Entertainment / GusFest to pay tribute to late Ozzy fan with two-day heavy metal feast
IF AMERICA has Ozzfest, then Shetland has GusFest – a new musical tribute event to a well-known face in the local rock and metal scene.
Angus ‘Gus’ Williamson was a die-hard Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne fan, who “basically mirrored his life” on that of the late singer.
After Gus’ death from cancer 11 years ago, his son Regan Williamson has decided to put on a two-day musical tribute to his dad – which will honour the type of music he loved.
GusFest will bring together metal, punk, rock and grunge bands from the isles to venues in Lerwick and Scalloway for a series of loud and rowdy gigs.
Held across 6 and 7 June this year, Regan is helming GusFest alongside Scott and Peter Tomlinson.
The trio also launched the successful Sleepless Circus event last October, which helped to raise more than £3,000 for Shetland Foodbank and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Regan said that the inspiration for GusFest was not only his late dad, but a childhood brought up on his father’s heavy metal influences.
“I’ve always wanted to do something proper in his name,” he told Shetland News.
“He spent his youth going to gigs in and around Hull and Sheffield, across Scotland.
“We grew up on Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Dad basically mirrored his life on Ozzy.”
Regan said he had recently found an old article from a decade ago, when he was 18, in which he cited his dad as his hero and announced he wanted to put on live music events locally.
He added it was “nice for both to come together 10 years later”.
Regan said he had only heard some of the stories about his dad following metal bands across England after announcing GusFest, with old friends of his dad getting in touch to tell him more.
The festival is a twist on Ozzy’s own Ozzfest events, which brought the biggest metal bands in the world to venues in America, Europe and Japan.
“It’s a chance to showcase some of Shetland’s unbelievable bands,” he said.
“I want to bring that scene together with friends and family from dad’s past.
“The feedback we have had has been amazing and having some of Dad’s friends that have known me since I was born, but maybe not spoken in many years reaching out, has been superb.”
GusFest will “follow the Sleepless Circus formula”, with an afternoon gig in the Marlex followed by a ticketed concert in Scalloway Boating Club at night on Saturday 6 June.
Scott Tomlinson will perform in the free Marlex gig from 2pm, followed by the newly formed punk rock band Ronasvones.
Regan said there was a “stacked night” in Scalloway, with Vagabond, grunge covers group Throat Locust, Fully Licensed and headliners Marackled sure to offer gig-goers plenty of chances to flash their devil horns skyward.
On Sunday 7 June then GusFest returns to the Marlex for an artist jam, with special guests, from 3pm.
Tickets are available on an early bird offer of £15 until 1 April, and will cost £20 thereafter.
You can buy tickets here.
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