Tonight was the last gig for 2013, in Birmingham. It’s been a cool tour. I saw it myself last summer, but I’m here to ask you. If you saw the tour, what did you think? Leave a comment below! Other than Andrew WK who sucked, it also appears that the opening bands were good, too!
Toronto 8/14 – with my wife (also her birthday) and my daughter
The show was amazing. Looking forward to seeing them in Hamilton Ontario in 2014!
Saw two Birmingham gigs (prices in my hometown Sao Paulo made me do this).
Uncle Acid was great.
Sabbath was great, Ozzy was in good shape, especially on the 22nd – but frankly, the `no surprises` set list is making me lose interest in seeing them live again. But these were my 6th and 7th show… Maybe it’s time to retire…
Saw Sabbath at LG Arena on 20/11/2013. Awesome show, whole band were a class act. Audience interaction was brilliant. Loved every minute & hopefully catch up again next time they play in Brum!
September 1st in Las Vegas. Great show. Ozzy and the band sounded great. Would have loved to heard Methademic but just being able to go to the show was enough. I got the chance to meet Ozzy before the show and he was very professional. Highlight of the show was Children of the Grave. It positively smoked.
Mountain View, San Francisco Bay Area, Aug. 26th. After watching the initial youtube footage, I was concerned with Ozzy’s performance on the new material.
He seemed uncomfortable & less than enthused.
This concern was backed up by the inevitable negative comments that rain down on any internet parade. I didn’t want to believe it.
I thought “maybe by the time I see them, he’ll have it ironed out, and it shall be awesome.” I was right!!
9th row, VIP Tour Package.
Ozzy was confident, in tune & genuinely sincere through all the material. Up close seeing the looks on the guys’ faces, I got a real sense that they were up there absolutely loving & never tiring of their mission. No complaints here!
Sure I would rather have seen Bill Ward, or even Brad Wilk for that matter, but Clufetos did justice. They wouldn’t hire any hack.
I would have rather seen a real opening band, (local boys Orchid would have been cool), but all in all- I’m way good. m/
I also went to the Mountain View show on that date.
Like you, I was worried that Ozzy wasn’t gonna cut the mustard live, but boy, I was surprised.
I’ve seen video footage of him over the last few years, and honestly… this is the best he’s sounded in a decade.
I’m really happy for him. Glad he cleaned up his act because he rocked!
Anyway, about the concert.
Andrew WK was there. He played some classic heavy metal songs (Iron Maiden was noticeably missing, but they DID play Dio) with VERY annoying overlaying sounds over them, be it a reverb effect or a machine gun going off. Also, who the hell plays Deep Purple at a Sabbath concert? I love “Burn,” and it’s one of my favorite songs of all-time, but it doesn’t belong with the likes of Metallica or Priest. Neither did Big Balls or Communication Breakdown, but I digress. WK was surprisingly well-received, which was shocking because he really felt out-of-place. I mean, it’s not like they couldn’t get Saxon or UFO to open.
When the sun sat, and I like to believe this was intentional, the air-raid sirens came on. War Pigs started playing, and it was such a surreal experience. EVERYONE in the audience started singing along, and that’s when it hit me: I was seeing Black Sabbath. From there on out, it got better and better. As I said, Ozzy sounded great, but apparently he went deaf over the years because “he couldn’t f***ing hear” us. Tony, god bless him, looked to be in good shape despite what he was going through. He was smiling the entire concert, which really warmed my heart. Geezer’s a beast as always. Had a great solo before N.I.B., as expected. Tommy was great too, but Ozzy must have needed to use the restroom or something because he played those drums for 15 minutes. The show ended with Paranoid, and a pit started up in the lawn section, which pissed me off because we were standing on a slope, and one wrong move could get someone seriously hurt. I mean, it’s Paranoid, not something from Overkill, come on!
Anyway, it was a great concert. My only complaint is that they didn’t do Sweet Leaf, which sucked considering how strong it smelled that night!
Philadelphia on Aug 10 2013. It was great. It was something that I have been waiting for for 30 something years. Yeah they came by years earlier on the Oz fest but that was just a rehash of the same old material. This had a new album and new tunes to support the show. It was dream come true. I will always remember it…..Mike
July 31st in West Palm Beach, FL with my 13 year old son (I am 47). Great show. Ozzy was in good form. Tony and Geezer are always in good form. I really thought Tommy did a great job on drums. He injects a youthfulness into the band that only a drummer can bring.
Have to travel to NYC for business in March. Will see them in Brooklyn, NY on 3/31.
I was there at the West Palm show as well. Great show. I was also impressed with Tommy’s drumming, even though I was yelling, “We want Bill”! Nothing personal Tommy. It’s just the way a lot of us fans think. Ozzy sounded great, I don’t care how he sounded at other shows, he kicked ass at Cruzan! Geezer was his usual superb self, and Tony was being the GOD OF METAL on guitar that he is!!! Plus he was having a lot of fun interacting with Ozzy a lot. Laughing his ass off many times. Not bad for a guy who thought he was given a death sentence just a year ago. Well, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all Black Sabbath fans everywhere. Joe, keep up the great work!
Paris, December 2nd, 2013
Return of the original-minus-one Sabbath in Paris, after a 43 years hiatus…
Uncle Acid and the Deadbits was the opener – totally boring, if you ask me. Man, I paid 75 euros to see a show, so I expect high quality stuff for the whole evening. Fortunately enough, they didn’t play that long.
The audience looked quite weird – many people coming with their relatives (grand-parents or grand-son/daughter), some others wearing ties, shirt and suit. Not really the kind of mob you’d expect for a r’n’r show. I remembered those Ozzy solo videos (Bark at the Moon tour), with many bourgeoisie-born people attending – thought it would never cross the Atlantic – yet it did. There were anyway many young metallers, and that was great.
Now, back to the show… what could I say: a perfect sound, very heavy and clear. A dream-like set list (only God is Dead? was a bit below, they could have replaced it by some tunes from Never Say Dide, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath or Sabotage, which were not represented that evening – except the intro of Bloody…). I expected to be disappointed by Clufetos, but that guy has been really great – of course I still regret Bill but I think that he fitted that repertoire much better than did and would Appice (yet you can’t beat the latter on Dio’s stuff!). The light show was great, yet the videos are too much distracting, and really prevent you of focusing on the band – yet it’s the price to pay for all screen-and-TV-addicts, I suppose). Nearly two hours of great music, in front of nearly 17,000 people. Of course, a pitty that Ozzy refuses to consider material he didn’t record – or that they didn’t play some solo Ozzy classic… Ozzy sang very well (maybe not on War Pigs), Butler seemed to be totally bored, and Iommi was in top shape – crafting what is to me his best solo to date on Black Sabbath… still happy to be a fan since 1981!
for me a very great show i like it very much tommy did a great job he is not bill but i like his show -who could replace bill? noone i think bill have a very special touch !ozzy voice was good and geezer was amazing this man is incredible! tony he is iron man!!! adam did a good job but we could not see him!the audience was incredible evry age since little child to age of reason!
ozzy said that preahps a new album and tour i hope !!!!
jerome un fan comble!
43 YEAR HIATUS??? I’m not very impressed with all this “back together again after blah blah blah years” … Black sabbath has never had a hiatus except the year 1985!!!
I saw Black Sabbath in Paris 2nd of December and they were awesome, specially Ozzy, after seeing his solo band in 2008 and his pathetic shape at that point, it was a pleasant surprise. Clufetos did a great job IMO (which was the other big surprise for me) and Tony & Geezer were outstanding. My first time finally to see BS was more than worthy!
I saw Sabbath in Helsinki, Finland on November 20th. The gig was brilliant, one of the best gigs I’ve ever seen. If this was the last time they were here, then: Thank You Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Tommy for the awesome experience!
Rio de Janeiro.
Fantastic!!!
Stockholm 22 november with my 2 boys (22 and 20). Uncle Acid didn´t do much for me but Sabbath was really good that night.
Haven´t seen Ossy so good in many years, the diffrence agains last years show in Malmö was BIG!.
Hope that they come to Wacken next year.
I saw them in Toronto last August. This was my first Black Sabbath concert with Ozzy. I enjoyed every minute of the show. People complain about Ozzy, but I just think he was great.
By the way, Tommy is an amazing drummer and he should have recorded the album. I although I love Cozy Powell, Vinny Appice and Bob Rondinelli, I believe that Tommy is the drummer that best fits the band style after Bill Ward.
I am looking forward to seeing them again in Hamilton in 2014.
I was at the Glasgow gig last week with my six year old daughter, who greeted War Pigs with a raised peace sign and plugs in her ears.
It’s hard to be objective about Sabbath, Bill’s not there and they’ve been my favourite band for, well, forever. I’ve seen them many times since the ’97 reunion and they’ve never been so good again as they were on those two nights in Birmingham.
But, they started strong, sounding excellent, my eyes misted up and Ozzy hit every note. I’ve stood in front of Iommi dozens of times in the last 30 odd years and I’ve never seen him play as well and simply sound as good as he did that night.
Geezer bobbed and rumbled as well always, maybe seeming a little less keen on being there as he might? Hard to say, but he’s always seemed a little less enthusiastic that I’d have hoped over the past couple of years.
Tommy did his best, you couldn’t ask any more from him in a difficult position. Good lad.
Ozzy’s voice went on NIB, badly too. He pulled back at times towards the end, but he’s the weak link and that’s something I never thought I’d see. He’s always been the firework blazing centre stage, but Iommi was the rock that the band were tied to in Glasgow.
It was still more than I’d hoped for, but Ozzy’s singing was hard to ignore at times while the band played perfectly behind him. Maybe Bill’s looser feel might have helped here, Tommy’s rock solid timing seemed to catch Ozzy out on Black Sabbath.
I’m not being negative at all, I loved the gig, more than a few others since the 97 reunion. The set could do with a wee shake up, I’ve never really liked Fairies Wear Boots, Dirty Women could swap with Gypsy or even Never Say Die since the cover of that album is all over the merchandise. Loved hearing Rat Salad, but how about giving Ozzy some helium and playing Killing Yourself to Live instead of Snowblind?
But then again, the’re must be folks fed up with War Pigs or Children of the Grave and I’ll never tire of them.
If it’s the last time I see them, it was enough to leave me with happy memories. Seeing Iommi playing so well and looking strong was the best thing about the night.
The two t-shirts I went home with weren’t bad either.
Uncle Acid – I’d been looking forward to seeing them, the albums are great. The struggled a bit to fill the big stage and project themselves, but the songs are great and the sound was excellent, I think they caught a few new ears on the night.
Saw them in Tinley Park, IL (Chicago) on August 16, 2013. What an amazing experience! My 4th time seeing them with Ozzy and it was honestly the best yet. Ozzy’s voice was at its peak, the band was tight, and the performances were spectacular.
Glasgow Hydro December 16th 2013.
My first time in the Hydro, it only opened in October 2013. Sitting in the gods, an apt place to be while in the presence of greatness. The show was stunning. Ozzy was in fine voice and Geeezer and Tommy also shone brightly. But for me the star will always be Tony. After the rough time he has had will his illness to be able to perform to such a high level is truly impressive. This man knows how to rock the world and should be held up high as an example to todays up and coming performers.
The new classics blend well with the old classics to give the audience a night they will never forget. The solo on Black Sabbath was exceptional, my head nearly fell off. Age of Reason should be hailed as one of the greatest Sabbath songs ever.
To Tony, Ozzy, Geezer and Tommy thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my black hearted soul.
Love and peace to you all.
I saw them at Tinley Park in Chicago August 16th, and they kicked royal ass! Ozzy sounded spot on to my amazement, the overall sound was perfect. I know the complaints about Ozzy’s voice on certain shows, this surely was not one of them. If they would have filmed Tinley Park for the DVD rest assured it would have smoked the Australia footage, but I am not complaining, the DVD is awesome. Long live Sabbath, hope this is not the last time to see them live, but if it was I will die happy!! Note: Andrew W.K. was complete crap on a stick!! Why??? should have someone solid like UFO or Uriah Heep open up, that would have been a strong double bill.
Phoenix AZ 08/30
My friend Sam came from CA just for the show. We parked a couple towns over and took the metro train to the show, people were piling in at every stop wearing Sabbath, Ozzy and yes,Dio shirts too (god bless Ronnie). The excitement built up as we got closer to US Airways Center. We met people from Australia, Spain and these very very excited guys from a small island off of Greece (don’t remember the name). We entered the arena as AWK was on, the T-shirt line was the longest I have ever seen. We got our “beverages” and found our seats just as AWK was finishing. Sabbath came on in no time at all. It is pretty blurry from that point because as soon as War Pigs kicked up, I lost it, I really lost it. I sang every song (yes, even the new ones). Ozzy was not bad at all, I was so pleasantly surprised. Snowblind always my favorite and Age of Reason, my new favorite. The place was packed to the rafters and the crowd was as loud as the amps, the band was impressed or so it appeared. I totally wonderful night with my favorite band of all time, well worth the wait. Better than Ozzfest 97, and 05. Better than the LA forum in 99 and that one is tough to beat.
I saw the boys in Amsterdam ,very good performance,Ozzy was in shape,Tommy clufetos was the
suprise of the evening for me with his solo.
Hoped for a major guitarsolo by Tony,which wasn”t to be.
Furthermore i enjoyed it.
I saw them in the Republic of Texas (Houston) and it was the best show ever no matter what anyone says about Ozzy’s singing. 17,000 fans going crazy. It was the first time playing Age of Reason and Rat Salad. That was the best gig of the 2013 tour and I was honored to see my heroes.
I am also very confident it was the hottest gig they played all year with temperatures well into the 90’s late at night. Ozzy was making fun of the oppressive heat and Geezer was sweating like a pig. The heat didn’t bother Tony at all. He looked so strong.
The gig was electrifying.
It’s not even that Andrew W.K. sucked as it that it was… you know… pointless? I mean, it was no different than just playing music through the soundsystem without someone on stage.
Otherwise, saw the Detroit show, it was fantastic, hometown boy on the drum set doing an epic 10+ minute drum solo lead-in to Iron Man, Ozzy sounding much better than I expected, and Tony and Geez being TONY AND GEEZ!
I saw them last August in Mansfield, MA. I drove about 10 hours from New-Brunswick, Canada to the States for this show & it was totally worth it! Didn’t really care for Andrew W.K.; It was actually weird, At one point he played a Slayer song &, right after he was done, Slayer was playing yet again through the speakers while they were getting the stage for the main attraction. Black Sabbath, however was on fire!!! I thought Ozzy did an awesome job on vocals. He did struggle a times during “Under the Sun”, “Age of Reason” & “Dirty Women” but it thought it was very minor & didn’t effect the band`s performance at all.
It was a great show! I was happy to finally here my favorite Black Sabbath song, “Behind the Wall of Sleep”, & can`t wait to see them again live in April when they stop in Halifax, NS.
Saw them December 20th 2013 at Birmingham’s LG Arena. Travelled up from Swansea so stayed overnight at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, a few minutes walk from the arena. My wife came too, and probably the best measure of how enjoyable the show was is to say she loved every minute of it. She’s not a Black Sabbath maniac like me, but she totally got it, so did everyone else for that matter. It’s the fourth time I’ve seen them and they’ve been great each time, twice with Ozzy, once with Ronnie and once with Ray Gillen. Loved the new songs in particular, not because they”re better than the old stuff, but they’re off a really good, massive selling album and that makes me happy. It’s a shame about Bill, but Tommy filled in beautifully, and the crowd really appreciated his solo. One more tour! One more tour!
Second album I ever bought was sabbath. Been hooked since in all forms. Vancouver was the second time I had seen the Ozzy version (prior in Seatte), and although Ozzy wasn’t his best that night the crowd was right into it and Iommi rocked. It was pure rock heaven and I look forward to seeing them in Calgary in the New Year.
Tinley Park, IL on August 16th and then two days later in Noblesville, IN. I believe I posted on each of these nights previously, so I will keep it short. I have seen Ozzy and/or Black Sabbath at least once on every US Tour since Ozzy’s Bark at the Moon Tour of 83/84, and these two shows are definitely in the top 5. This includes BS fronted by Ray Gillan, Tony Martin, and Dio. When I consider the strength of the new songs from 13, along with the inclusion of Under the Sun (worth the price of admission) and Rat Salad in the set list, I cannot emphasize how much I was pleased, literally to the point of tears at both shows. Hell, even now typing this my eyes are filling up. If this album and tour is their swan song, then they have gone out on top, in my opinion.
It’s great to read so many positive experiences and general comments. For a time it seemed all I read was a about some bad shows (mostly the first US dates) and mostly dead ( thank god) Bill Ward issue. I think I speak for many when I say I’m really glad they are going out with a bang. , in the public arena anyway, and they are doing shows pretty much as good as any ( often better) in the last decade or two even. But I hope they don’t draw things out too long and let the business people make decisions for them. One thing that would be really fantastic would be if the could release just a bit of material, even just a song, or even do a show with Bill Ward, that would bring everything full circle. And let things end the way they deserve to, which rarely happens in life. And it’s actually in their reach I think if they wanted it. Happy holidays to all my fellow Sab fanatics!
August 4th @PNC in NJ. For whatever reason, for the most part Ozzy’s vocals were so good they were almost scary that night. On the long “Yeahhh…” near the end of “Fairies Wear Boots,” he actually surpassed the one on the Paranoid album! Tony, Geezer & Mark were excellent – of course. These days, I’m enjoying the ‘Gathered’ DVD and looking ahead to the 3/31/14 concert @Barclays here in Brooklyn! Happy New Year, everybody!
*I meant Tommy! lol
Sheffield, great support band, great set list, Sabbath on top form, great sound system, only thing I could complain about is the traffic jam on the way in.
Saw Sabbath in London, Sheffield, Manchester and Birmingham on this tour which was FANTASTIC….hope to see more in the future……
Une qualité de son exceptionnelle pour le concert de Bercy a Paris, merci
Tampa, Florida July 29th. Fantastic show. Loved the set list. Played a full 2 hours. Geezer absolutely amazing. Tony brilliant in everything he did. Only wish he would show a bit more emotion but that is not who he is. His performance was even more amazing given his health issues. Ozzy in good voice and loved the enthusiastic crowd. Only missed Bill from a “purist” standpoint. In reality, Tommy a better drummer at this point and his energy and solo were inspiring. Hope to see them again in 2014! Simply stated – brilliant and a heck of a lot of fun.
Saw them 8/4 in NJ and 8/10 in Philly. Both high energy great shows. Ozzy held his own vocally and the rest of the band just kicked ass with him. I actually felt a little down in Philly just thinking that could be the last time I see those guys live. Anyway..best album of the year and damn it one ballsy helluva show!
I saw they in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. I was in tears… It was one of the most espetacular experiences of my life. Hope they comeback to Brazil.
I saw Sabbath in Bogota (Colombia) October 19. Was my dream come true. For the first time i saw the “Beatles” of heavy rock or heavy metal or wathever. 48 years waiting for this moment…. at the end.
I was at Manchester Arena UK 18/12/2013. I did not plan to go but my older brother persuaded me to attend saying it may be the last chance to see this. Thank god I listened. Like many people i was worried about Ozzy cutting it live. I need’nt have been. The whole band were absolutely incredible. My brother and I were in the thick of it at the front of the venue, pogoing and moshing, screaming every last lyric. Tony Iommi was on fire, his lead solo’s during Black Sabbath and Dirty Women were so intense even Ozzy was watching dumbfounded as if wondering when he would end. Geezer was beaming whilst viewing the pogoing masses during Children of the Grave. He was a monster of bass excellence. Even Tommy Clufetos played a blinder, he pummeled his kit throughout the set and played an amazing drum solo – as much as I wished Bill Ward was behind the kit I doubt he could have matched Tommys performance.
The whole crowd was rocking out and the crowd noise was deafening, sometimes drowning out the sound system. Ozzy seemed to be note and timing perfect throughout the whole set, I think this was the best performance I have seen him do, he was also beaming from ear to ear when not singing or screaming at us. By the time Paranoid’s last notes rang out we were totally wiped out, soaked in sweat, throats corse, physically drained. I hugged my brother thanking him for persuading me to go, it was very emotional. I have seen Sabbath/Ozzy/Tony/Geezer many times over the years in various incarnations of the Sabbath and Ozzy bands, but i have to say this topped them all by far. It was electric. I could come up with a minor quibble – such as no tracks from Sabotage of Never Say Die but the way they played Under the Sun, Into the Void and Behind the Wall of Sleep more than made up for this. These tracks were devastating. The three new tracks played also slotted in perfectly and were much heavier than the album versions. Age of Reason, End of the Beginning and God is Dead? were sung along to by the crowd as much as the classics were. Every person at the show we spoke to was blown away. Long live Black Sabbath. INCREDIBLE!!!
Waited 30 years to see black sabbath in Birmingham.
At the NIA . The seats where in row pp 112.which was
ok. Apart from we couldnt see
the video screen as a speaker ? Hanging
from the ceiling was in the way . Should
of gone to the LG instead .
Still a once in a lifetime experience .best xmas present ever
BUT we should not forget all the other triumphs whilst Tony Iommi has flown the Sabbath flag through thick and thin. I love all the different line ups and albums created by Tony and co over the years. Even the outsiders have great things to offer if people take the time to check them out. Never Say Die is a personal favourite, as is Born Again (one of THE heaviest Sabs albums ever), Seventh Star contains some stellar guitar work from Iommi, pure class. And of course Heavan and Hell and Mob Rules with the much missed Ronnie James Dio (RIP) brought the band back from the dead after most “fans” had written them off. Tony Martin also played his part in keeping the flame alive and created some class tracks along the way. Eternal Idol and Headless Cross deserve more praise then is usually given. PLEASE lets not brush away all this history in the excitement. Without a lot of this history the band may not be at the stage it is at now, blowing us all away yet again after all these years. Open your heart and ears to the quality rock and metal that these works offer. God bless Tony Iommi.
Matt, if you’ve been a fan of my site, you should know I care about all eras. However, as much as I’m a fan of the Tony Martin era, I debated clearing this post, as I didn’t feel it belonged. In the end, I let it go, though.
I made it to shows at The Gorge (8/24), Mountain View (8/26), Irvine (8/28), Las Vegas (9/1), and Los Angeles (9/4). The whole endeavor seems a bit much, even to me. My initial goal didn’t remotely envision attending five shows, but things slowly unfolded in such a way that one thing led to another and I eventually wound up with tickets to five concerts and the time off to attend. (On the other hand, I did the same thing for the Reunion tour in ‘99, so the precedent was there.) Three of the five I attended by myself (which, with a few exceptions, is what I prefer).
Performances varied significantly, though thankfully none were a total washout this time (as happened in ‘99). I’m very glad I did make it to all five, because I would’ve missed by far the best one otherwise, and wouldn’t have had the perspective to know.
Four of the five shows had their ups and downs, but they differed enough from each other that overall I got the OMFG!! performance experience I sought. For the most part it hinged on how functional Ozzy was on any given night. The Vegas show was a cut above; an OMFG!! performance experience all by itself.
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The first show, at The Gorge, I felt that Ozzy was off key ~80% of the time and for much of the show the sound wasn’t quite dialed in enough. Yet, a few songs were as good as I’ve heard. “Dirty Women” was a standout, as was “Fairies Wear Boots.”
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Mountain View — my impression was that Ozzy was _in_ tune ~80% of the time, though his timing was still a bit sloppy. The band was a little tighter, sound a bit more dialed in, and the crowd was much more into it. A very good show.
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Irvine — Ozzy had difficulty with his voice at times, which he admitted at least once. Given the general reaction to the overall performance, the crowd didn’t seem to mind.
However, sometimes he pulled it off: When they lit into their first new song, “Age of Reason,” Ozzy was surprisingly on key, the sound very loud, and the band really tight. Noticeably so, given up to that point. Then, “Black Sabbath” — Ozzy was _dead-on_, the band flawless, the sound perfect, the volume overpowering. Even Ozzy knew he’d nailed it, and I think by the general crowd reaction, we all did too; after a verse he’d go “yeah!,” the next verse, “I did it!,” and on. I thought it was one of the best renditions I’ve experienced. Absolutely chilling, perhaps because it was so unexpected.
The next couple songs fell flat. But they pulled it off again during the next new tune; in fact, I thought all three of their new songs were stellar performances that night. So, at least four songs out of the set were keepers. I was disappointed that “Dirty Women” was dropped (due to Ozzy’s vocal troubles), but given the preceding, went away from the show satisfied enough.
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Las Vegas — The sound was perfect; the crowd _very_ intense; Ozzy’s presence at times almost sinister, vocals close to spot-on virtually the entire show; Tony strutting, smooth and effortless leads; Geezer smiling; drummer Tommy in top form; the band as close to flawless as is possible in a real world setting.
I left in a dazed ecstasy that slowly dissipated over the next few hours…
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L.A. Sports Arena — The show itself had the potential to be as close to perfect as any they’ve done: The sound was phenomenal, right from the start — not a bad seat in the house in that respect. And the band seemed *ON!* from the first bomb-blast riff of War Pigs. Even Ozzy’s voice was as good as could ever be expected (though not on par with Vegas).
But the venue gets a D minus — for ventilation. It was ~90 degrees outside; very warm but otherwise comfortable. Step inside the arena and the temperature went up at least 10 degrees, with an equal increase in humidity. That didn’t change the entire show (though I did feel an occasional breeze to swirl the sweltering sauna around). It sapped (or otherwise altered) the energy of the entire experience for everyone present.
That said, it _was_ a stellar performance. Which was good — my brother who, as far as I know, is familiar with The Hits but otherwise not a Sabbath fan, and his two late-teen sons attended their first Black Sabbath concert. The general consensus is that they were totally blown away. As it should be.
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re: the drummer(s)
So, Brad Wilk played on the new album; Tommy Clufetos did the tour. I would’ve much preferred Bill on both accounts. That said, Tommy was as close to jaw-dropping amazing as I could’ve hoped for. Highly competent, blazing speed (when appropriate), and really really enjoyed himself. The set list was such that it highlighted his playing, and allowed an extended drum solo in the middle of the show so the old guys could take a break. The only criticism I have is that his playing lacked the subtlety of Ward, but I do think more than made up for that with everything else.
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I went into this with the conviction that this album and tour is their “swan song.” I could be wrong. If I am, I’d do it all again if the opportunity arises. If I’m right, I die happy… :-)
I will say it again, I am very relieved that Brad Wilk is drumming on the 13 album. Tommy Clufetos is boring as a drummer! So what, he powered through a drum solo, heaps of drummers do that! He is the least interesting drummer Sabbath have ever had! He has no ‘feel’ on the classic Sabbath songs, that says it all!
I enjoyed the Brisbane gig last April, good sound, great to see the original 3 playing those timeless classic songs (except Dirty Women) with so much energy. As usual Iommi & Butler stole the show!
MacG — To each their own. Personally, I was never particularly impressed with Cozy Powell (whom I saw twice with Sabbath). Great drummer in his own right, but IMO his style did not fit Sabbath’s sound at all. Go figure…
Richard, yes I can’t imagine Powell playing the Ozzy era material, I have never heard it. You were lucky to see Powell with Sabbath, we never had that pleasure here in Oz as the Headless Cross tour was cancelled for some reason in ’89, after it was being advertised. But to me Cozy is a ‘feel’ drummer big time, I don’t hear anything from Clufetos to make me think that at all. He is very robotic, like so many modern drummers, all power & stamina & that is fine & exactly what this latest tour requires no doubt. But he just doesn’t have the ‘swing’ thing going at all & is too one dimensional for me! The ‘old school’ drummers usually had a jazz influenced background & it can always be heard in their playing! Cheers.
Nice album, nice tour…
I’m so happy Tony could manage to play so well despite undergoing cancer treatment. I wish them the very best when it comes to 2014…. God bless Tony, Terry and Ozzy and all of Sabbath fans all around the World. Plus, many thanks to Joe, who has been doing such a fantastic job on informing us everything about Sabbath…. Happy New Year…!!!
Peace and Love…!!!
God bless Us all…!!!
I saw the last show at Birmingham NIA with my friends Claudio e Paolo , WE CAME FROM NORTH ITALY TO SEE THE SHOW AND WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO SEE TONY ‘S PERFORMANCE !!! The RiffMaster was amazing during all the gig. Ozzy surprised me, very professional performance, like off course Geezer. Tommy is a very phisycal drummer, hard touch, Bill was more technical and jazz style but the Cluvetos’ drums solo was amazing. Next year I’ll see Black Sabbath in my country, in Bologna and maybe in others places like Berlin !
Geezer saying no real plans for another album? Well we all heard a while back a Geezer with a raised voice saying ” There will be no reunion and no new album with sabbath” and look what we all got! With your talents Geezer and Tony’s and Ozzy’s , you have PLENTY in you yet for another album!
I wouldn’t call “13” an official reunion album. BILL WARD ISN’T ON IT! But I would call it a good album and hardly not an album to OFFICIALLY go out on because it didn’t have the original 4 on it!
Guys if you are gonna go out, then do an album with Bill Ward! That’s what it should be! WE FANS made you guys with our support, our love, and dedication and our money. Don’t you think we should have one last , real album? An OFFICIAL REUNION ALBUM with BILL WARD?
From my memory of Geezer’s comments in relation to a reunion, he stated not that long after Dio’s passing, that there would never be the original 4 members of Sabbath back together again. Or words to that effect & they may have been in response at that time to the insensitive comments from certain sections of the press, so soon after RJDio unfortunately passed from this world into the next! He officially released a press statement in response to the comments “when will the original Sabbath get back together again”? In hindsight he was actually correct, wasn’t he? And it will probably stay that way, it would seem!
In response to the comment, ‘WE Fans made you guys” that is unbelievably untrue! We Fans had nothing to with those guys creating their music, they did it without us involved on any level! We Fans have supported them financially of course, but we didn’t make them at all! They created music that we liked & then purchased as with concert tickets, full stop. Without their music, we wouldn’t be here at all!
I saw Sabbath in Austin, second night of the tour. Although I was bummed that the tour was without Bill Ward, it was pretty solid concert. I know the reviews of the first night were pretty rough, but they seemed to iron out any kinks for this show. Decent set list although I’d love to hear more Vol. 4 material (Supernaut). Tony and Geezer were excellent, and Ozzy was….Ozzy. He shuffled about and did his thing. Vocally, he was not brilliant, but he didn’t suck. Tommy was awesome on the drums. Of course, Andrew W.K. was a bad choice for an opener. I could listen to half the tunes he spun on my phone! I am assuming it was budgetary choice to have a DJ open the show. Not sure where Sabbath goes from here, but this was my third time to see the band w/ Ozzy and it was a satisfying experience.
I EAT, LIVE AND SLEEP ,BLACK SABBATH FOR THE BEST SHOWS I HAVE SEEN TONY OZZY AND GEZZER AND TOMMY KEEP ROCKIN UNREAL AT MANSFEILD MASS MY HEROS ALWAYS SO IF YOU GUYS ARE READING THIS LETS DO SOME MORE AND NEVER SAY DIE BEST WISHES HAPPY HOLIDAYS SABBATH ,
Hello Chad,
I utterly agree with you. A new album and another tour with Bill Ward. It would be awesome….!!! Sabbath lives Foverer…!!!
God Bless You and Happy New Year….!!!!
Phones 4u Arena Manchester, England. Was the wait worth it? Oh yer! Sabbath were brilliant. It’s a pity they didn’t throw in a few surprise tunes, but the new songs blended well with the old ones. It also would have been nice to hear ‘Spiral Architect’ or ‘Killing Yourself To Live’ but we know why. For three guys in their 60’s they rocked and were awesome. The support act for the British shows was a very heavy rock outfit called ‘Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats’, well worth checking out. Thanks Black Sabbath.
I’ve seen original Sabbath six times from 98 to 05, twice without Bill, 97 and 13, Iommi in 86, Ozzy three times, 92, 07, 10, Dio two times, 00, 03 and I have to say more more more!!! Sabbath were great in 2013. Same set list, yes and no. I saw six tunes for the first time!!! the four new ones, which kicked ass, and behind and under!!! Love it, I want more, with Bill would be the best but without would still be great! Sabbath! Sabbath! Sabbath!
Saw the concerts at Sheffield on 14th and Brum 20th both were fantastic the sound was better in Sheffield absolutely incredible, I have been watching Sabbath since 1975 Sabotage tour and these concerts were brilliant. Saw them in Birminham o2 last year and Clufetos was better this time his drumming on black sabbath was really good, if this is the last tour they do it is fitting end
I was in Birmingham at the last show and it was my birthday present to myself. Loved being able to see the best band in the world, playing in his hometown. Congratulations to the whole band, you are an inspiration. . Bye and greetings here from Portugal
Saw the at the O2…and they were great, had a fantastic sound and totally nailed songs like NIB. Ozzy sang well but had little to say between songs which was a bit disappointing really…but 9/10.
Saw the show in philadelphia on august 10 2013 my first time seeing sabbath but not the last on my website you can find the entire show that i put together
Saw the show twice…in Chicago (fantastic) in 2013. Classy presentation, sounded and looked GREAT!
Loved it soooo much in fact, that I saw their final NA show at the Hollywood Bowl in April 2014.
I now must say that Black Sabbath is the greatest living band. They sound damn near the same as they did 40 years ago…they look GREAT, they are the essence of Classic. Who’s left that’s better? Paul McCartney? The Rolling Stones? Fleetwood Mac? The Eagles? NOT.
Matbe we can have a conversation if Zeppelin returns…but it sounds like that will never happen.
God I LOVE Black Sabbath…and I have since I was 12. I’m now 55.