black sabbath
Support : rivals sons Genting Arena ( NEC ), Birmingham 2nd february 2017
As metal fans young and old started to gather in their drones in the forum area and in the main arena bowl on a cold evening at the Genting Arena in Birmingham , there was a very somber atmosphere to say the least …. After touring nonstop across the globe for over a year , and playing over 80 shows , the godfathers and founders of Metal music ‘ BLACK SABBATH ’ were finishing ‘ The End ’ tour with 2 final performances in their hometown where it all began back in 1968 . Accompanied by American rock outfit ‘ Rival Sons ’, this was set to be a night of very mixed emotions , but guaranteed raw Metal madness .
First on the bill were the American rockers from Long Beach , California ‘ Rival Sons ’; known for their twists in the Blues Rock genre , Rival Sons have grown dramatically since their induction into the Music industry in 2009 . After already producing 5 full studio albums and 4 EP ’ s , the band certainly had plenty of material to choose from on their biggest supporting tour to date with Black Sabbath . The 8 track set list included some of the bands ’ biggest hits such as ‘ Electric Man ’, ‘ Tied Up ’, and ‘ Keep On Swinging ’, and it was certainly a fantastic way to warmup the Birmingham crowd for the nights ’ main event !
It was now time for a piece of Musical history , and maybe a moment that fans were dreading ; Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Terence ‘ Geezer ’ Butler and Tommy Clufetos ( stand in drummer for Bill Ward ) collectively known as ‘ BLACK SABBATH ’ stepped out onto the Genting Arena stage for the penultimate time to a warming a round of applause from the thousands of Brummies and international fans stood and sat before them . After becoming the first recognised ‘ Metal ’ band in the world , Black Sabbath have produced a staggering 19 studio albums , 11 compilation albums , 7 video albums , 6 live albums , and an EP just for good measure in their near 50 year history which is quite simply incredible !
From the outset , you could feel that the Birmingham crowd was not there to jump around , go crazy , and start mosh pits with each other , but instead they wanted to let out a whirlwind of emotions , and take in a piece of Musical history and importance . As expected , Ozzy Osbourne as well as Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler spoke in between most of the songs , and Tony Iommi in particular came across as very emotional , and even wore a Birmingham branded t-shirt which was a very nice touch . Sabbath played a fantastic selection of their back catalogue in a 15-track set list which included hits such as ‘ Fairies Wear Boots ’, ‘ War Pigs ’, ‘ Iron Man ’ and ‘ Children of the Grave ’. The highlights of the set however were a blistering 6-part drum solo known as ‘ Rat Salad ’ by Tommy Clufetos , and the Encore of the bands ’ biggest hit ‘ Paranoid ’.
So Ozzy Osbourne ’ s voice might be a bit past its best , but he can still deliver a solid performance only some front men could dream of ! Tony Iommi is without doubt one of the best guitarists you will ever hear and see , and he makes the art of guitar playing look so effortless ! Geezer Butler is one of the most accomplished bass guitar players you will ever come across in your lifetime ! Thank you for giving us Metal !
Words by Kristofer Billingham www . eliteonlinemag . com 181