Band battles to share stage with Ozzy

BY NADINE ARMSTRONG

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

Jake Smith has been listening to Ozzy Osborne since the age of 10. Now a chance to open for the heavy metal music icon in Halifax has him “barking at the moon”.

The Burlington boy is the lead voice for the Fed Pennies, who were approached by the Halifax-based rock station Q104 to compete for a chance to share the stage with Osborne during night two of his upcoming Metro Centre gig.

The Q will give 104 listeners the chance to win VIP tickets to the three-band audition Thursday, Jan. 24 and vote for their top pick. There will be 52 opportunities to call when Ozzy's voice plays over the airwaves. “Basically, as soon as you hear Ozzy mumbling something on the radio, it's time to call in,” Smith said. “If you get through, you've won.”

Of course, the Pennies are asking for support from local listeners. “We want everyone around Windsor tuning in and we want them there for the audition,” he said.

The garage rock, punk band comprised of Smith, guitarist Ben Whalen, drummer Tom Spense and bass guitarist John Matthews will be up against two 'unmentionable' Halifax bands. “Ah, it's not important,” Smith says of the competitors’ identities.

Right now all the band can think is Ozzy. “I haven't slept for like more than two nights,” Smith said. “I'm so pumped.”

Icing the cake of this ‘impossible’ dream is the fact that three of the four band members have been friends for almost two decades and this is their chance to live out at least one collective fantasy. “We grew up together listening to Ozzy and Black Sabbath; they were a big inspiration for us,” Smith said. “He’s a classic; he has influenced generations of musicians,” he said.

Smith is already picturing the four of them together backstage, ready to ride on Osborne's coattails. “It's what we've always dreamed of, but to have it actually happen is unbelievable. This is every rock boys’ fantasy.”

The group had already scored tickets to the opening show Jan. 26. Band member John slept on the street that night waiting for the ticket booth to open, much as he had in younger years.

“It's a bit old-fashioned, but that’s the way he is,” Smith laughed.

His mom and dad have tickets for the second show, the one their son may open. “It's good to have their support, but they actually got tickets before we did. They're big Ozzy fans.”

The Pennies are preparing to release their next album Brain Disaster, which they’ll hand out at the audition with the launch party slated for February. They've just finished a new video, which can be viewed on YouTube in the near future and yes, they’re on Facebook.

The band's demographic is fairly young, but that's just fine with them. “Rock is ageless,” Smith said. “You can hang on to certain things in your youth forever.”