Greek guitar virtuoso GUS G has opened up about his conscious decision not to join another major band after leaving OZZY OSBOURNE's touring group — a position he held for eight years.
Speaking with Jimmy Kay of The Metal Voice, the FIREWIND guitarist explained: "It was a conscious decision for me after the Ozzy gig to not join other bands. I've had offers to audition, potentially joining much bigger bands than mine. But I didn't want to go into that situation again where you are an expendable guy and you don't get to call the shots."
He was candid about the logic: "I had to really think — anything I do after Ozzy is probably gonna be a downgrade anyway, so if you're gonna downgrade, you might as well do it on your own terms."
GUS G acknowledged the path wasn't smooth at first: "After Ozzy, I kind of had to start from scratch. I thought I would just pick it up wherever I left off, but it wasn't like that. I really had to go out there, play with smaller fees, and grind it."
But post-pandemic, things have turned around: "It's been good now. We're in a position where we can look ahead a year and a half in our schedule. I love that kind of freedom — creating our own future and our own opportunities."
On the years of private jets and five-star hotels with OZZY OSBOURNE, GUS G kept perspective: "You have to realize it's not about you. You're just working there. When you do your own thing it's a much smaller level, but I personally don't have any problem with that."