Lindsay Bridgwater interview.. Your questions are welcome.

[GUITARIDOL5682]

I have been lucky enough to do an interview with the 5th member of the Blizzard of Ozz band keyboard player Lindsay Bridgwater. If you have a question you would like to ask him, leave it in the comments. This is a rare opportunity and the first interview he has done in 40+ years.

[GUITARIDOL5682]

Introduction :
We have a bit of an exclusive here at Ultimaterhoads. I was fortunate enough to get in touch with Lindsay Bridgwater. He toured with Ozzy during their early days back in 1980 and following tours right up to the early 1983 European tour. He played that awesome keyboard intro to 'Mr Crowley'. and toured the world stages with the Blizzard of Ozz.
He disappeared into obscurity and had a quiet time away from the busy touring schedule. He has recently retired after being the music director and organist at St James church.

Hi Lindsay and thanks for doing this interview.
Q - My first question goes back to the beginning of how you got the job playing with Ozzy and did you play in other bands before getting involved with Ozzy as a touring band. If you can explain a bit of your past history please.
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Q - You played with the band behind the scenes mostly. But on occasions you did play in view and on stage. Noticeably a massive gig for you and Ozzy at the Oakland Coliseum CA. The 'Day on the Green' festival in 1981. To a huge 40,000 crowd. What was it like playing on that day.
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Q - As far as I'm aware you only ever played as a part of the band in a live situation, with the touring band. Was this an agreed written contract. And how did you never record with the band.
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Q - How did your playing develope on stage as keyboards became more obvious in the later part of the 1981 & 1982 tours. More as rhythm based keys to fill the sound on stage. Did you only play smaller parts in the earlier days eg Mr Crowley intro. As you are only seen on stage for brief spells. Or did you play more keys on other songs behind the scenes.
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Q - You hit it off with your friendship with Randy. With both of you being classicaly taught was this something that locked you in with his style of playing. Did you play together much back stage, or during days off. Did you ever record anything together.
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[GUITARIDOL5682]

Q - Your name comes up in road stories with you being the brunt of Ozzy pranks. From being dressed up like a crazy clown or doing the gig with one foot in a bucket of water. If you'd falling asleep you would get an eyebrow removed or your fringe cut off. Did you go along with the fun side of this or did you get annoyed. If you can give us your honest opinion on this please.
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[GUITARIDOL5682]

Q - Did you carry on your music career after playing and touring with Budgie and Ozzy. If you can let us know how you dissappeared into almost obscurity after playing with such great artists.
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Q - Most people who could interview you would want to know what it was like to play with Randy both on stage and off. Did you hang out together on days off, what was he like as a friend to you.
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[shawn]

This is awesome opportunity.

What was your touring setup on stage for those Ozzy gigs.

I would like to know about stage volume, how loud where some of those gigs on stage. How chaotic was the sound stage as a musician trying to hear the other members of the band.

I assume monitoring would have been through wedges, what did you prefer to have prominent in your mix.

It has been mentioned that soundboard recordings of the early Ozzy gigs where often used to see what was working. Are there any memories of this listening process? How was this done, who was involved and how where decisions made in this process?

[skezza]

This is amazing Shaun. Lindsay's live work has always been underappreciated and unfairly overlooked. I've got 5 here although I'll post a couple more tomorrow when I'm not sleep deprived

Q. You are immortalized in the After Hours performance. For many Rhoads fans, it is a treasured piece of film. What do you remember about it and did it feel like a typical live performance considering you were in a studio? Did the band have to adjust the setup to accommodate the venue?

Q. You worked with the band during the period when the live sound was still developing on the road. How did the band interact with each other during those early shows? Did you discuss changes to the songs at rehearsals and soundchecks?

Q. On the topic of changes, the extended intro to Mr Crowley added a unique feel to those early live recordings, how did that come to be?

Q. After joining the band, how long did you have to learn the Blizzard of Ozz material before going on tour?

Q. What was the atmosphere like before, during and after at the first show? Did it feel like you were onto something special or was there 'work to do'?

Q. What stood out most about Randy, both as a musician and as a person?

[skezza]

What was your touring setup on stage for those Ozzy gigs.

I would like to know about stage volume, how loud where some of those gigs on stage. How chaotic was the sound stage as a musician trying to hear the other members of the band.

These are some really good questions. Will be interesting to know if those early shows were loud as hell on stage. I assume they weren't putting much beside Ozzy through the PA at that time, so the amps would have been cranked?

The sound definitely matured as they progressed into the middle of 1981.

[stealaway]

Hi Lindsey! How did the (mighty!!!) Blizzard Of Ozz approach the rehearsals for the tour/live shows? Was the new arragement process to put the material from the recorded version to live setting? How much pre-planned were the gigs or was there room for improvising? Is there any material that Lindsey wrote for Blizzard Of Ozz in mind? How was the general relationship in the band/how did everyone geg along?

[Shockwave]

1. You’ve spoken before about jamming backstage with Randy Rhoads—with him on guitar and you on the piano—working on material for a classical-influenced solo album that didn't fit the Ozzy style. What did that music sound like, and what kind of vision did Randy have for that project?

2. You wrote down and saved the musical notes for a track that you and Randy were working on before he passed away. What can you tell us about that specific tune, and what's it like still having that piece of music after all these years?

[Jazznroll]

This should be very interesting!

1-
How did you get the gig with the original Blizzard?

2-
Do you recall any moments of the secret gigs you guys did billed as “the law” in England 1980?
Or any other gigs from that tour.

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Do you have any photos or memorabilia from your time touring with Ozzy?

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How did you find the busy touring schedule on the first US tour in 1981, did that impact your decision to live a quieter life after?

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Did you part ways with the Osbourne’s for any particular reason, and were you ever asked back in the years after to tour/record?

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What was it like playing with Bob and Lee, compared to Rudy and Tommy?

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Do you have any recordings of shows, soundcheck, or work tapes that you did with the band during this time?

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What was your high point of the whole experience?

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What was your low points of the whole experience?

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Did you ever feel that you were given the credit for your work during this time?
As many still assume it was Don airey who played on all of those early tours?

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What was it like working for Don arden and David arden, before Sharon took over Ozzy?

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Did you know how successful the tours would be in the hard rock scene at the time, and how did you handle it?

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After Ozz, did you ever think about returning to the stage or recording over the years?

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Were you ever offered work by other big names after that you turned down?

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When was the last time you saw/spoke to/ played with Randy rhoads?

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How is life treating you nowadays, any projects in the works, perhaps a book?

Thanks

[GUITARIDOL5682]

Some great questions here but alot of them are along the same subject with different wording. Can you read through your questions and condense them, edit them before I forward them to Lindsay . As I'd rather send him individual questions then 5 asking what it was like working with Randy for example. I've already asked him that question. Cheers

[GUITARIDOL5682]

Q - it's been mentioned many times, Bob Daisley was a much needed asset in the writing process during both Blizzard and Diary. As the albums are both tagged as 'Osbourne & Rhoads' productions. Did you feel your contribution as a live performer was not needed in the studio.
Your not giving enough credit when credit is due. You started out with them as a band from the very beginning.
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Q - You seen the revolving door spinning on the forever changing line ups of the band. From Randy to Torme, Gillis & Jake E Lee. Daisley to Sarzo. Pete Way and Costa. Kerslake to Aldridge.
Did you see any one of those line ups that worked better as a team with you. I can imagine it was hard to continue after the death of Randy for everyone.
How did you soldier on, and was it easy to slot back into your job after Don Airey.
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Q - What was it like when on the road trying to get paid. I've heard a few stories from ex band members who got promised a good pay and got no where near, what was it like for you. Did you start with getting a retainer or was it on a pay per diem basis ?. Performance royalties etc.
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Q - You wrote some classical pieces together with Randy. Did you ever do anything with those pieces of music. Do you have anything in the way of recordings, demos or live material (sound board shows from rehearsals) etc.
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Q - Did you enjoy the life on the road as everyone copes with it differently.. Some love it, others find it monotonous.
With many of the gigs being cancelled at short notice, what was the procedure. Did you have to travel to the next gig regardless and wait to see if it would go ahead. It must of been frustrating.
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Q - The band jam was a key moment for the instrumental live performance. Was this wrote by you ?. Or was it a combined piece?.
The extended live intro for 'Mr Crowley' is another moment for you to shine. Was this your idea or did it just happen during sound check / rehearsal.
Q - Did you keep in touch with Randy or any of the other band members when you finally left the band. How did you end up leaving the band and going back in 1982.
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