"The End" for Black Sabbath

[Grangur]

It's their last ever gig tonight, so I hear. Is anyone here going?

Can't say I'very ever been a massive fan, but surprised there's no thread here.

[DawnPatrol1990]

I saw them on the last "Farewell" tour (the 13 album tour cycle) and they were good, nothing that blew me out of the water. Glad to say I've seen them but I wasn't going to pay what they were charging for this tour again. Just hoping Ozz gets Zakk back and does a new solo album or tour as I'm yet to see him on tour. I like Gus G but y'know, he's not Zakk...

[deepbass5]

They were the first band i got into big time, think i have every album - my rebellious youth period i guess, can still sing along to all the words.

who couldn't fall in love with "Changes" great lyrics at an age when no one loves or understands you ------- That's the album version by Ozzy not his daughters rendition of course

[Paul S]

I saw them last Sunday at the O2 Arena in Greenwich. Just because, really. I wouldn't have missed it but, as a performance, I thought it was rather patchy. Some songs were epic - Warpigs was just amazing. Others lack-lustre. Ozzy wasn't in particular good voice or form with some rather strange phrasing to the songs, like he was singing at a different tempo to the band. Screen close ups of Geezers hands showed some fairly bad arthritic bumps onm his hands - he must have been in some pain I would think. Even Iomi was off colour - guitar sounded very muddy from where I was. Massively long drum solo whilst the rest of the band had 40 winks - kind of split into 4 sections but he did pretty much exactly the same each time. All done by 10pm, too. I saw them a couple of years ago at Hyde Park and it was like a different band - just 2 years ago they had more of an edge, this time it was largely going through the motions. Glad to have been there but glad they are done.

Support was Rival Sons - they were the business, I thought. Reminiscent of an early Led Zep (without the plagiarism).

[Ashweb]

[quote name='DawnPatrol1990' timestamp='1486231419' post='3230244']
...I wasn't going to pay what they were charging for this tour ...
[/quote]

I know what you mean, DP. I was looking at tickets for the Birmingham gigs as a surprise for my lad (honest! ) as he's getting into some heavier rock tracks as he gets into his teens; this would have been his first gig too so a baptism of fire maybe... Things were going well until my Wife found out the cost of the tickets....

[Norris]

I went on Thursday. The Saturday tickets sold out really quickly. Lovely black Lakland being played by the geezer

[Misdee]

I heard about this farewell Sabbath gig last night on Radio 4. For a whole host of reasons it is making me feel very old!

I remember only too well,in the 1970's when Black Sabbath, along with Status Quo, were the preferred sound track for denim-clad bovver boys at every comprehensive school in Britain. I was never a fan, but nonetheless, history should recognise that after The Beatles, Sabbath are the most influential band this country has ever produced. Hard Rock/Heavy Metal is a hugely popular on a global scale and Black Sabbath defined the genre. They were the first and have never been bettered.

It's not surprising that they are past their best. These "See the legends in the flesh" tours are almost invariably crap. Let's face it, they are all mainly doing it for the money. Nevertheless, Black Sabbath were once magnificent trail-blazers and a great British export. They deserve credit for that.

[spongebob]

Setlist for final show is on the NME site -

[url="http://www.nme.com/news/music/black-sabbath-last-ever-show-birmingham-watch-1967589"]http://www.nme.com/n...m-watch-1967589[/url]

I've always had time for the Ozzy and RJD albums, some great stuff.

I'd have found the tracks chosen a bit disappointing - for a final show. A bit like after all those years of playing, it comes across like admitting that it all comes down to the first 3 albums (with a couple of exceptions) - which I don't believe it does. Wouldn't expect Ozzy to sing Ronnie's tracks, but even for their original albums, it's all a bit obvious.

.....and then there's the Bill Ward thing.......

Edited February 5, 2017 by spongebob

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1486287699' post='3230513']
Setlist for final show is on the NME site -

[url="http://www.nme.com/news/music/black-sabbath-last-ever-show-birmingham-watch-1967589"]http://www.nme.com/n...m-watch-1967589[/url]

I've always had time for the Ozzy and RJD albums, some great stuff.

I'd have found the tracks chosen a bit disappointing - for a final show. A bit like after all those years of playing, it comes across like admitting that it all comes down to the first 3 albums (with a couple of exceptions) - which I don't believe it does. Wouldn't expect Ozzy to sing Ronnie's tracks, but even for their original albums, it's all a bit obvious.

.....and then there's the Bill Ward thing.......
[/quote]damned if they do damned if they don't, when you've released as much stuff as they have there's no way you'll keep everybody happy, but I'm guessing that set list would please more people than it disappoints

[Skybone]

It's a real shame that they couldn't have sorted out their contractual issues with Bill Ward.

Saw the original lineup on the "Reunion" shows at the NEC (the day they recorded it and released as the "Reunion" Live album). I'd waited 20-odd years to see them all together, and they didn't disappoint. Saying that, I wish I'd seen them with RJD as well.

Geezer's still one of my bass playing "hero's".

[Mudpup]

I saw them many years ago on both the Heaven and Hell and also Mob Rules tour. They were really really good then. On top form and with a great singer/frontman in RJD.

I have also seen Ozzy's band on about 4 occasions back in his earlier days (Blizzard, Diary etc)

The weak link has always been Ozzy for me. As much as he's a national treasure, he's bloody awful live. Cant sing, forgets stuff, away with the fairies sort of behaviour and not just recently either. Spending all night shuffling, mumbling and pacing up and down telling everyone to "go f***in' crazeeee" is not my idea of an entertaining frontman. He relies on having a fab band behind him.

If i'm paying that sort of money i expect a level of quality way beyond what they can offer with him as a frontman.

Personally i wouldn't want to remember them as they seem to be now......

[spectoremg]

I've just Wiki'd the band - you'd think they'd have invited the ten million musicians who've been in the band since the late seventies to a farewell show, including Ian Gillan bwah-hah-ha!

[dannybuoy]

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1486287699' post='3230513']
Setlist for final show is on the NME site -

[url="http://www.nme.com/news/music/black-sabbath-last-ever-show-birmingham-watch-1967589"]http://www.nme.com/n...m-watch-1967589[/url]
[/quote]

Surprised to see not one song from 13!

Edited February 5, 2017 by dannybuoy

[spongebob]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1486320499' post='3230882']


Surprised to see not one song from 13!
[/quote]

Exactly! For a farewell gig, it's shame they seem to admit that it's all about the first 3 albums.

As I said, I don't think it is. Far better band than that.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1486323326' post='3230918']


Exactly! For a farewell gig, it's shame they seem to admit that it's all about the first 3 albums.

As I said, I don't think it is. Far better band than that.
[/quote]

I think it's more because Ozzy simply can't sing any of the high stuff anymore. So nothing from SBS or Sabotage. Although they did play instrumental versions of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Megalomania much to my utter joy!

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1486232867' post='3230260']
I saw them last Sunday at the O2 Arena in Greenwich. Just because, really. I wouldn't have missed it but, as a performance, I thought it was rather patchy. Some songs were epic - Warpigs was just amazing. Others lack-lustre. Ozzy wasn't in particular good voice or form with some rather strange phrasing to the songs, like he was singing at a different tempo to the band. Screen close ups of Geezers hands showed some fairly bad arthritic bumps onm his hands - he must have been in some pain I would think. Even Iomi was off colour - guitar sounded very muddy from where I was. Massively long drum solo whilst the rest of the band had 40 winks - kind of split into 4 sections but he did pretty much exactly the same each time. All done by 10pm, too. I saw them a couple of years ago at Hyde Park and it was like a different band - just 2 years ago they had more of an edge, this time it was largely going through the motions. Glad to have been there but glad they are done.

Support was Rival Sons - they were the business, I thought. Reminiscent of an early Led Zep (without the plagiarism).
[/quote]

I saw them on the Tuesday. For most of the evening Ozzy was spot on, to my surprise. Noticeably less animated between songs though. Less manic.

[thodrik]

I love Ozzy era Black Sabbath. For me any version of Black Sabbath that doesn't feature Ozzy, Iommi, Geezer and Bill Ward just isn't Black Sabbath. I'm glad though that the Ozzy, Geezer and Iommi were all well enough to have a final tour to say goodbye.

[christhammer666]

The end!!!!!! till their next farewell tour

[Sammers]

I was there both nights in Birmingham and I thought they were awesome. Considering Ozzy is barely comprehensible at the best of times it's pretty amazing he actually got through most of the set but I think I'd have to agree that he's probably on his last legs with his performances.

Had a blast both nights though, so money well spent for me!

[ROConnell]

The company I work for provided the radio comms for the whole show on Saturday, the end of 'The End'. Got loads of a cool little black sabbath confetti's hanging around the office now!

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Sammers' timestamp='1486375665' post='3231140']
I was there both nights in Birmingham and I thought they were awesome. Considering Ozzy is barely comprehensible at the best of times it's pretty amazing he actually got through most of the set but I think I'd have to agree that he's probably on his last legs with his performances.

Had a blast both nights though, so money well spent for me!
[/quote]actually there was an interview with Oz before the final show and he was very comprehensible, he's been clean for 5 years (fags, booze and drugs) a million miles away for the shambling wreck he was in the Osbournes

[Monkey Steve]

I was at the previous "last ever Sabbath gig" at the NEC in '99 (then on a train back to London to see the Who the next night - it was a good week) which was excellent (and I'd seen them a few times touring the less than stellar late '80's/early '90's albums and they were always great live...plus I remember Brian May turning up more than once).

Then saw the last two Downloads - the 2013 one (following the spat with Bill Ward) was excellent. The 2016 was pretty dreadful - Ozzy didn't hit a correct note for the first four or five songs (still got a T-shirt though, obvs). So I wasn't that fussed about being there for the very last farewell, but a mate who was at the O2 gig last week tells me they were fantastic.

[Sammers]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1486380505' post='3231196']
actually there was an interview with Oz before the final show and he was very comprehensible, he's been clean for 5 years (fags, booze and drugs) a million miles away for the shambling wreck he was in the Osbournes
[/quote]

Unfortunately haven't seen that interview but when he tried to talk between songs I couldn't understand a single thing... and that's coming from a brummie haha!

[Graham]

That's a cracking set-list

[color=#333333][font=Roboto]‘[/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Roboto]Black Sabbath’
‘Fairies Wear Boots’
‘Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes’
‘After Forever’
‘Into the Void’
‘Snowblind’
‘War Pigs’
‘N.I.B.’
‘Hand of Doom’
‘Supernaut / Sabbath Bloody Sabbath / Megalomania’ (medley)
‘Rat Salad’
‘Iron Man’
‘Dirty Women’
‘Children of the Grave’[/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=Roboto]‘Paranoid’[/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=Roboto]Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/music/black-sabbath-last-ever-show-birmingham-watch-1967589#Hr7BZepP8CbUhmE3.99[/font][/color]

[uk_lefty]

Saw them at download 2016 as part of this tour and was comprehensively underwhelmed, I'm sad to say. I think Ozzy has gone on too long. Musically the band was good but without any dynamism from the vocals (or tuning or timing) it was a bit hollow. Wish I'd seen them many years earlier