Yes. I watched Ozzy with Randy Rhoades a few months before the terrible plane crash in Florida. Diary of a Madman Tour. It was awesome. Ozzy. Randy. Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo on the Bass. Phenomenal. I remember everyone walking out of the Selland Arena in Fresno California. No one said anything. But the music that they played while we were walking out. Was. Diary of a Madman. No one said anything
Brad Gillis is a damn soldier ! This dude not only filled in for randy rhodes but he took black sabbath songs and made them his own on the speak of the devil tour . Not only that but his tempo and timing was perfectly on point and he brought his own personal tone into all that shit and it turned out really great . Brad Gillis has balls of steel
Bernie Torme filled in for RR first but stopped after 13 shows, not only because he was more of a blues rock player but if because he felt that he wasn’t doing Randy Justice. Bernie had huge balls to fill in like he did and was an amazing player.
Brad's a great guy. He was in a really difficult position . People still reeling over Randy's death , I can remember seeing it in concert myself . They were booing him when he didn't play up to their expectations. They looked for every fumble etc. I've seen Randy play many times in concert and as a lifelong fan I believe Brad is a great guitarist and tried to fill those big shoes as best as he could.
You're so lucky you got to see Randy.. I just missed seeing him as he died two weeks before the MSG show 💔 Still hurts to this day. Brad did do an amazing job filling in. I wish it was him at the MSG show rather than Bernie Torme. I might have enjoyed it a little more.. though I was pretty much inconsolable so I don't know if anyone would have made me feel ok being there.
Brad you never got enough credit for that . Stepping in at a almost impossible time for him . And you ripped it up . That was great and if you look back your versions of those tunes were pretty sweet . Your an excellent guitarist .
LOL.. I love Brad's impersonation of Sharon and Ozzy with their British accent.. :-) I know Randy Rhoads was irreplaceable but Brad did a great job filling in for Randy.
I was at the Speak of the devil show back at the tiny old Ritz here in NY... still kills me that it would have been Randy..but that was one of the best metal gtr performances I've ever seen!!
That was a huge ask, and Brad really stepped up! He didn't play a Randy clone, but added all his own flair while capturing all the major solo pieces. He represented all of the Sabbath material and Randy's material with aplomb in such a short time. Speak Of The Devil, and Ozzy's continued success beyond that tragedy, as a kickass live album are attributable to Brad. He's probably the most underrated player of his generation, he really was THAT GOOD! Watch or listen to that tour: it's undeniable. 🤘😁
Brad did an amazing job filling in for Randy. I was lucky enough to be at the Speak of the devil show here in NY at the old Ritz and man he tore up the Sabbath tunes!!
Met Brad in 2002, in Darrington, WA. 3 day classic rock fest. Night Ranger was on the bill. After their set, my buddy appeared out of nowhere with some VIP passes so we went back to the tents they had set up for the musicians playing. Brad was getting some pizza and it looked good so I went over to get some. He looks right at me and says, "The meat combo is fucking killer, try a piece" and I said, "Holy shit, Brad Fuckin Gillis, no way!" and he smirked and then asked if I enjoyed their set, where I was from, what do I do for a living. Even talked about the NFL and AC/DC, LOL. I sat and ate with him and Kelly Keagy. Had a great time. Drank a few beers, did some shots. Took dozens of pics, which those guys were more than willing to pose for. Got 3 pics with them using plastic cutlery to pretend cut my throat, amongst other fun ones, LOL. Very nice guys. Especially Brad.
We have such a minimal amount of footage with Randy, it's just criminal. Randy died on March 19, 1982 and on June 12, 1982 Ozzy filmed the Speak of the Devil show at Irvine Meadows in SoCal (which is 15 min from where I live). Only 90 days later Randy would have had a pro shot show where we could have really seen him play. Such a tragedy...both his death and that we don't have any real footage of him.
he is a fantastic guitar player. i only knew the night ranger songs played on the radio and had no idea of the caliber of his playing until he did the randy stuff. i was so amazed ........just goes to show,you never know the talents of some people
Mega underrated guitar player, always wanted to find out what it was like hearing Brad Gillis’ pov on his short ventures with Ozzy. He definitely had HUGE shoes to fill after Randy, massive props to him.
Brad Gillis is a great guitarist. Speak of the Devil is my favorite live LP… I wonder If Brad realize now how much it helped Ozzy to “pull him through”the trauma… I would imagine it does now.
Speak of the Devil gave us a new guitar hero. I learned all Brad's little fills. He was different, his licks seemed more familiar to me...and his sound, my gosh!!!! His vibrato bar use was beyond anyone else. More mechanized for Heavy Metal..... and anyone who has wisdom from that year, realizes where Steve Vai got his crazy vibrato bar use. Speak of the Devil is some of the best covered Sabbath tunes, on the planet hands down.
Brad Gillis plays his ass out on Ozzy’s Speak of the Devil dvd! Precisely these Ozzy songs. The guy is on fire. Is it blasphemous to say he plays them with the same high quality Randy did? Brilliant player!
I was age 16 when I saw Brad Gillis on tour with Ozzy. This was 2 months after Randy died. What a strange situation. Had to be tough on him. Gillis held down the fort, played well, but how does anyone replace Randy Rhoads? It’s not possible.
I saw Ozzy with Randy in summer of 82 I believer it was . It was at Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids, Michigan or Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo Michigan. I had a broken left wrist and was in 9th grade with a cast on my left arm. It must have been wings stadium because I worked my way around to the side and back. There was this curly haired dude with light colored hair jamming away following the songs on stage note for note. I sat down and watched him behind the stage for about 30 minutes. It looked exactly like Brad Gillis. Or do they have a guitarist who tours with them in case the guitarist gets sick or something. At the time I knew nothing of Rock N Roll and was in symphonic orchestra and wound up a conductors assistant for 6 years. This guy playing behind stage was either.doing the guitar parts heard on stage or was the invisible rythem guitarist. He played the leads too, in a sitting position chair and absolutely knew every note 🎵🎶. I always thought is was Brad Gillis!!
I thought I heard a story about him using Randy's pedals and they would turn off and on randomly. At the right times. On the right songs. Almost like a ghost was helping... 🤐
Brad Gillis must have been a lot of inspiration to Spinal Tap. Gillis once said: "I have played guitar for 27 years, and I am only 24. I can't understand it!". And: (explaining this exact red guitar with the black neck) "Good friend of mine added an extra fret to my guitar. It has 22 frets, so I can play a high E. Usually guitars has only 21 frets. Look how it goes all the way to the edge of the neck's bridge there (shows by pointing his finger). These days almost all guitars has 22 frets!", Gillis. 😂
There really wasnt anyone else who played with Ozzy - for more than one tour lets say - other than Zakk. I think, anyway. Joe Holmes did a tour, I think, but no record. And the kid from Firehawk or Firewind or whatever the hell it was did the Scream album, right? And Id assume he toured for that, but dont know that as fact. Other than that, it was all Zakk, wasnt it? Other than one offs? Its interesting. I know a lot of different guys played with Ozzy here and there, like Bernie Tormei becore Brad... but, damn, it seems like Zakk did A LOT with Ozzy...
Ran into Brad when he played at Blaisedell arena one of his first gigs wt Ozzy in Hawaii @ Howards guitar shop, what low key down to earth brudda. 🤟we asked him what he was doing in hawaii and he casually said" oh im playing with Ozzy. tomorrow" while hes doing some double handed wizardry on a ukulele he pulled off the wall.... Lol😂