Grumpyrocker

In an appalling display of unprofessionalism and bad manners, Sharon Osbourne and her entourage recently launched a dramatic mid-gig assault on metal legends Iron Maiden.

As this report shows, Iron Maiden battled against being pelted with objects during the gig in Los Angeles a few days ago and constant sabotage such as Osbourne cronies switching off the PA system.

In a statement at IronMaiden.com, the band's manager Rod "Sheriff of Huddersfield" Smallwood explained the shocking events of 20th August and the band's reaction.

In 30 years in this business and after attending hundreds of gigs l have never seen anything anywhere near as disgusting and unprofessional as what went on that night. I was standing on our sound desk out front as usual but ran to the stage as soon as the hail of missiles began and from then on watched from the front of the stage right next to Bruce's walkway. The scale, viciousness and concentration of the throwing made it obvious that this was a premeditated and co-ordinated attack. Assaulting musicians while performing by throwing bottle tops, lighters and eggs at them from just a few yards away is vile, dangerous, criminal and cowardly.

And in the end what was all this about?? If l had any sort of problem or misunderstanding with a band working on a tour we were involved in l would go and talk to them or their manager - not wait until the end of a tour and assault and ambush them. Or was that really it?

I find it staggering that this ambush would take place in front of any audience, let alone in San Bernardino, the biggest audience of the tour. Didn't that audience merit any consideration? They pay an awful lot to be there in terms of prices for tickets, parking, food, beer etc. Surely if they spend this sort of money they deserve to watch the bands they paid to see be able to put in a full unhindered performance. Free of danger and intimidation. If I had paid I would ask for my money back

I have to say l was immensely proud of Maiden who stood up to it all and showed great courage and just got better and better through the adversity. Their heads never dropped; instead they went on the offensive. It was a truly memorable moment when Bruce went to the very front of the stage during Trooper - something which he never normally does as he is usually on the ramps - waving the flag whilst avoiding the hail of missiles and yelling 'This is a fucking British flag, and these colours don't fucking run!'. The imperturbable attitude and ability of the band shone through and in the end made this a truly remarkable rock and roll event, even if for all the wrong reasons.

Thankfully the audience, badly treated and disrespected by the Osbournes, did not take the behaviour at the Ozzfest lightly. When Sharon Osbourne took to the stage to half-heartedly thank Iron Maiden for their set, she was booed and pelted with objects by a crowd that had seen through her actions.

Osbourne tried to explain the shocking behaviour at the Ozzfest website, where she said, "It also offended me every night how he took out the English flag in America. There are American boys going to war alongside the English boys every day. How dare he forget the American troops on their home turf. He has had no respect for the American audience he has been playing for."

Is this the best she has? Bruce Dickinson has been waiving the Union Flag for years during the The Trooper, a song about the Crimean War. The flag, of course, is actually British and also represents Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland - something that Sharon Osbourne failed to recognise in her pathetic discussion of disrespect and the flag.

Both Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne were, until these recent events, people I really respected. However the events at the Ozzfest show where metal's hardest working and best live band Iron Maiden were victims of extremely pathetic behaviour, have left me feeling that the Osbourne's really aren't worth the respect of anyone.