Pictured above is the poster that I used to actually have on my wall many years ago. In the course of looking up these old performances from the very first Ozzfest, I came across two names that I have never heard of, those being King Norris and Narcotic Gypsy. Now those names are kind of cool but really who the hell are King Norris and Narcotic Gypsy? Let’s take a look…..
Up first is Narcotic Gypsy and they are a band that I have honestly never heard of until this article. It turns out that they are a band that plays a mixture of hard/heavy rock and stoner metal. I would best describe the vocalist as kind of a Scott Weiland meets Layne Staley kind of voice. Now this band would open the main stage and they’re an interesting choice to say the least. This is one of those bands that I really had to sort of dig and try to find because none of the music is available for streaming on Spotify however, you can stream their one album Godtrip on YouTube. I’m not going to review the album here but live they sounded pretty good. So the question is were you there for their performance?? If so how was it and did they play any shows beyond Ozzfest 1996?
Up next is King Norris and if you’re like me and kept asking “who the hell is King Norris?” Well I have an answer for you and that being yes King Norris is a band but it’s really Fred Norris. Now who is Fred Norris?? Well he’s a radio personality for The Howard Stern Show. According to IMDB, “Fred Norris who can be heard daily on broadcasts of the Howard Stern Show has an on-the-edge style that is key to the eclectic tour-de-force known as the King Norris band. Norris, whose credits include writing and performing with rock greats such as Leslie West, Roger Daltrey, Ray Davies, and Ozzy Osbourne, serves as front man for the group, handling lead vocal and guitar responsibilities. He is backed by Francis Fallon on drums and vocals and Robb Boyd on bass and vocals. The band performs nationally and has appeared with Eddie Money, the Jeff Healy Band, Ozzy Osbourne/the Ozzfest, the H.O.R.D.E. Fest, and three K-Rock Dysfunctional Family Picnics at Jones Beach, NY featuring such artists as Blur, Bush, Foo Fighters, Soul Asylum, Green Day, Ben Folds Five, The Offspring, Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, Live, Kid Rock, and Rob Zombie.”
Looking back now, it makes sense that King Norris would be on Ozzfest simply because of the time. Keep in mind it’s 1996 and The Howard Stern Show was kind of a big deal back then. Now personally I think it’s kind of weird having a performer like King Norris on Ozzfest but it must’ve been kind of crazy seeing this kind of band playing with the likes of Slayer, Sepultura, and Biohazard. After combining the internet, I couldn’t really find much in the way of a live performance except for the video below. And of course I couldn’t even find a setlist which makes it that much more mysterious to people like myself. So if anyone was there and can remember what was played please reach out and let me know.
So did anyone reading this go to the first Ozzfest?? If you did do you remember either of these bands?? Were they any good or is it better that they’re a thing of the past?? Either way, having both is definitely an of the time moment.
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