ESP EXCLUSIVE: Behind the scenes with Gus G. and Ozzy

Last night, we got an invite to go hang out at a rehearsal for an upcoming tour. No big deal, right? We see bands rehearsing and playing all the time... it's good to be us. But this particular rehearsal was for the newest incarnation of Ozzy Osbourne's band, in a secret location somewhere in the LA area, with their getting ready for the upcoming Ozzfest tour. It was great to hang out with the band, which includes bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson, keyboardist Adam Wakeman, and brand new members Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Ozzy's new guitar god, ESP endorsee Gus G.

As you can see in the photo above, Gus is really settling into his role as Ozzy's guitarist, and was definitely causing some jaws to drop with his fluid, speedy playing at the rehearsal. Gus was alternating between several guitars, including his ESP Gus G. NT, his ESP Eclipse models, and more. The vibe there was casual, but you could tell that all of these guys are very serious about putting on the best possible show for you at Ozzfest this summer. The entire band sounds amazing live, both on classic Ozzy songs and the new material they've recently recorded. Per the current schedule, the tour will be starting on August 14 in Devore, CA at the San Manuel Amphitheater (you can order your tickets right now at ozzfest.com), and it might be one of the most exciting Ozzy performances you'll ever see. Even if you can't get to the show, keep in mind that the new Ozzy album Scream, which features this great new band lineup, comes out June 22.

We weren't the only friends of Ozzy invited to check out this rehearsal, by the way. Below is a photo of ESP's Allen Steelgrave (right) next to mixed martial arts champion Josh Barnett. We figure Allen could last three, possibly four seconds against Josh if a brawl had broken out. Okay, maybe two seconds. We don't want to give Allen too much credit here.



We're going to be doing more exclusive stuff with Gus G. and Ozzy's band as they get ready to hit the road, so keep your eyes peeled for some exciting coverage as we move closer to the dates of the tour!