Former Ozzy Osbourne and current Rob Zombie bassist Rob ‘Blasko’ Nicholson recently shared his perspective on the challenges facing modern musicians. He explained why he wouldn’t want to start a band in today’s digital landscape. His comments were featured in an interview with Saskhia Menendez.
Nicholson reflected on how the music industry has fundamentally changed since he started his first band in the mid-1980s. He contrasted the pure artistic motivation of that era with today’s complex digital requirements.
“Knowing everything that I know now, I don’t know that I would start a band now,” Nicholson said. “It’s kind of funny, ’cause I joke about this, that whenever my first band started in 1985, 1986, heavy metal was not a career choice in 1985 for a bunch of young kids. You did it because you loved it. You did it because everything about it was just part of your DNA.”
“You had to get it out of you. We had to go play shows. We had to get in a van. We had to put ourselves in dangerous environments. And it was just who we were as kids at that time. And the thought of it was never about making money. It was never about a career. It was never about a job. It was just art, really, at the risk of sounding pretentious. But I almost kind of feel like that now,” he continued.
The bassist then addressed the overwhelming number of platforms musicians must navigate today to build their careers.
“If you are, like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna start a band and we’re gonna make music.’ But do we make a horizontal video that goes on YouTube? And then do we cut that up into vertical videos that go on TikTok? Are we mainly just gonna go on TikTok and play the song acoustically, and hopefully that connects? There’s so many places to try and build a career, and all of those places are where careers have started. Careers have started on YouTube. Careers have started on Instagram. Careers have started on MySpace. Careers have started on TikTok. And so where do you even begin? It’s almost like you kind of just do the best you can, throw it out there and hope for the best,” Nicholson explained.
He also highlighted how algorithm restrictions and advertising costs have created new barriers for artists trying to reach their audiences.
“A lot of it, too, with all of these platforms, they’re now at a point to where the algorithm is very constricting to the people that you can reach. So building a following used to be — that was the goal. Now you can build a following, but now your content won’t even reach the majority of those people, which is really frustrating,” he said.
“And then now that gatekeeping has sort of reappeared in the way of advertising. So it’s, like, ‘Oh, you wanna reach those extra people that you can’t reach that are outside of the scope of your algorithm? Well, that’s gonna cost you.’ And so if you want people to see your video on YouTube or you wanna reach more people on Instagram, you gotta pay to advertise. And there’s a whole other component of, what is your budget? What does your budget even look like? And then how is that music gonna connect? That’s the other thing,” Nicholson concluded.
Nicholson’s reflections come at a time when his own career has experienced significant developments. This demonstrates the enduring power of established musical partnerships in an industry increasingly dominated by digital platforms.
Wikipedia reported that Blasko reunited with Rob Zombie’s band in 2024, replacing long-time bassist Piggy D. This reunion marked a significant return to form for the horror rock icon’s musical project. It brought back key members from the band’s most successful era.
The reunion reassembled what Dig Me Out Podcast described as the Hellbilly Deluxe-era lineup. Blasko joined original guitarist Mike Riggs alongside drummer Ginger Fish. This configuration brought back what sources described as the “original chemistry” that defined Rob Zombie’s early solo work. It resulted in new material featuring “relentless” riffs and a heavier sound compared to recent Rob Zombie releases.
The timing of Blasko’s return proved fortuitous. Rob Zombie released his eighth solo album on February 27, 2026. The album will be promoted through the Freaks on Parade Tour, running from August 21 to September 21, 2026. Rob Zombie will co-headline alongside Marilyn Manson, as Wikipedia noted.
This career trajectory illustrates the contrast Blasko highlighted in his interview. While new artists struggle with digital platform algorithms and advertising costs, established musicians can still leverage decades-old professional relationships and proven musical chemistry to create successful projects. The reunion demonstrates how traditional music industry networks continue to operate alongside the digital landscape that has become essential for emerging artists.
