out of Ozsiy's dressing room and he happened to
be there. He had just been sign checking, and I
sort of said, you know, this poster is for Sharon,
would you mind signing it? And there was a moment
where I could say. He looked at me and was like,
is this kid for real? Kind kid home sixty of course,
but he was like this is this guy for real?
Is he going to stick out on ebear or whatever?
And he says, this is really for Sharon, and I
(09:01):
was like, honestly, it's for Sharon. So he slices was
the very first person to actually sign that poster.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah, thank you for sharing that story. I had read
that because I'm lucky enough to gott in a preview
of your book. And yeah, just like everyone wants stuff
from the Osbourne's, it's the same thing with Slash. So
when you were running around, because obviously you were lucky
enough to be there, I was watching one of the
millions across the globe watching it. Do you were running around?
Did you get to enjoy the show? Did you watch
(09:29):
gn R set at all?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Or I didn't. I was actually working.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
I was getting that poster signed and we had a
million other things to do. We had other posters that
we had to get signed by Sabbath. I was in
Sabbath stressing room, so you know that's to me. I
don't get me wrong with big guns and roses, fine,
but to be to be part of that. I was
in Sabbath stressing room and I was in Alsy stressing room.
But how many people, like in history will go how
(09:56):
many of us were in with Black Sabbath and AlSi
Olsbourne that show because as you can imagine, it was
so restricted backstage and that was so limited, and so
I felt like an honor. I was asked to do
something that you know, think about that. My job was
to go around every rock star who was at that
(10:16):
show and say please sign this poster.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
I no fear familiar because I know you're from Belfast.
I don't know how popular Seinfeld was there. But there
was an episode where George Couldstanza was going all around
to get George Steinbrenner's birthday card signed and he got
it framed, and there was one part they one person
couldn't sign it end up getting fired for it. Was there?
Anybody you made sure you got everybody? Was there? Anybody
(10:41):
left off?
Speaker 3 (10:42):
There was a couple. I did miss a couple of people.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Okay, but I wasn't through lack of trying.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I can tell you that.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Okay, fair, fair enough. Well, Stephen Ray, thank you so much.
I really appreciate your book. And you know, it's one
thing for someone to write a biography, but for someone
who has been had with friends with him since they
were kid, you have a unique perspective about not just Ozzy,
but the Ozzie family who we all were still morning
with them. You know, I watched the video this morning
(11:10):
as we're recording this of the three of them with
a podcast crying together. So we're all cries, we're all
miss AZZI just just thank you for your time and
I look to see what's next coming from you. Thank
you a BZD atty I chack yet yet I would
be glad to be no, no, my thank you. Yeah. Hey, WHOA,
(11:38):
your microphone works, buddy? See that's his audition. He didn't
even even ask him to say the ABC's Hi, Paul.
We're going to talk about Paul McCartney. Did you see
Paul McCartney? Did you have fun? Yeah? Did you sleep? Please?
Don't like the microphone. That is not sanitary. That's gross.
(12:01):
It's gross. So Harrison, we went to Pittsburgh, right mm hmmm,
Pittsburgh and we had to drive a long time wait
there to drive from Queen's where we live. Where's your what?
Where's the well? We got your checkers, we have your checkers.
(12:22):
This could be Harrison's official first co hosting duty, as
we did this review for Paul McCartney. Believe it or not,
it's not his first concert. My wife took him, I guess,
like a year ago to Mexico and she's actually going
again this year. She's gone several times to go see
Dave Matthews, her love her, her, her other husband, and
(12:46):
Harrison obviously. I mean's two and a half now and
he's one. He really was had no awareness and he
had the headphones on. I know your chickens, your chicks,
your checkers fall down, okay, so we can get that.
I thought it would be fun if we could try
(13:06):
to do a coach but they haven't talk about his experience. Well,
we'll say if he joins up again. So this his
his microphone. I got his mic set up for whenever
he wants to join. But he's playing with Connect four
right now and wooden blocks and balls and all life's
treasures until it gets destroyed when you're aware of what
else life has to offer. Enjoy your innocence, Harrison, Can
(13:30):
you say enjoy my innocence? It's gonna get funnier from me.
Do you want to come back? I want to talk
more about Paul McCartney. Okay, so get big, get big lead? Yeah, yeah,
(13:51):
you're small. So Harrison went to his first word. I
consider his first rock concert.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
I do not.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I'm sorry, don't tell your mother. I don't consider Dave
Matthew's rock. So this was your first rock concert? Right?
Can you do rock and roll? Let's see which on
the hands?
Speaker 3 (14:11):
He did it?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Rocking road. That's what I teach him. The if you're
listening on the audio side, the metal horns. I don't
want to teach him it's the sign of the devil
just yet. So we just say rocking rom especially because
his long hair. I want him to because a lot
of people think he's a girl. So those are microphone stands,
(14:32):
So the microphone Paul McCartney. Wasn't he fun? Was he loud? Yeah?
So my first time seeing Paul. Okay, that's okay, here
popping in and out. It works for me. It works
for me. My wife had seen him a couple of
(14:52):
times before with her sister, and I had never had
the opportunity. Her and I maybe two years into dating,
we got see we got to see Ringo Star together,
Ringo's All Star band, and now it was fantastic. But
I almost and I'll give her credit. I always to
my wife, I'm a bit of a homebody nowadays. I
(15:13):
really only want to go out to see guns and roses.
I don't go to a lot. This is very few
shows I want to go to. And not that I
don't want to see Paul McCartney. I mean the Beatles,
the Beatles, the Doors, they're all like they're my guns
and Roses, all my first Beatles, and the doors are
like my number two, two and three. But it's so expensive.
(15:33):
Tickets are so expensive, and I save up just to
see guns and roses. And that's how I operate. My
wife is obviously different, seeing Dave Matthews hundreds of times,
or close to one hundred times at least, but she's like,
he's not coming to New York at least it's not
announced yet, so we should take this trip. She loves
taking road trips and which we've often done with this dude,
(15:59):
with this dude before, so he was used to the
car ride. Even though I'm not good in car rides.
I get sick. Even you know, he's still a little baby.
You know, he obviously can get a antsy, but he's
still he's really good all things considered. He's really good
on a road trip. So we drove to Pittsburgh relatively okay.
(16:19):
But the same day we went up to go see Paul,
and I mean we were settling in. I'm like, okay,
we know, how is he going to be? So we
had taken him the week before to something that was
presented by a classical radio station here at the Queen's Museum,
all our kids stuff, and he liked playing with the
(16:41):
instruments and things like that. But when it time to go,
the time that I went to go into the theater
to watch some of the performances, he like freaked out.
We had to it's gonna be fine. You're gonna watch guitar,
piano and their kids songs. You know, it's all the
kids are having fun. But he's still on the younger side.
So a lot of the kids that are participating in
stuff are like three in four and five. But so,
(17:02):
as I said, he's only two and a half, so
how is he going to react? We all accepted it.
This could be a really expensive lesson learned if he's
just not good for this. So shortly though, shortly before,
he didn't freak out about going in to see Paul.
He's I went in and with my wheelchair. He's sitting
on my lap, so it's long. He's holding me. He's
(17:25):
he has a habit of holding my ear, so he's
pretty content. And then he starts to get maybe a
little antsy before the show. But then he's I think
he's tired because we were driving all day and he
didn't really he napped a little bit on the way up,
and he falls asleep on me, maybe like two minutes
before Paul starts, like Paul McCartney's about to start, and
(17:48):
maybe not even two minutes a minute, so he falls
asleep on me. And I should post this video online.
You know, you don't really see his reaction because I'm
I want to get some video. I'm trying to be
good after my specially after my conversation with Bruce Dickinson
that I don't want to be one of those people
that's always on their phone all the time. I do
(18:10):
it for the podcast, you know, in some memories, and
now especially with him, I want memories with him at
the at the show. So he's fallen asleep from my
shoulder and I'm holding my camera. I want to get
this the beginning, like here's the beginning of Paul McCartney,
and as soon as the opening chords of a lyric
of help, I need somebody his body and he has
(18:31):
headphones on jump but he didn't wake up at all,
and he was asleep for a good hour into the show,
and I'm I'm enjoying it, you know. I love the
fact that my son's sleeping on my my you know,
I'm it's just like it's a special that it's I'm
hearing these songs that maybe I'm amazed and things that
(18:54):
really hit home for me emotionally before I even had
a son or a family, and now now I'm I'm
with them, so very very special. What's his name? That's
not a name, This is a oh, this is Lightning McQueen.
This is Lightning McQueen named after Steve McQueen. He doesn't
(19:14):
even know what cars is yet. I mean, he knows
what a car is, but he doesn't know any of
those types of movies yet. He's uh still learning, learning
phases and building and I mean he knows blue and
blippy and all the all that stuff, which I'm not blue.
He's good Blippy is I don't know. He bugged me
out a little bit, but that's another that's another story
(19:36):
for the time. We'll see. If you know I've been
talking about kids too much in this review of about
Paul McCartney, but if you stumbled upon it, sorry, You know.
This is who I am and what I do, Six
degrees of G N R. Bacon And now I'm involving
my my son, Harrison Rex aka Bat Brownstone, Baby Brownstone
into these uh into these interviews and episodes so really special.
(20:00):
I mean, you know, holding him the entire time, so
I'm switching with my wife he's holding and then the
only when he woke up finally he wasn't. He was
starting to cry and get upset, but it had nothing
to do with him being bored or being too loud,
none of that. It's because we've forgot his and I
(20:20):
have to spell it out because I don't want him
to hear it right now, because he's gonna ask for it.
M I l K. He likes that, as most babies do.
And I'm wondering if you hear his zoo train in
the background. This is going to be a very interesting review.
This could be a this could be a trade wreck.
(20:42):
That sound is this sound of this episode going down
this shitter. But I'm enjoying myself and hopefully you are
as well. So uh uh just he we just we
didn't have any and I don't very strange. I don't
know if it's a Pennsylvania thing. I know they're gonna
shut down alcohol sales after a certain time, but it
(21:03):
was like early it's still like midway through the show,
and like all the food everything was shut down. We
couldn't even try to find milk within the the arena,
the PPG Arena paints arena in Pittsburgh, which is cool,
definitely very cool us someone, I mean, it's similar inside.
(21:24):
I would I kind of feel to Magic Square Garden,
believe it or not, you know, certainly, I mean, I
don't know. It's no shade to the Pittsburgh but MSG
is famou It's called the world's most famous arena this,
but I mean it's kind of like a nice replica.
Outside is definitely certainly very different more than being in
New York City. But you know, we were able to
(21:46):
parking garage to traffic at all ends up being the
same no matter where, no matter where you go. Uh
So we bargained with him and then we just got
him water and he was okay with the water, and
then he was and then we got him popcorn. Half
So I posted the video of and this is the
one video I wanted to make sure I got because
you requested it, and that was Living Let Die. And
(22:07):
that was at the end of the show. It was
like the second the last song before his like six
song encore, which three of those songs are like the same.
You know, it's one song at the end. If you
know the Beatles, you know what I'm talking about. So
he's munching on his popcorn, and my sister in law
and wife, they've seen Paul before. They're aware of that
(22:29):
he has pyro for Living Let Die, and I'm aware
it's gonna happen also. But for some reason they said
to each other during the show and I wasn't I
didn't hear it. That they had only seen him in
outdoor venues, and so they decided amongst themselves, he's not
gonna do pyro. I say that because when you hear them,
you watch the video, and those flames go off duo,
(22:53):
they scream, they scream in like fear and my son,
he's eating his popcorn. He goes like that was the
last one. And even Paul is funny. If you watch
the video, he's covering his ears and Harrison goes, that
was loud, but munching like it didn't affect him, like
he was aware. It doesn't make him completely deaf. Those headphones,
(23:17):
certainly we tested ourselves muffled sound, but he was munching
and happy. No big deal to him. Certainly his favorite part,
his favorite part because he at some points like let's
go home. I want to go home, and we get it.
And if he got certainly really like uncomfortable and he's
freaking out, we don't want to be of those parents
where he's you know, we keep our crying kids somewhere.
(23:40):
That's pissing off all the people. You know. He had
his little moments, but it was nothing terrible, So like,
all right, few more minutes for more minutes and he
suck his dumb and put his head on my shoulder. Whatever.
But then the confetti, the confetti gun man, he would
have loved guns and roses back in the day. When
they did the confetti, his eyes lit up. You know.
(24:00):
I didn't capture it that on camera, but that's in
my brain. So that's that's just as good. I think
he's like, oh, look at all that. You know, that
was very cool. And I got him like, hey, it's over,
it's over now, let's say bye Paul, Bye Paul. And
he starts saying waving to the stage, Bye Paul, Bye Paul.
And it's it's sweet him, like you see, he's playing guitar,
(24:22):
he has piano, you know, piano, you know, so just
when he was awake and aware, just having those experiences
with I'm experiencing Paul McCartney for the first time. Obviously
he is, but just to be able to do I
don't know. I think this was like my first concert,
well it was my first concert being a dad. There.
I've never been to a concert with my son before
(24:44):
and we thought we talked about it last year maybe
when we were going were we went to go see
Slashes Blues Ball, But that that I think we made
the right call by not bringing him, because he obviously
would have been younger, are seatsward much closer, and it
probably would have been like louder. It just would have
(25:04):
been louder, and it just would not he was not
as aware, he would not have been as fun as
he as he is now. So hopefully Slash comes around again,
whether we I mean, I know they will with GNR.
My plan is to take him the Guns of Roses.
That is my plan. I know Slash says they're going
to announce at some point in North American dates. I
(25:25):
don't know where we're gonna go yet. The rumors, I mean,
I don't really know any hardcore rumor yet. As far
as like where they would play, I'm just putting it
out to the universe. I hope they don't play New
Jersey MetLife Stadium anymore. I'm just tired of going there.
They always play there. You know, I want to go.
So maybe we'll travel, Maybe we'll take a note road
(25:45):
trip somewhere else. We gonna put it back. Where do
you want to put it back in there? You can
do it. So maybe we'll come to one of your
cities to go see guns of roses in North America.
When it's announced. My wife is always up to doing it.
Oh oh, that sounded funny. Up to travel, well, yeah,
(26:06):
but I mean she's always up to she's miss travels.
She gets to asked, she's like, do you mind if
I go to Mexico with my friend to go see
Dave Matthews and leave Harrison with you this time? Sure?
So she's, uh, she's mistravel miss concert, you know, which
is just boats for a fun life, especially with him.
And it was a realt It was a success. It
(26:27):
really was a success with him. We laughed, we cried,
he slept, We eat French fries. It was a good time. So, Paul,
I mean, they could have been the last time. So
I'm glad. I thank you to my wife for convincing me.
Because tickets are weren't as expensive as you might think,
but they were still a few hundred dollars, and of
(26:49):
course the long road trip. But this is a memory
I'm gonna have forever that we're gonna have forever. We'll
see I don't know if he'll have any but he'll
have some videos and pictures to look back on and
He's like, nice, slept on a beatle? How did that happen?
And when he starts talking about George Harrison, I'm like,
that's that's your namesake? Does it goes over his head?
But Paul was. I mean, I'm glad. I just part
(27:12):
of me is like I wish I kept some more
videos of his stories because he told great stories in
between the songs, and like about Jimi Hendrix, about John
about you know, just growing up. It was just very
special to hear him talk. I mean it was as
special as the songs themselves. Really. I'm like, it's kind
(27:34):
of like almost like a little storyteller's with Paul McCartney.
And I have to reach out and forgive me at
this time, I can't help multitask more than I am.
His drummer used to play with a few of you
mentioned this to me that I didn't know this. This
was after my Dan Economy interview with the old manager
(27:54):
of the Outpatients with west Arkeen that the drummer is
now Paul Summer. I didn't know that. I sent him
an ig request no response yet, but I mean he
stopped touring, so I don't expect him to respond, right
now anyway, so hopefully that's a future interview. I mean,
that's a cool connection somebody who trumped for West Arkeen
(28:15):
and he was awesome. He was really one of the
stars with this, obviously Paul, but just his passion, his
playing the band was great. The music was obviously great.
And one thing I do need to say before I
get out of here, because this is probably the most important,
like how did he sound Paul? He sounds older. Did
(28:37):
it take away from any of the experience? No, no,
it's I mean you certainly hear it more in these
slower songs like maybe I'm amazed, but that's Paul McCartney.
That's there's no mistaking it wasn't any painful to listen to.
You just hear an aged voice, and so it was.
I appreciated it. I really did. I kind of I
(28:59):
wouldn't want it to be anything else, but that's him
how he is. Now if I want to hear the records,
then I'll listen to the records. So when I posted
the video of liv and Let Die, there was a
fan that said, wow, that said on my Facebook that
sounds really bad. And I'll tell you when I listened
back to the video, he sounds significantly. I don't want
(29:23):
to say worse, because he didn't sound bad during the show.
I mean it was enjoyable. He didn't sound good in
the video, but I was like, all right, it's still
Paul whatever. It wasn't like it. But there's a difference.
And it's the same difference I've spoken about with Axel
Rose live versus a recording. And it sounds crazy. It's like,
I see it, I recorded it. How is that not real?
(29:45):
Why are you telling me I'm not hearing what I'm hearing.
I can't explain the science behind it. Whatever the speakers
are on an iPhone, pick up the specifics and a
certain person's voice their timber and isolating different instruments for
the I don't know how it works. All I could
tell you is that Paul McCartney sounds great live an
(30:08):
Axel Rose sounds great live. Do they sound the same
as they did in their heyday?
Speaker 1 (30:16):
No?
Speaker 2 (30:17):
No. Also two very different styles of singing where people
just say, oh, well, this person's older than actual they
can sing. They sing like Axel, they sing like Axel Rose. No.
I think Alice Cooper recently came out and said that
He's been able to maintain his voice because he's the
middle range. People don't have axles range. There's no one
(30:38):
to compare him to. Oh, your fingers are trapped. His
fingers are trappedn't it? They connect for and this is
gonna be the weirdest for you whoever. But I wanted
to test it up. I said, I want like, I
wanted to do this in the car and work out.
So let's let's turn this into a car crash instead.
But I wanted to get that that point out there
because that was just very important. Because every person I've
(31:03):
spoken to who went to Guns of Roses Live this
most recent tour has has left the show happy. But
then you'll see comments on videos, and it's usually for
people who could not attend, so it's good. It's the
same for Paul McCartney. Yeah, we do want you trapped.
He has this game where we play with our fingers.
(31:25):
We call it the Weezer. I don't know. It has
nothing to do with the rivers Cuomo and we do,
but we didn't come in all right, I should probably
be a good father and actually play with him. So
I'm gonna go do that. But uh, if you have
the means, please go see Paul McCartney. I can, Harrison.
I can't wait to take you to see guns and Roses.
(31:46):
All right, so let's wrap up this, uh, this review.
Only play with my son to be a good father,
all right. So that does it for this episode of
Appetite for distortion. Harrison in the words when we see
the next one. In the words of AXL. Rose, concerning
Chinese democracy, I don't know if as soon as the
word Harrison say, but you'll see it. But you'll see
(32:07):
it thanks to the lame as security.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
I'm going home
And Slish was the very first person to sign that
poster because I walked out of Alsie dressing room and
he happened to be there.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Well, Welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion, Episode number
five hundred and forty. My name is Brando. Welcome to
the podcast, mister Stephen Ray, how are you, sir?
Speaker 3 (00:20):
I'm good. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Normally as our mutual friend Bill, who's running this tour.
I'm usually sitting at home in my comfortable studio, but
I'm actually on my way back from Pittsburgh right now
with my wife and son because we just saw Paul McCartney. Wow.
So I just thought i'd mentioned that just because I
always think when I I think a lot of things
(00:43):
when I think of the Beatles and Paul McCartney. But
how cool it was for Ozzy, someone like Ozzie who
really idolized them and almost like wanted to be a beadle.
So there's my transition right there. So Steve o author,
it says Steve on your uh eartam, if you're listening
(01:03):
on just audio, I don't want people to think of
assuming you were. I'm thinking we're best friends yet, So
Ozzie and means the name of your new book, And
if you can kind of tell us how you know
your friendship started. I guess you can thank your mom
for that, And what Ozzie suggested writing all these things down?
And when did you decide to write this book, like
(01:26):
when did you star it all together?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Yeah, it's a crazy story.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Back in nineteen eighty five, so of course, years before
the Internet or anything, he announced he was doing a
show called Rock and Rio, which at the time was
the biggest rock festival the world I'd ever seen.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
It was a ten day event. It had Assie and a.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
CDC and Queen and Rod Stewart and Yes and all
these headliners that were sort of voted by the people
of Brazil. And my dad suggests that I thought he
was joking that we should go and see this. Sure,
And I was a huge Aussie fan at the time.
And my mom wrote to the Aussie Osbourne Fan club
and said, we're thinking about going to Brazil. We have
(02:02):
no idea how you get tickets or anything about where
the show is or organization or anything at all. Can
you please give us some details? And Ozsie secretary called
my mom and said, if you guys are serious about
going to Rio, and if you get yourself there, don't
worry about anything. We'll take care of everything once you're there.
And they did, and we went to Rio, and they
(02:24):
gave me a backstage pass. I watched Ozzie's shows from
the side of the stage. I traveled to the gig
and Ozzie's bus on Ozzie's bus, and then on the
last day, Ozsie invited me and my parents to have
breakfast with him before we left, just the four of us,
now handlers or security or assistance or anything. And so
(02:46):
that was the start. That was how I met Ozzie
and the start of our friendship. But to your the
second part of your question as to why did I
write the book, the short answer is a soccer injury.
I hurt myself playing soccer back in January twenty and
I had an operation and I was in a cast,
and I couldn't go anywhere, I couldn't do anything.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
And it was a story.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
That's sort of been obviously bouncing around in my head
for so long, and I thought, I really don't have
an excuse not to write this story, so of course
I started it in January twenty twenty. We all know
what happened in March twenty twenty, and then I was
I was basically in the house for that year, and
that's when I knocked out that first draft.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Of the book.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Okay, so is it safe to say that this book
was not meant initially to be post posthumously as this wasn't.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Absolutely it was always It took six years. January will
be six years since I started writing the book, and
it's gone through a lot of changes and everything else.
And it was always scheduled to come out in November
twenty twenty five. And in fact, one of the things
that I was worried about, Jack mentions this. Jack Ozzie
Selm was kind enough to write me forward and he
(03:58):
mentions this in his form word that when it happened,
I was so worried that the family were going to
think it was like a Kaishin that had been rushed
just to Kaishan on his death, which of course had
hadn't been had been scheduled year in events. But Jack
knew that Jack had read an early version of the book.
Everybody that I had worked for the osbourness or in
the Osbourne family knew I had written this book and
(04:20):
knew it, and also hopefully that I'm not the sort
of person that would ever kaishen on something like this.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, and I think that's important just for people to
to hear. But I mean, if you read anything about
yourself or the book and where the friendship started, I
just think that's so cool. Why do you think, because
I'm sure they the Osbourne's Ozzie have gotten if not
millions of fan you know, requests throughout his career. Was
(04:48):
your mom just that goes you a lawyer? Or was
she good that persuasive? What do you what do you
what do you think it was about you and your family.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
That I think the the initial entry, if your like,
I think was a few things. One was it was
just so crazy. I mean, again, we live in an
age of intercontinental travel and flysh sales for airlines and
this sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
But this is forty years ago.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
This is Belfast in the nineteen eighties that was known
for people blowing each other up and shooting each other.
And the fact that this fifteen year old was going
to go six thousand miles to see this show. I
think part of that was just the ridiculousness of it.
The second thing was the Osbornes have always fostered a
kind of family atmosphere. You know, alo Osi had this
(05:32):
reputation He's the Prince of Darkness, He's the wild man
of rock and everything else. They take care of people,
They care about the people that they know and the
people who work for them. And I think part of
it was they did sort of take me under their wing.
I was fifteen years old. I went and tour with
him at sixteen years old. I was young enough. I
obviously wasn't an adult, you know, some awareness. But at
(05:53):
the same time, I think part of it was they
saw me as like part of their family and whatever
reason they liked me, I guess, and they were okay
having me around and I didn't. One of the things
I sort of talk about later in the book is
that you've been around them, people want things from them
(06:14):
all the time. People always want when you come on
our podcast, will you sign this record? Will you appear
at my at my store? Well you do this video.
People want things from them always, and I like to
think I never ask them for anything.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I like that, and they probably that they can tell.
They can tell when someone's sincere and someone's trying to
use them. It's I think that's special and it speaks
to kind of person that you are, that you're your
parents were, So I think that's that's super super special.
And before because I know we got a limited time
and you're you're doing a press or tour, you know
you might be able to see them wearing my guns
(06:53):
and roses and the if you know the name of
the podcast, Appetite for Distortion, so always using his six
degrees of gene are big and I've had some good
Ozzy conversations, especially with Billy Morrison who's been on the pod.
So the six degrees, I guess for you because Slash
has mentioned quite a few times in the book. So
(07:17):
I know you said you party with him. I don't
know if you want to talk about partying with him,
but what can you say about maybe your experiences with
Slash who was also friends with Lazy.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
So yeah, a couple of so a couple So yeah,
I did.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Actually I had a night at his at his how
I said, I don't know if he still lives there
in LA. This is back in the nineties. My good
friend is Mike Iaes, who used to be Assie's bass player,
who's nine Alison Chains and he was very close to
Slash then. So we did have a night like all
night with Slash at his house, and I do there
is a moment where I sort of stumble out, you know,
(07:48):
I'm a kid from Belfast. We're still got the troubles,
we still have all this horrendous stuff going on. And
I am at Slish's house partying with rock stars and
walking out sort of on the sunset strip unlike this
Californian cobalt blue morning. So yeah, I mean I was
aware of how lucky I was to be enjoying the
(08:11):
sort of thing. And then right at the end, I
did you asked about the book being scheduled to come
out and that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
I did add a chapter.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
We sort of held it and I wrote a chapter
at the end about the final show. And one of
the things, one of the stories I tell is that
my job at the final show was to get a
poster signed by every artist that that's going to be auption,
I believe, for charity. So I went around like all
the dressing rooms and got everything signed, and Slash was
the very first person to sign that poster because I
(08:41):
walked out of Ozsiy's dressing room and he happened to
be there. He had just been sign checking, and I
sort of said, you know, this poster is for Sharon,
would you mind signing it? And there was a moment
where I could say. He looked at me and was like,
is this kid for real? Kind kid home sixty of course,
but he was like this is this guy for real?
Is he going to stick out on ebear or whatever?
And he says, this is really for Sharon, and I
(09:01):
was like, honestly, it's for Sharon. So he slices was
the very first person to actually sign that poster.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah, thank you for sharing that story. I had read
that because I'm lucky enough to gott in a preview
of your book. And yeah, just like everyone wants stuff
from the Osbourne's, it's the same thing with Slash. So
when you were running around, because obviously you were lucky
enough to be there, I was watching one of the
millions across the globe watching it. Do you were running around?
Did you get to enjoy the show? Did you watch
(09:29):
gn R set at all?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Or I didn't. I was actually working.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
I was getting that poster signed and we had a
million other things to do. We had other posters that
we had to get signed by Sabbath. I was in
Sabbath stressing room, so you know that's to me. I
don't get me wrong with big guns and roses, fine,
but to be to be part of that. I was
in Sabbath stressing room and I was in Alsy stressing room.
But how many people, like in history will go how
(09:56):
many of us were in with Black Sabbath and AlSi
Olsbourne that show because as you can imagine, it was
so restricted backstage and that was so limited, and so
I felt like an honor. I was asked to do
something that you know, think about that. My job was
to go around every rock star who was at that
(10:16):
show and say please sign this poster.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
I no fear familiar because I know you're from Belfast.
I don't know how popular Seinfeld was there. But there
was an episode where George Couldstanza was going all around
to get George Steinbrenner's birthday card signed and he got
it framed, and there was one part they one person
couldn't sign it end up getting fired for it. Was there?
Anybody you made sure you got everybody? Was there? Anybody
(10:41):
left off?
Speaker 3 (10:42):
There was a couple. I did miss a couple of people.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Okay, but I wasn't through lack of trying.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I can tell you that.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Okay, fair, fair enough. Well, Stephen Ray, thank you so much.
I really appreciate your book. And you know, it's one
thing for someone to write a biography, but for someone
who has been had with friends with him since they
were kid, you have a unique perspective about not just Ozzy,
but the Ozzie family who we all were still morning
with them. You know, I watched the video this morning
(11:10):
as we're recording this of the three of them with
a podcast crying together. So we're all cries, we're all
miss AZZI just just thank you for your time and
I look to see what's next coming from you. Thank
you a BZD atty I chack yet yet I would
be glad to be no, no, my thank you. Yeah. Hey, WHOA,
(11:38):
your microphone works, buddy? See that's his audition. He didn't
even even ask him to say the ABC's Hi, Paul.
We're going to talk about Paul McCartney. Did you see
Paul McCartney? Did you have fun? Yeah? Did you sleep? Please?
Don't like the microphone. That is not sanitary. That's gross.
(12:01):
It's gross. So Harrison, we went to Pittsburgh, right mm hmmm,
Pittsburgh and we had to drive a long time wait
there to drive from Queen's where we live. Where's your what?
Where's the well? We got your checkers, we have your checkers.
(12:22):
This could be Harrison's official first co hosting duty, as
we did this review for Paul McCartney. Believe it or not,
it's not his first concert. My wife took him, I guess,
like a year ago to Mexico and she's actually going
again this year. She's gone several times to go see
Dave Matthews, her love her, her, her other husband, and
(12:46):
Harrison obviously. I mean's two and a half now and
he's one. He really was had no awareness and he
had the headphones on. I know your chickens, your chicks,
your checkers fall down, okay, so we can get that.
I thought it would be fun if we could try
(13:06):
to do a coach but they haven't talk about his experience. Well,
we'll say if he joins up again. So this his
his microphone. I got his mic set up for whenever
he wants to join. But he's playing with Connect four
right now and wooden blocks and balls and all life's
treasures until it gets destroyed when you're aware of what
else life has to offer. Enjoy your innocence, Harrison, Can
(13:30):
you say enjoy my innocence? It's gonna get funnier from me.
Do you want to come back? I want to talk
more about Paul McCartney. Okay, so get big, get big lead? Yeah, yeah,
(13:51):
you're small. So Harrison went to his first word. I
consider his first rock concert.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
I do not.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
I'm sorry, don't tell your mother. I don't consider Dave
Matthew's rock. So this was your first rock concert? Right?
Can you do rock and roll? Let's see which on
the hands?
Speaker 3 (14:11):
He did it?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Rocking road. That's what I teach him. The if you're
listening on the audio side, the metal horns. I don't
want to teach him it's the sign of the devil
just yet. So we just say rocking rom especially because
his long hair. I want him to because a lot
of people think he's a girl. So those are microphone stands,
(14:32):
So the microphone Paul McCartney. Wasn't he fun? Was he loud? Yeah?
So my first time seeing Paul. Okay, that's okay, here
popping in and out. It works for me. It works
for me. My wife had seen him a couple of
(14:52):
times before with her sister, and I had never had
the opportunity. Her and I maybe two years into dating,
we got see we got to see Ringo Star together,
Ringo's All Star band, and now it was fantastic. But
I almost and I'll give her credit. I always to
my wife, I'm a bit of a homebody nowadays. I
(15:13):
really only want to go out to see guns and roses.
I don't go to a lot. This is very few
shows I want to go to. And not that I
don't want to see Paul McCartney. I mean the Beatles,
the Beatles, the Doors, they're all like they're my guns
and Roses, all my first Beatles, and the doors are
like my number two, two and three. But it's so expensive.
(15:33):
Tickets are so expensive, and I save up just to
see guns and roses. And that's how I operate. My
wife is obviously different, seeing Dave Matthews hundreds of times,
or close to one hundred times at least, but she's like,
he's not coming to New York at least it's not
announced yet, so we should take this trip. She loves
taking road trips and which we've often done with this dude,
(15:59):
with this dude before, so he was used to the
car ride. Even though I'm not good in car rides.
I get sick. Even you know, he's still a little baby.
You know, he obviously can get a antsy, but he's
still he's really good all things considered. He's really good
on a road trip. So we drove to Pittsburgh relatively okay.
(16:19):
But the same day we went up to go see Paul,
and I mean we were settling in. I'm like, okay,
we know, how is he going to be? So we
had taken him the week before to something that was
presented by a classical radio station here at the Queen's Museum,
all our kids stuff, and he liked playing with the
(16:41):
instruments and things like that. But when it time to go,
the time that I went to go into the theater
to watch some of the performances, he like freaked out.
We had to it's gonna be fine. You're gonna watch guitar,
piano and their kids songs. You know, it's all the
kids are having fun. But he's still on the younger side.
So a lot of the kids that are participating in
stuff are like three in four and five. But so,
(17:02):
as I said, he's only two and a half, so
how is he going to react? We all accepted it.
This could be a really expensive lesson learned if he's
just not good for this. So shortly though, shortly before,
he didn't freak out about going in to see Paul.
He's I went in and with my wheelchair. He's sitting
on my lap, so it's long. He's holding me. He's
(17:25):
he has a habit of holding my ear, so he's
pretty content. And then he starts to get maybe a
little antsy before the show. But then he's I think
he's tired because we were driving all day and he
didn't really he napped a little bit on the way up,
and he falls asleep on me, maybe like two minutes
before Paul starts, like Paul McCartney's about to start, and
(17:48):
maybe not even two minutes a minute, so he falls
asleep on me. And I should post this video online.
You know, you don't really see his reaction because I'm
I want to get some video. I'm trying to be
good after my specially after my conversation with Bruce Dickinson
that I don't want to be one of those people
that's always on their phone all the time. I do
(18:10):
it for the podcast, you know, in some memories, and
now especially with him, I want memories with him at
the at the show. So he's fallen asleep from my
shoulder and I'm holding my camera. I want to get
this the beginning, like here's the beginning of Paul McCartney,
and as soon as the opening chords of a lyric
of help, I need somebody his body and he has
(18:31):
headphones on jump but he didn't wake up at all,
and he was asleep for a good hour into the show,
and I'm I'm enjoying it, you know. I love the
fact that my son's sleeping on my my you know,
I'm it's just like it's a special that it's I'm
hearing these songs that maybe I'm amazed and things that
(18:54):
really hit home for me emotionally before I even had
a son or a family, and now now I'm I'm
with them, so very very special. What's his name? That's
not a name, This is a oh, this is Lightning McQueen.
This is Lightning McQueen named after Steve McQueen. He doesn't
(19:14):
even know what cars is yet. I mean, he knows
what a car is, but he doesn't know any of
those types of movies yet. He's uh still learning, learning
phases and building and I mean he knows blue and
blippy and all the all that stuff, which I'm not blue.
He's good Blippy is I don't know. He bugged me
out a little bit, but that's another that's another story
(19:36):
for the time. We'll see. If you know I've been
talking about kids too much in this review of about
Paul McCartney, but if you stumbled upon it, sorry, You know.
This is who I am and what I do, Six
degrees of G N R. Bacon And now I'm involving
my my son, Harrison Rex aka Bat Brownstone, Baby Brownstone
into these uh into these interviews and episodes so really special.
(20:00):
I mean, you know, holding him the entire time, so
I'm switching with my wife he's holding and then the
only when he woke up finally he wasn't. He was
starting to cry and get upset, but it had nothing
to do with him being bored or being too loud,
none of that. It's because we've forgot his and I
(20:20):
have to spell it out because I don't want him
to hear it right now, because he's gonna ask for it.
M I l K. He likes that, as most babies do.
And I'm wondering if you hear his zoo train in
the background. This is going to be a very interesting review.
This could be a this could be a trade wreck.
(20:42):
That sound is this sound of this episode going down
this shitter. But I'm enjoying myself and hopefully you are
as well. So uh uh just he we just we
didn't have any and I don't very strange. I don't
know if it's a Pennsylvania thing. I know they're gonna
shut down alcohol sales after a certain time, but it
(21:03):
was like early it's still like midway through the show,
and like all the food everything was shut down. We
couldn't even try to find milk within the the arena,
the PPG Arena paints arena in Pittsburgh, which is cool,
definitely very cool us someone, I mean, it's similar inside.
(21:24):
I would I kind of feel to Magic Square Garden,
believe it or not, you know, certainly, I mean, I
don't know. It's no shade to the Pittsburgh but MSG
is famou It's called the world's most famous arena this,
but I mean it's kind of like a nice replica.
Outside is definitely certainly very different more than being in
New York City. But you know, we were able to
(21:46):
parking garage to traffic at all ends up being the
same no matter where, no matter where you go. Uh
So we bargained with him and then we just got
him water and he was okay with the water, and
then he was and then we got him popcorn. Half
So I posted the video of and this is the
one video I wanted to make sure I got because
you requested it, and that was Living Let Die. And
(22:07):
that was at the end of the show. It was
like the second the last song before his like six
song encore, which three of those songs are like the same.
You know, it's one song at the end. If you
know the Beatles, you know what I'm talking about. So
he's munching on his popcorn, and my sister in law
and wife, they've seen Paul before. They're aware of that
(22:29):
he has pyro for Living Let Die, and I'm aware
it's gonna happen also. But for some reason they said
to each other during the show and I wasn't I
didn't hear it. That they had only seen him in
outdoor venues, and so they decided amongst themselves, he's not
gonna do pyro. I say that because when you hear them,
you watch the video, and those flames go off duo,
(22:53):
they scream, they scream in like fear and my son,
he's eating his popcorn. He goes like that was the
last one. And even Paul is funny. If you watch
the video, he's covering his ears and Harrison goes, that
was loud, but munching like it didn't affect him, like
he was aware. It doesn't make him completely deaf. Those headphones,
(23:17):
certainly we tested ourselves muffled sound, but he was munching
and happy. No big deal to him. Certainly his favorite part,
his favorite part because he at some points like let's
go home. I want to go home, and we get it.
And if he got certainly really like uncomfortable and he's
freaking out, we don't want to be of those parents
where he's you know, we keep our crying kids somewhere.
(23:40):
That's pissing off all the people. You know. He had
his little moments, but it was nothing terrible, So like,
all right, few more minutes for more minutes and he
suck his dumb and put his head on my shoulder. Whatever.
But then the confetti, the confetti gun man, he would
have loved guns and roses back in the day. When
they did the confetti, his eyes lit up. You know.
(24:00):
I didn't capture it that on camera, but that's in
my brain. So that's that's just as good. I think
he's like, oh, look at all that. You know, that
was very cool. And I got him like, hey, it's over,
it's over now, let's say bye Paul, Bye Paul. And
he starts saying waving to the stage, Bye Paul, Bye Paul.
And it's it's sweet him, like you see, he's playing guitar,
(24:22):
he has piano, you know, piano, you know, so just
when he was awake and aware, just having those experiences
with I'm experiencing Paul McCartney for the first time. Obviously
he is, but just to be able to do I
don't know. I think this was like my first concert,
well it was my first concert being a dad. There.
I've never been to a concert with my son before
(24:44):
and we thought we talked about it last year maybe
when we were going were we went to go see
Slashes Blues Ball, But that that I think we made
the right call by not bringing him, because he obviously
would have been younger, are seatsward much closer, and it
probably would have been like louder. It just would have
(25:04):
been louder, and it just would not he was not
as aware, he would not have been as fun as
he as he is now. So hopefully Slash comes around again,
whether we I mean, I know they will with GNR.
My plan is to take him the Guns of Roses.
That is my plan. I know Slash says they're going
to announce at some point in North American dates. I
(25:25):
don't know where we're gonna go yet. The rumors, I mean,
I don't really know any hardcore rumor yet. As far
as like where they would play, I'm just putting it
out to the universe. I hope they don't play New
Jersey MetLife Stadium anymore. I'm just tired of going there.
They always play there. You know, I want to go.
So maybe we'll travel, Maybe we'll take a note road
(25:45):
trip somewhere else. We gonna put it back. Where do
you want to put it back in there? You can
do it. So maybe we'll come to one of your
cities to go see guns of roses in North America.
When it's announced. My wife is always up to doing it.
Oh oh, that sounded funny. Up to travel, well, yeah,
(26:06):
but I mean she's always up to she's miss travels.
She gets to asked, she's like, do you mind if
I go to Mexico with my friend to go see
Dave Matthews and leave Harrison with you this time? Sure?
So she's, uh, she's mistravel miss concert, you know, which
is just boats for a fun life, especially with him.
And it was a realt It was a success. It
(26:27):
really was a success with him. We laughed, we cried,
he slept, We eat French fries. It was a good time. So, Paul,
I mean, they could have been the last time. So
I'm glad. I thank you to my wife for convincing me.
Because tickets are weren't as expensive as you might think,
but they were still a few hundred dollars, and of
(26:49):
course the long road trip. But this is a memory
I'm gonna have forever that we're gonna have forever. We'll
see I don't know if he'll have any but he'll
have some videos and pictures to look back on and
He's like, nice, slept on a beatle? How did that happen?
And when he starts talking about George Harrison, I'm like,
that's that's your namesake? Does it goes over his head?
But Paul was. I mean, I'm glad. I just part
(27:12):
of me is like I wish I kept some more
videos of his stories because he told great stories in
between the songs, and like about Jimi Hendrix, about John
about you know, just growing up. It was just very
special to hear him talk. I mean it was as
special as the songs themselves. Really. I'm like, it's kind
(27:34):
of like almost like a little storyteller's with Paul McCartney.
And I have to reach out and forgive me at
this time, I can't help multitask more than I am.
His drummer used to play with a few of you
mentioned this to me that I didn't know this. This
was after my Dan Economy interview with the old manager
(27:54):
of the Outpatients with west Arkeen that the drummer is
now Paul Summer. I didn't know that. I sent him
an ig request no response yet, but I mean he
stopped touring, so I don't expect him to respond, right
now anyway, so hopefully that's a future interview. I mean,
that's a cool connection somebody who trumped for West Arkeen
(28:15):
and he was awesome. He was really one of the
stars with this, obviously Paul, but just his passion, his
playing the band was great. The music was obviously great.
And one thing I do need to say before I
get out of here, because this is probably the most important,
like how did he sound Paul? He sounds older. Did
(28:37):
it take away from any of the experience? No, no,
it's I mean you certainly hear it more in these
slower songs like maybe I'm amazed, but that's Paul McCartney.
That's there's no mistaking it wasn't any painful to listen to.
You just hear an aged voice, and so it was.
I appreciated it. I really did. I kind of I
(28:59):
wouldn't want it to be anything else, but that's him
how he is. Now if I want to hear the records,
then I'll listen to the records. So when I posted
the video of liv and Let Die, there was a
fan that said, wow, that said on my Facebook that
sounds really bad. And I'll tell you when I listened
back to the video, he sounds significantly. I don't want
(29:23):
to say worse, because he didn't sound bad during the show.
I mean it was enjoyable. He didn't sound good in
the video, but I was like, all right, it's still
Paul whatever. It wasn't like it. But there's a difference.
And it's the same difference I've spoken about with Axel
Rose live versus a recording. And it sounds crazy. It's like,
I see it, I recorded it. How is that not real?
(29:45):
Why are you telling me I'm not hearing what I'm hearing.
I can't explain the science behind it. Whatever the speakers
are on an iPhone, pick up the specifics and a
certain person's voice their timber and isolating different instruments for
the I don't know how it works. All I could
tell you is that Paul McCartney sounds great live an
(30:08):
Axel Rose sounds great live. Do they sound the same
as they did in their heyday?
Speaker 1 (30:16):
No?
Speaker 2 (30:17):
No. Also two very different styles of singing where people
just say, oh, well, this person's older than actual they
can sing. They sing like Axel, they sing like Axel Rose. No.
I think Alice Cooper recently came out and said that
He's been able to maintain his voice because he's the
middle range. People don't have axles range. There's no one
(30:38):
to compare him to. Oh, your fingers are trapped. His
fingers are trappedn't it? They connect for and this is
gonna be the weirdest for you whoever. But I wanted
to test it up. I said, I want like, I
wanted to do this in the car and work out.
So let's let's turn this into a car crash instead.
But I wanted to get that that point out there
because that was just very important. Because every person I've
(31:03):
spoken to who went to Guns of Roses Live this
most recent tour has has left the show happy. But
then you'll see comments on videos, and it's usually for
people who could not attend, so it's good. It's the
same for Paul McCartney. Yeah, we do want you trapped.
He has this game where we play with our fingers.
(31:25):
We call it the Weezer. I don't know. It has
nothing to do with the rivers Cuomo and we do,
but we didn't come in all right, I should probably
be a good father and actually play with him. So
I'm gonna go do that. But uh, if you have
the means, please go see Paul McCartney. I can, Harrison.
I can't wait to take you to see guns and Roses.
(31:46):
All right, so let's wrap up this, uh, this review.
Only play with my son to be a good father,
all right. So that does it for this episode of
Appetite for distortion. Harrison in the words when we see
the next one. In the words of AXL. Rose, concerning
Chinese democracy, I don't know if as soon as the
word Harrison say, but you'll see it. But you'll see
(32:07):
it thanks to the lame as security.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
I'm going home
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