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Gus G could split the atom and shred the electric guitar into kindling by the time he officially got the gig with Ozzy Osbourne, and yet the Firewind guitarist was still a little green when it came to playing with rock and metal’s A-listers.
He got an early taste of what his new life would be like when he turned up for a Guitar World cover shoot, his first as the Prince of Darkness’s new guitar player.
Here he was, following in the footsteps of Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, et al – and if you want to go back to the original source, Tony Iommi, too.
And so he was a little nervous. Recalling the occasion in the new issue of Guitar World, the Greek shred god admitted that he was so nervous that he left his Star-shaped signature guitars at home and chose an ESP single-cut instead.
“I brought [the Eclipse] in because I knew Ozzy was a bit uncomfortable with my Star guitars,” he says. “And since the Guitar World shoot was the first world-exclusive presentation of me as Ozzy’s new guitarist, I didn’t wanna show up and have a moment where he goes, ‘What the fuck is this?’”
Ozzy had already tried to persuade him that his Star guitars were, y’know, a bit silly (Sharon did not like them either). Gus G read the room. But on the day it was Gus G who was having a WTF? moment. The whole photoshoot was a WTF? moment, “one of the biggest, craziest rock ’n’ roll experiences” of his life.
He turned up to have his photo taken with Ozzy. But you know how these things play out. There are always some people popping their head in for a chat.
“It happened in London with the legendary Ross Halfin,” says Gus G. “As I was sitting to get makeup done for the shoot, I could see from the mirror behind me that Ross was shooting someone else right before us.
“I couldn't tell who it was because he had his back turned. When he turned around, I went ‘Oh my God!’ That's Jimmy Page!’ I literally froze.”
Gus G, of course, tried to keep his cool. But he needn’t have worried. Page was a mensch.
“A few moments later, they were done, and I got to meet him, and Jimmy was so nice and such a gentleman,” he says. “He asked me if I was the new guy. I said, ‘Yes,’ and he wished me the best of luck. Next thing you know, Ozzy walks in, and you see these two legends just casually shooting the shit.”
Gus G would have gotten away with it. If Page and Ozzy saw him being all nervous and star-struck, they didn’t let on. But it was photo time, and photographers never miss anything. Halfin got the camera ready. Gus G just stood there.
“Ozzy and Jimmy sit there like the rockstars they are, and then Ozzy asks me to get in there, so I end up taking a photo with the gods of rock,” he says. “I’ll never forget this. I’m thinking what a bighearted guy Ozzy was. He didn’t have to do that, but he gave me this amazing moment and memory. I must have looked pretty stupid all along, because Ross shouted at me, ‘Gus! Stop being dumb!’”
Gus G’s time with Ozzy was a whirlwind. He was asked to audition in 2009, learned Crazy Train, Bark at the Moon, I Don’t Know and Suicide Solution, then flew out to LA. He played for a couple of hours and that was it. He was in. They asked him to play BlizzCon then hired him officially.
He stayed for eight years, recording one studio album, 2010’s Scream. And he’s got a lifetime of memories. What he doesn’t have, however, is that photo: him, Ozzy and Jimmy Page. And he has issued a public appeal via GW: “Hey, Ross – if you're reading this – send me that photo, man!”
You can read the full interview with Gus G in the new issue of Guitar World. Visit Magazines Direct to subscribe and you’ll save a heap of money.
