As Metallica prepares for their highly anticipated appearance at Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath‘s farewell concert at Villa Park on July 5th, bassist Robert Trujillo has shared an intriguing origin story behind his famous “Crab Walk” stage move. In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Trujillo revealed that his signature low squat, executed while playing bass, was directly inspired by his time in Ozzy Osbourne‘s solo band.
Trujillo‘s connection with Ozzy dates back to the recording sessions for No More Tears, Ozzy‘s 1991 album. At the time, Trujillo‘s own band, Infectious Grooves, was recording in the same studio complex, leading to an unlikely camaraderie between the two camps. “It was like a frat house – the whole complex became Ozzy World and Infectious Grooves happened to be part of it,” Trujillo told Metal Hammer. He fondly recalled Ozzy frequently “going missing” from his own sessions only to turn up in the Infectious Grooves control room, hanging out and even guest-singing on their song “Therapy.” “He was wild and crazy at the time, but he was so fun to be around,” Trujillo remembered.
This bond proved significant, leading to Ozzy extending an invitation for Trujillo to audition for his solo band in 1996. Trujillo recounted a humorous anecdote about how a drum intro from Ozzy‘s 1981 solo song “Over The Mountain” on his answerphone message caught Sharon Osbourne‘s attention, securing him the audition. Despite facing “like, 500 bass players,” Trujillo secured the much-prized role, calling it “a dream come true.”
Joining Ozzy‘s band came with unique warnings about the frontman’s unpredictable stage presence. “I was warned, ‘Hey, you might come out of the gig with scratches and scrapes, he might bite you, he might pull your hair, get ready for it,’” Trujillo recalled, admitting to some initial apprehension.
The iconic “Crab Walk” itself was born from an unscripted moment during a Las Vegas show. Trujillo recounted the spontaneous genesis of the move during Black Sabbath‘s classic “Iron Man.” “We go into ‘Iron Man,’ that main riff, and Ozzy and I kinda start stomping in each others’ faces, and getting lower and lower like two sumo wrestlers,” he explained. “And that’s how the crab walk was born – it was Ozzy and I dancing together to the ‘Iron Man‘ riff.”
Beyond his personal anecdotes, Trujillo also hinted at Metallica‘s plans for the upcoming farewell gig. He revealed that the band has already decided on the Black Sabbath song they will cover for the “Back To The Beginning” show. “We definitely have an idea of what we want to play and we’re very excited. I can honestly say I haven’t seen my bandmates get this excited about covering songs before,” Trujillo teased. “We cover songs often, but it feels so good to dive into Sabbath. We have got something up our sleeves, but I don’t want to divulge it.”
