Black Sabbath

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. “Can you believe we’ve been doing this for 45 fucking years?”, frontman Ozzy Osbourne said with disbelief on the penultimate date of their tour in Birmingham; no one can quite believe it. The release of their 19th album ‘13’ earlier this year marked 35 years since the last studio album with Ozzy – ‘Never Say Die!’ – and with reaching No.1 showing their long lasting popularity. First to grace the LG Arena’s stage were Cambridge’s long haired, suit wearing Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats. It’s not an envious job opening up for Black Sabbath with the early-comers mostly not knowing who they are but introducing themselves with overdriven guitars, harmonious vocals and just psychedelic-inspired rock it was hard not to become more open to them. Although not always with a perfectly flawless sound they made up for it with their Sabbath-esque riffs being a quick crowd-pleaser. The first sign of life from Black Sabbath was an almost chilling outcry from Ozzy whose figure flickered behind a curtain joined with the wailing of sirens which caused the double denim and leather clothed crowd to be sent wild. Opener ‘War Pigs’ got things going with the repetitive cry of “let’s go fucking crazy” from the overexcited looking frontman. Tony Iommi worked his magic on his famous red SG; Geezer Butler effortlessly strummed along and tour drummer Tommy Clufetos seemed as if he’d been a part since the beginning when laying down the beats. Age can’t beat Sabbath. They might be old enough to get a free bus pass but they can still lay down perfectly executed tracks with ease. Butler’s solo during ‘N.I.B’ would make even the most skilled of bass players envious of the skill he possesses and Iommi just sauntered around whilst pulling out solo after solo and riff after riff. When they fitted these in together, you couldn’t help but be glad that the Brummie guys were back together. Clearly glad to be home, Ozzy adopted the classic ‘we’re not worthy’ Wayne’s World pose while shouting “you’re number one.” What else do you expect from the manic frontman? He even drenched a couple of security men with a bucketful of water whilst running up and down the breadth of the stage getting the crowd to join in with waving and jumping. His stage presence resembled something a hyper 5-year old would do (minus the “let’s go fucking nuts” of course) but when you get to hear those renowned wailing vocals live it makes up for it. When they reached ‘Rat Salad’ we finally got to see the pure talent coming from drummer Tommy Clufetos and wow. Just wow. Nearing 10 minutes worth of awe-inducing frenzied drumming Clufetos had without a doubt won over the crowd. At the end he brought it down to just a single beat which then grew to the opening of ‘Iron Man’ with the entrance of Ozzy, Iommi and Butler. Joining in by singing the legendary opening riff was surprisingly Ozzy who along with the crowd seemed overexcited to hear it himself. Brandishing another first-rate solo was Tony Iommi; how does he even do it? Definitely the coolest guy in metal. The first we heard of 13 was ‘God is Dead’ and live, it fitted in perfectly with the old material no problem. Other newbies ‘Age of Reason’ and ‘End of the Beginning’ earlier on in the set wouldn’t be recognisable as new and fresh either if you didn’t know already. Constantly throwing out intense riffs, imposing bass lines, pounding drums and those unsettling vocals; everything those legends do is right. Threatening to end the show with an enthralling performance of ‘Children of the Grave’ the crowd were reluctant to let them leave by following Ozzy’s instructions to once again go “fucking crazy because it’s Christmas.” This paid off well as everyone got treated to ‘Paranoid’ with a small intro of ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ and now got told to go “ape-shit” which was aided by the falling of confetti and balloons. Their heydays may have been back in the 70s but the diverse range of ages in the LG Arena showed how Sabbath are still one of the leading and best bands ever to come out of Birmingham. Let’s hope they don’t have any more fallings out or legal disputes and stay together because we can’t have another period with no sign of Black Sabbath.

Sunday 29th January. The O2. Black Sabbath. So I first saw Black Sabbath 35 years ago to the month in January 1982 with Dio on vocals, Vinny Appice on drums, Geezer, Tony and the recently departed Geoff Nicholls on keys. Tonight it’s nearly the original line up with Ozzy, Geezer and Tony Iommi but with Tommy Clufetos on sticks instead of the contract disputed Bill Ward.

The shows starts with an impressive opening cinematic experience unleashing the beast that is Black Sabbath and we’re straight into their eponymous track. Its sets the scene for the next 100 minutes with the musical onslaught of power riffs, throbbing bass, pounding drums, Ozzy’s voice (still really strong) and an amazing light show.

What you notice with Sabbath songs is that’s there at least one other song buried in there too with alternative riffs and charges of pace throughout. The set tonight unchanged throughout the tour mainly draws from the first four albums and each one is introduced by just its name. There’s little banter from Ozzy apart from encouraging the fans to clap their hands, make some noise and go crazy which we duly oblige.

Considering their years the noise is relentless. Iommi proving what a master guitarist he is, switching pace multiple times though a song with his precise style providing those well-known riffs to the classics. Butler’s fingers don’t stop moving through the show on the bass. There’s no plectrum in sight as he finger picks and his short solo makes great use of the effects pedal to showcase the outer limits of the instrument. Clufetos on drums is a nonstop Tasmanian devil of a drummer with a sound that suggests at least four hands are on the kit coupled with his double bass drums too. His extended drum solo is impressive, allows the three old timers a much needed few minutes rest and is suitably lit with strobing lights. I was breathless just watching.

The highlight for me of which there were many was ‘War Pigs’. It’s a classic but brought to life with a fantastic light show. The set ends as you expect with ‘Paranoid’ but the band are obscured for the most part with some unnecessary balloons and ticker tape.

Great to see them again after all these years as I rolled back to my fifteen year old self reminding me of why I got into music originally, kick ass rock n roll. As a show and spectacular it was incredible filling the behemoth of the O2 with both sound and light.

Keep on heavy metal rockin’ y’all.

Well this was it, folks; the beginning of the end. Ozzy said it himself, and surely seemed to mean it. And so, opening with their eponymous song, Black Sabbath kicked off the first show of the tour that will be their last one ever.

The set list was stellar. "Fairies Wear Boots," "Tomorrow’s Dream," "Snowblind," the iconic "War Pigs"...classic after classic was delivered with tightness, precision, and seeming ease. An early highlight, however, was "Into the Void," which found Tony Iommi's guitar becoming heavier and more insistent, as this brilliant song demands. A crushing tune on all accounts.

"Behind the Wall of Sleep" was an unexpected and most welcome surprise to my ears, and Geezer Butler even slipped in the lines from "Bassically" before they went into "N.I.B" -- just like on the album! Brilliant.

Unfortunately, after this point Ozzy's voice faltered and seemed like it may be done for the night. "Hand of Doom" is one of my all-time favorite Sab tracks, but the Ozzman was severely off key at times. He had been doing alright before that, but he lost his mojo here and it took some energy out of the room. "Iron Man," as a result, seemed to lack some punch, but by "Children of the Grave" the band got back up to speed and delivered this rocker well. "Dirty Women" was the penultimate song before the requisite closer "Paranoid," during which gobs of purple confetti fell from the ceiling, followed later by a shower of sparks.

And speaking of pyrotechnics, there were several to be found throughout the set, including flames atop the amps during the opener and fireballs during "Children of the Grave." These, combined with cool video effects (such as psychedelic patterns, flames licking at the edges, and various grisly images) on the stage screen made for entertaining visuals.

Overall the band sounded good, and despite Ozzy's occasional struggles, he performed well and worked the crowd. It was a fitting end for a seminal group that birthed heavy metal, changing the music scene forever. Their influence will never be forgotten.

January 20th 2016 was the first date of The End Tour. The whole show was amazing. Rival Sons opened the show and they were very good. This is a band a lot of people are not aware of. They have been around a few years.They have a sound that is influinced by Led Zeppelin The Doors and a few others yet have their own style. All I know is I like them and think others will if they listen to them. Now on to Black Sabbath if you are a Sabbath fan my advice to you is get tickets while you can. They being Black Sabbath put on a show that I will never forget. It is the best I have ever seen them. Thier sound was spot on and the visual effects were amazing and the music was even more amazing. Ozzy is and will always be my favirot front man in a band. His vocals were damn good for the Godfather of heavy metal. Tony Iommi gutiar playing has only gotten better with age. Geezer Butler was on fire on bass as well. Their drummer for this touris an animal. Just one hell of a drummer and his solo kicks serious ass. Well what are you waiting for go get your tickets now. Or not and miss the Best Sabbath show you could hope to see. They played some songs I haven't herd them play since the early 70's. So if you miss this tour then you won't ever get to see Black Sabbath ever. My advice is get your ticket while you can.

Black Sabbath was an unforgettable show. The opportunity arose to see them last summer outside of San Francisco and of course I had to be there. Black Sabbath is classic and has stood the test of time. The crowd proves that with young kids dressed in all black to happy middle aged couples in their Sabbath tees from the 70s. Their music still speaks to a broad range of people, youth and adults alike. The outdoor venue was a perfect spot to see Ozzy and the band. He has recently gotten sober and sounds leaps and bounds better than ten years ago. His voice has some serious power behind it. The band played phenomenally as well. They played all their staples from War Pigs to Paranoid. The entire crowd was pumped up. Everyone was moving and singing along. The energy was just right. It's important to remember that these guys started in 1969 and they are still killing it.
By the end of the show no one was ready to go home. Sabbath proves that they still know how to get a crowd wild, even if they left some of their old antics in the past. As long as Black Sabbath is touring it is a show worth seeing. They are unforgettable. The 'Prince of Darkness' still knows how to rock.

Saw Black Sabbath "The End" show for the second time at Jiffy Lube Live in Virginia. I saw the beginning of this tour in December, 2013 in the Czech Republic. This show was very good. The lights and big screens did well to give the audience the experience that only Black Sabbath can bring. Ozzy was good and never seems to tire. Tony was outstanding and with his recent cancer I am amazed. Tony is a machine! Geezer was his heavy bass self and can still tear it up. I think I am more impressed by the drummer now then I was the first time I saw him. He is incredible! This show was all old Sabbath and it really struck me how some of these songs we pushing 50 years and still just as fresh and heavy as the day they were recorded. I only wish they had played some of 13 at this show. They played 14 songs verse the 16 they did during the first bit of this extended tour. I will have to concede it was nice to hear some deeper tracks. All in all another great Sabbath show!! how many more do they have, is this really the END?

This is the first time I've seen Black Sabbath. Although, I've listened to this group for 43 years. There is not one moment I did not enjoy. Ozzy was extremely friendly with his audience and had all of us involved. He still has a lot of rock and roll in him. You will be amazed and awe struck by the drum solo that went on forever. Amazing, totally amazing. Great old songs, fantastic light show. I still can't believe I was there. You will be sorry if you don't see "The End". Very hard to say goodbye to this iconic band. Thanks Ozzy and the rest of the guys for a show well done. The critics aren't beating Ozzy up but pointing out he can't sing the high notes any more. They should be reviewing what is now and not what 50 years ago was. We all age and things change. For a 67 year old man, Ozzy rocked the hell out of the crowd. I think he wore us out before they wore out. Magnificent show. Don't miss it.

Absolutely first class! Ozzy still sounded like he did in 1970 and can still get the crowds adrenaline going. Having seen a number of bands and artists of legendary status, including the amazing Jerry Lee Lewis, I never thought I'd see someone who held a crowd any better ... until I saw Black Sabbath.
Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, the same as Ozzy, still had that same talent and ability to entertain as they did 47 years ago.
However, the drummer, Tony, really stole the show with the mid-show drum solo! That's a drum solo that I don't think ANYONE could match!
Probably the greatest gig I'll ever have the joy of seeing and without a doubt one I'll never ever forget! A great crown in Glasgow for the greatest band in the world!
Rock On!
Jack!

First time seeing Sabbath and I have to admit the opening band, which was Rival Sons, were pretty good. As for Black Sabbath, they absolutely blew the crowd away. The weight of Iommi's riffs cannot be described, the new drummer that replaced Bill Ward was also experienced and skilled. Butler's delicious bass solos during certain songs really contributed to the creation of the feeling you get when you're listening to Black Sabbath. Ozzy didn't exactly sound the way he sounded 40 years ago (at least not vocally), but his voice had the same effect on the crowd. His energetic cheering also motivated the crowd and made everyone go nuts. Overall probably one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

What an excellent gig, but I have one major complaint.
The band was brilliant, Tony and Geezer played fantastic, Ozzy's was excellent, his voice is still superb. The support band Rival Sons where great, the 3Arena is an excellent venue, with excellent staff.
What almost ruined it for me were all the people with their mobile phones, recording the show. I was fairly close to the front but I still had to keep moving to be able to avoid mobile phones obscuring my view.
I see people are streaming the show live... That really is annoying and basically spoils a live show for me.
I might not bother doing big gigs, rather go to smaller ones where there is not such a problem with mobile phones.