The “one” US Date has been announced

..at least I’m pretty sure it’s that one.  When Tony got sick, and they had to cancel the European dates, they said they’d still play the Download Festival, and one (then) unannounced US date.  About an hour ago from this post, it was announced that Black Sabbath will play the Lollapolooza (WTF) festival on August 3-5 in Chicago, IL.   A poster was released regarding the gig.  You can view it here:

What isn’t immediately available is whether or not Bill Ward is playing drums.  I work for Bill, and I’ve asked, so hopefully I’ll have some sort of answer on that in short order.  It’s also possible it’s still up in the air, and they’re not announcing who is playing drums yet.   Will have to wait and see.

There’s a complete list of bands and who is playing when and all that over at this story – go check it out.

UPDATE:  Around 3PM on Wednesday, I saw this article on Rolling Stone’s website.   It includes a picture from the 11-11-11 press release, including Bill Ward.  At this time, nobody is telling me if Bill Ward is involved.  I would think if Bill WAS involved given the events of the last few months they would have announced that.  I would recommend not taking the inclusion of the picture on the Rolling Stone site as to any indicator of the resolution of the Bill Ward situation AT ALL.  It strikes me as lazy journalism by Rolling Stone to include that picture – knowing there’s an issue with Bill Ward and Black Sabbath at the moment.  They should have looked into it and chosen a better picture.

Comments

  1. Manny Contreras says

    Awesome!! Black Sabbath back in the USA!!

  2. BS is no SB says

    Crazy that they are playing this festival. The reason Ozzy started Ozzfest because this festival refused to have him. I know Sabbath is a bigger thing.
    I think it is important for people to come support Tony. Although it is sad that Bill might join them, Tony really needs to love and support of his fans. This festival is going to draw a large crowd for the other types of music there (electronic, indie). Sabbath fans need to show up to show support Tony and the band!

  3. TomOzzy123 says

    The main priority is to get Tony better, but I hope that Bill plays drums on the new record and tour. I will have a hard time with it if Bill’s ordeals isn’t solved. Sabbath represents the working class and bickering over contracts makes me ill.

  4. Marc Guerette says

    I was hoping Sabbath’s lone US gig would have them doing their own show at a huge football stadium where all their hardcore fans from across the country could gather – instead of forcing their fans to attend an event like this which is otherwise likely very unappealing to Sabbath fans.

  5. THIS SUCKS IF YOU ASK ME — I EXPECTED TO SEE SABBATH ON THIER OWN — NOW YOUR EXPECTED TO PAY EVEN BIGGER MONEY AND SEE A BUNCH OF BANDS I DONT CARE ABOUT JUST SO I CAN SEE ONE?? I DONT THINK SO SABBATH BLEW IT WITH THIS REUNION ( TONY’S ILLNESS NOT INCLUDED OBVIOUSLY)

  6. is this going to be the only u.s. date??

  7. Frank DeHaven says

    The lolla site shows the one day tickets are sold out already, so get ready to plunk $250 down for a 3 day ticket to see the show.

    • Single day tickets have not gone on sale yet. Only 3 day passes. Look again

      • you better look again —- i emailed the ticket outlet direct and the response was that there will NOT be single day tickets put on sale 3 day passes only at $230 a piece

        if you want to see the email let me know and ill be happy to forward to u

        • uptheirons! says

          that’s contrary to how its worked every other year. single day tickets go onsale after the 3 day passes and once they’ve announced the lineups for each day.

          weird…

  8. Hail Tony!, Hail Bill! … but this festival is too crappy for the mighty Sabbath

  9. Hey man! Just be thankful we get to see the legends again!

  10. Great: perhaps one of the last Black Sabbath concerts in history, and it’s at a music festival, more specifically, that music festival….

  11. Binghamton, NY would be nice again.

  12. so sad………i cant stand thru all the crap to see the mighty sabb, And if i plunk down the $$$ for a ticket its still no guarantee that it will be sabbath…..I.E.tony & bill……if its not the FAB FOUR im not buying

  13. Richard F. says

    It won’t be a true reuion without Bill Ward! Come on guys! Get Bill on the drums!

  14. Monte Self says

    well even if Bill is in I am not in this one just because of location, way to far from CA. they had one scheduled in So Cal that got dropped, hopefully they will add more gigs, I really cant believe they got on this lollypoploser tour and NOT headlined on top of it, come on… RHCP’s ? probably gonna do their naked act again. and yeah.. who want to wade in crowds of people through hella unknown bands all day after paying up the nose for tickets and find out Bill is not in ?, ok some of you dont care and believe we should support Tony, thats fine if you want, but I’m sticking to my No Bill No Sabbath (LP and Tour) I Love Tony but it’s my feeling Bill should be in it as it started out to be 11-11-11.
    I’m hoping (praying) Joe gets some word soon that Bill is in, even though I am not able to attend this one, I think the fans deserve all four founding members.

  15. I don’t have a good feeling about this. I think it’s gonna end up being “Ozzy and Friends”. I certainly hope i’m wrong.

  16. Steve Miller says

    I agree that Tony deserves our support but I won’t be attending, or purchasing the record, if Bill isn’t part of “the project”.

  17. Kip Brown says

    So, if I understand correctly, single day tickets WILL be available at some point? I see no mention of this anywhere on the Lollapalooza website. I don’t want to miss Sabbath but $230 is pretty salty for what will probably be an hour long set late on Sunday night after sitting through bands I could care less about. The site doesn’t even say which day Sabbath are playing on, either. Help a brotha out with some info if you have it.

    • Justin Adams says

      Yes they do single day tickets, I went last year and saw Cage the Elephant, The Arctic Monkeys, The Foo Fighters, and The Cars it was about $90 for a single day ticket. The single day lineups have yet to be announced but they will let you know who is playing when on what day.

      • i stand corrected but keep in mind i was basing my info on what was told to me from the lollapalooza website i contacted them direct and they responded saying that they had sold single day tickets in the past but they wouldnt be doing it for this show… guess they told that lie so as to sell out the 3 day passes????? its all about money ya know not fans

    • if you read my earlier post it clearly states that i sent a email inquiring about single day sales and the response was that there will not be any single day sales. so find out for yourself go to the OFFICIAL lollapalooza website http://www.lollapalooza.com/tickets/ and see for yourself . there is no mention of single day sales so read the FAQ’s still no mention i urge everyone to email them and inquire and find out for yourself that there will NOT BE ANY SINGLE DAY SALES.

      again if anyone wants to read the email i received on this give me your email address and ill be more than happy to forward it to you

    • uptheirons! says

      Single day tickets are now onsale!

  18. black sabbath without bill is not black sabbath§
    svp faite que tout s arrange pour le mieux
    le buisness ne doit pas briser nos reves!
    MERCI !!!!

  19. Hell yeah just bought my tix for lolla, Az Sabbath fans will be represented!!!

  20. daniel lavallee says

    any chance black Sabbath touring in Canada

    Daniel, Windsor Ontario Canada

  21. I’m wondering if they considered playing Metallica’s Orion Festival? Although that looks like it is “eclectic” as well, it surely would be an audience more appropriate and appreciative of Black Sabbath. I don’t know how the numbers compare in each case…

  22. Ian Christie announced on Twitter, last weekend, that Gene Hoglan is playing drums for Sabbath during the summer.

  23. http://hornsuprocks.blogspot.com/2012/04/gene-hoglan-to-step-in-for-bill-ward-on.html

    This is the only link I can find to it now. He put it out on twitter just after the 4/1 weekend show he does on Liquid Metal. It’s possible he did it as a April Fools joke

  24. Hey, enjoy your website….Now that one day tickets are available for Lollapolooza I need to know if Bill Ward is going to play the gig…I don’t want to pay $95 to see Sabbath without Bill!! Can Bill give some sort of update?? Thanks!

  25. 1 day tix went on sale today 4/18/12, for 100.00. go to loopalooza main webpage to get august 3 tix. hope they play hand of doom

  26. SirHarley says

    Black Sabbath should be headlining a festival of their own!!!!! Why would I want to see a bunch of no talent wannabees whine about thow miserable their lives are???
    Tommy get well soon man, and put out a tour that gives Black Sabbath the atolls they deserve. Heavy Metal doesnt follow….It Rules and the others follow! Thats the way it will always be…

    I saw a Black Sabbath reunion tour out side of Chicago when Ozzy was sick as hell. He never lost a step, and I expect that Tommy will do the same! I wont be going to LOllopolooza (chicago is run like a socialist burg) but I would go to any other Heavy Metal line up they put out anywhere else. Cant stand todays music if you want to call it that.

  27. Local (Chicago) interviews with Jane’s-Addiction-and-LPalooza-Capo Perry Farrell say this: He’s the second-biggest Black Sabbath fan in the world (I’m biggest), he asked them to play months back. Shortly afterwards Mr. Iommi became ill and they declined. But Farrell left open the main-stage-slot hoping that soemthing might change. After it became clear that there would be no N America tour and then that Tony was feeling better, Sharon Osbourne called Farrell and asked if they might possibly still play LPalooza. Farrell fainted, recovered, and agreed.

    Let me just say that I’m no LPalooza fan, but I already have my ticket for Sabbath and I’m really looking forward to it. My Piccola Befana attends every day of every LPalooza (since the very first one), so sometimes I go too, sometimes not.

  28. This is qiute ironic,isn’t it?The same festival that turned Ozzy down and said he-” was too old.”That is why Ozzfest started,remember?So now the hypocrites have to get Black Sabbath because their sales are going down in tickets sold.This is nice of them but two faced at the same time.They wanted only alternative college rock non-sense in the 90’s.Garbage like- Kings Of Leon,Weezer,Green Day,White Stripes,and anything that sounds like the bands I mentioned(that means you too-Muse)!So,I still say the festival is garbage and not even the best band in Hard Rock and Metal(Black Sabbath)can save it.

    I still think Perry Farrell and Janes Addiction are crap!This type of music tried to kill us in the 90s!Now,guys like Soundgarden and Nirvana were fine.But,I think Iv’e had enough hearing those far left liberal views of Eddie Vedder(not that Republicans are any better).So,enough of this garbage music by alternative bands!Metal fans will agree with me on this.I will take Metallica’s black album over that snot nosed music any day!

  29. zerothehero83 says

    With Dio gone and now Tony ill, it is a sad state of affairs when the original drummer is questionable about playing on the record or the tour (concert). I’ve been a fan of the almighty Sabbath for close to 40 years now and they are almost literally the last of a dying breed from this generation of music. At this point of their careers and for the fans, you would think that any nonsense business BS would be eliminated from all this and that these guys can get on and give one hell of a show. I mean really, it’s been over 30 years since their last full studio album with all 4 original members. How many chances are these guys going to get and with Tony ill? It just speaks volumes that time is a factor. Please, the fans have been there through all these years….it has to be the four original members. As for this festival they are playing at….they are way too good to be playing this. They should just headline their own show…maybe outdoors and let 100,000 people come worship what is right and what is considered the best musice ever. Speedy recovery Tony and please, Bill, you have to be a part of this.

  30. Dave Schacht says

    I totally agree with all of the posters who do not want to see Black Sabbath at Lollapalooza. I have no interest whatsoever in seeing any of the other bands on the day that Black Sabbath is supposed to perform. What makes me the most mad is the fact that there’s no indication at all at what time of day they will be on. I certainly don’t want to sit through crappy music all day waiting for Sabbath. Furthermore, who knows how long they’ll actually play? It’s a shame to shell out ninety-five bucks just to sit around all day for a show that might only last an hour. I am hoping that I can see them, though. I live in Illinois (far north of Chicago), so getting there shouldn’t be a problem, but who knows at this date if Tony Iommi will even be well enough to perform. I’d hate to buy my ticket only to find out later that Sabbath has cancelled. It’s important to me to get as close to the stage as I possibly can, but I have no idea as to when to show up and the Lollapalooza website wasn’t very helpful. I sent them an e-mail about a week ago, but it’s doubtful that I’ll ever get a reply.

  31. I was fortunate enough to see’em at anaheim stadium, Ca. in “78” Awesome memories and I made sure I did’nt get too stoned to appreciate what I was witnessing would be the last opportunity I would ever have. Like the rest of Us, I’m sure for Them it sucks getting old physically when You’re still young at heart. I’m sure they’ll do the best They can. God bless and peace at the center to all!

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