Chris Caffery, Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist, is currently on the road with TSO in North America. He has issued the following comments regarding the fans:

"I have stated many times that every TSO crowd is great. We love playing each show. There is not one time that we ever are disappointed one tiny bit in a crowd or their response.

Like anything in life this tour will have it's extra special moments. I like to point them out because people ask me about this all the time.

This is a winter concert/holiday show. We are not expecting you to be on your feet every song and screaming the whole time. When you get to an audience where this type of this is happening the whole time is a pleasant surprise.

I played one concert in Greece where our intro tape which was 'Show Must Go On' by QUEEN had a louder response than most any Savatage crowd ever...for Savatage!!! I stood there before the show thinking whatever happened for the rest of my life that everything I did was worth this one moment. It was that surreal. The rest of the show was insane. The kids were singing my solos. They were singing the songs louder than the PA. These type of Savatage crowds act like the crowd you see at the very end of the TSO show for most of the entire show in some countries. I dont expect the crowds to do this. Some places it just happens. Brazil, Greece to name a few. I was never disappointed in a Savatage crowd, you just like to point out the situations that are special. I could do this in a private journal at home. I choose to do it here for you to read.

We all love to play in this band. We enjoy every second of every show. I consider myself the luckiest person alive every day when I step onstage 'til the minute I leave. I don't need every person screaming to enjoy this. I would enjoy playing in front of three people in a coffee house.

On the road you get ill, tired, things happen at home...we are human. We do 8 shows a week. If I talk about an inhuman ability to to 14 shows a week with insane crowds it is a figure of speech. A way of expressing a little extra gratitude to a special moment.

Every concert is special, every single fan is special, every moment is special...But it is live...not every note is correct, not every person in the band is 100% each night, not every stage cue is perfect, and not every crowd is the same... "

Peace
C

Source BW&BK

IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson is giving away two tickets to Maiden's last show of their current world tour, which takes place at Earl's Court in London, England on Saturday, December 23rd. You must answer the following question correctly to be in th erunning:

Question: On what day is Maiden's new single 'Different World' to be released?

E-mail your answers to bruce.6music@bbc.co.uk. Competition closes on Tuesday, December 19th.

Source BBC

Ozzy Osbourne is "getting ready to tour next April" in support of his new solo album, Ozzy 's wife/manager Sharon Osbourne revealed during an appearance on the "Dr. Phil" show earlier today (Thursday, December 14). "Three years this Christmas, [he's] clean and sober," she added.

Ozzy Osbourne has currently worked on his two brand new studio albums. The first album is set to be released in Feb 2007. Most of the music was recorded before Ozzfest in May with Mike Bordin (drums), Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (bass) and Zakk Wylde (guitar). The second one is the soundtrack to Ozzy 's musical about controversial Russian politician Grigory Rasputin . The album will be released first, and then the play will debut on Broadway or as a touring show according to Osbourne .

Source BBM