venue: NEC Birmingham
dates: 4 & 5 December 1997
support: Fear Factory

Although I was only 19 at the time I have been brought up on a diet of Black Sabbath for my musical taste. Even queueing to get into the NEC you could feel the intensity in the air as this was the cream of the crop, the "Godfathers" of metal right here in Britain. All thoughts of the gruelling overnight drive from Edinburgh to the NEC had been forgotten and a sudden tingling in the bones and rushes of adrenalin were in full flow as we took to our perfect seats in the auditorium.

Fear Factory were on fire that night. Scumgrief, Replica and Self Bias Resistor stick out from their set along with in between song tributes to the greatness which would follow, we were well warmed up.

I shall never forget just casually walking back to my seat when all of a sudden the houselights went down and the video screens kicked into life and the intro tape of riffs ripped through the air. You could easily burst into tears such was the emotion in the air when first of all Bill appeared at the back of the drumkit waving the V sign then they appeared one by one and kicked off with War Pigs. The bass went right through you and you could see from Ozzy's face he was shitting himself. Whether it was the thought of "Will this work" or the overwhelming atmosphere in the arena they delivered to perfection, brutal great riffs peeled off effortlessly from Tony, the Bass rumbling and clear from Geezer and seven shades of shit pounded out the drumkit by Bill. Behind the Wall of Sleep, Lord of this World and Spiral Architect were all surprises for me but the intensity and greatness wasn't.

They were great gigs and the one thing throughout both was how well the four gelled together and the more confident Ozzy got to the extent where he was a total nutcase by the end of the second gig. I also attended the 2 gigs on 21 & 22 December 1999 at the NEC and although they were truly great, not a patch on these.

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	Mike Bordin had this to say about Bill Ward and these gigs in January 2004.. "I've been really, really into music since I was about eight years old, but when I first heard a BLACK SABBATH record, that was it - there was nothing else," Bordin said. "The very next week, on April 6, 1974, I saw them on TV on the 'California Jam'. It was the most compelling, the most exciting, the most physical thing that I had ever seen - it was a revelation. I remember Bill as this big, crazy, giant hairy dude with red tights and no shirt. By the middle of the first song, you couldn't see him - it was just hair and flailing arms. "When you look at Bill's style of playing, you have to look at it in the context of the giants around him. Geezer, Tony and Ozzy are like forces of nature, and to balance in between them and not be squished, you have to be a giant as well. "Bill's playing is phenomenally individual and completely unique - nobody can play those songs like him. I was raised on BLACK SABBATH music and it was hugely important to me even before I started playing drums. "Bill Ward is a prince of a human being and I feel honored to have had a chance to play in BLACK SABBATH with Ozzy, Tony and Geezer. It was my tribute to the man that wasn't onstage, but should have been."

  THE BAND

• Tony Iommi - Guitars
• Ozzy Osbourne - Vocals
• Geezer Butler - Bass
• Mike Bordin - Drums (Should be Bill, but hey...)

(Promo text taken from Ozzy's Official Web Site)

Summer's coming and that means OZZFEST '97 is heading your way! With the line up that follows, it's gonna be an event to remember! Tour dates & line up subject to change so be sure to check news and updates at http://www.ozzynet.com.

MAIN STAGE

• Ozzy Osbourne
• SABBATH (Ozzy, Iommi, Geezer)
• Marilyn Manson (selected dates)
• Pantera
• Type-O Negative
• Fear Factory
• Machinehead
• Powerman 5000

2nd Stage

• Downset
• Neurosis
• Slo Burn
• Drain STH
• Coal Chamber
• Vision of Disorder

Also, look for stuff from Ozzy and many others in the Celebrity Auctionline, an internet auction to raise money for the TJ Martell Foundation which funds cancer, AIDS, and leukemia research.It's at http://www.streammedia.com/auctionline