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THE BAND
- Ozzy Osbourne - Vocals
- Tony Iommi - Guitar
- Geezer Butler - Bass
- Bill Ward - Drums
- Geoff Nicholls - Keyboards
CONCERT PHOTO GALLERY
You
can view the photo gallery for this concert here.
TOUR REVIEWS & REMARKS
From: Nplmdthfan@aol.com
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 02:10:36 EST
Subject: sabbath @ meadowlands arena 5feb99
Hello Joe,
First off, let me mention that I think you have a great web-site and I enjoy chequing it
on a regular basis. Certainly with Ozzy's throat crapping out on him last week it
made chequing your updates all the more urgent.
Secondly, I'd like to qualify myself before my last item, a review of this evening's (last
evening's?) show.
I have been listening to Black Sabbath since 1970, when I was 7 years old. My father (who
was then 29) and my uncle (maybe 16) turned both myself and my brother (then 6) onto this
awesome music monolith. I've been a metalhead ever since, but my roots always return to
the mighty Sabbath. My father, brother and myself were lucky enough to catch the band on
their 1978 tour at Madison Square Garden in NYC, so I've already seen the original band. I
have also seen many of the later incarnations of Sabbath with Iommi at the helm.
I am truly glad the original line-up reformed, but I do have a great affinity for albums
like "Born Again", "Live Evil", "Heaven & Hell" and even
"Cross Purposes". However other fans wish to view the years Ozzy wasn't in the
band is their problem, but Iommi continued to produce monster riff after monster riff. If
he hadn't kept the name Black Sabbath on his records most, if not all, of them might have
sunk into unheard obscurity.
OK, enough blabbering, eh? Lastly, my review is below. Thank you for your time and keep up
the good work.
Best regards,
CJ Sci°scia
nplmdthfan@aol.com
BLACK SABBATH/PANTERA/DEFTONES
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
5 February, 1999
The Deftones started promptly at 7:30pm to a sea of empty seats. This is the 3rd time I've
seen them, 2nd in an arena, and they belong in a club. There are too many nuances to their
music that got lost in the vastness of a venue this large-especially now that they have a
DJ/scratcher up there with them. Points given for energy and giving their all, but points
taken right back for a lack of memorable songs to get the crowd (?!?) into.
Pantera are normally a headliner in these parts, but out of respect for the Sabs they took
this opening slot. So, instead of a killer 100-minute-plus show encompassing all parts of
their major label catalogue, we get the condensed "greatest hits" show. A nice
change of pace was an airing of "Use My Third Arm" from Far Beyond Driven, but
they need to get in the studio and start a new album. The set from the live album is
getting stale now.
And then onto Black Sabbath. The band was BRUTALLY HEAVY, as one would expect, but the set
list leaves much to be desired. Aside from "After Forever", it's all so
predictable. Kudos to the band for down-tuning to C# for "War Pigs",
"Electric Funeral", "Iron Man" and "Dirty Women" to help
keep Ozzy from straining too much, but how about a little imagination for us old- time
fans? How about "Under the Sun", or "Killing Yourself to Live", or
even "Evil Woman"? Throw us a bone, gents!!
PANTERA SET LIST:
Domination/Hollow
A New Level
Walk (w/Evan Seinfeld of Biohazard)
Becoming (including the end bit of Throes of Rejection)
Use My Third Arm
Primal Concrete Sledge
Fucking Hostile
This Love
Cowboys From Hell (including bits of Cat Scratch Fever and Carry on Wayward Son)
BLACK SABBATH SET LIST:
War Pigs
Bassically/N.I.B.
Fairies Wear Boots
After Forever
Electric Funeral
Sweet Leaf
Into the Void
Snowblind
Dirty Women
Black Sabbath
Iron Man
Children of the Grave
encore: Paranoid (what else?)
From: "SCOTT BIELICKI" <sjb726@home.com>
Subject: Reunion Tour Report
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 01:24:48 -0500
just got home from the show at the meadowlands. its 1:13 am. The week off must of done the
boys good. All four of them kicked ass even bill ward . he was great. The arena was sold
out ,the crowd was very loud. The opening song was war pigs The three front men came up
out of the stage, fog everywhere very cool. Ozzy was great he made one mistake on one song
,he forget some of the words i guess or his mike died?All the songs they did were off
reunion and a couple off song that they didnt play{sabbath bloody sabbath} Heres a song
list but not in order warpigs nib into the void after forever electric funeral faries wear
boots snowblind dirty women sweet leaf iron man black sabbath encore paranoid great show
rock on
From: "SCOTT BIELICKI" <sjb726@home.com>
Subject: feb 5 show contenial airlines arena
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 01:41:27 -0500
The show kicked ass. Everybody played great even bill ward. The crowd was very loud but
behaved themselves. The song list was just about the same from any other show. The band
was very loud ozzy sang great seemed like the problem with his throat was behind him. Tony
was tony never missed a note gezzer was great also. They opened with warpigs i think the
best song they did but a close second was black sabbath. I wished they would have played
sabbath bloody sabbath but you cant always hit a home run. The show was great well worth
the 65 dollars for the ticket ROCK ON AND ON AND ON
Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 02:31:58 -0500
From: Charles Scheffold <daredevi@wsia.csi.cuny.edu>
Subject: Reunion Tour Report 2/5/99
Ok just got back from the Reunion show at Continental Arena in New Jersey. Let me first
say, SABBATH ROCKED! I wouldn't have missed it for the world! Now onto the other stuff:
Deftones: do these guys realize how much they suck?
Pantera: maybe if Phil stopped talking once in a while they could play a song or two.
Sabbath: this is the only band I cared about... and as expected, they ruled! So many
losers left before they came on. I couldn't believe it. People actually paid $70
just to see the opening act?!
I have to say that the SOUND SUCKED HARD! I kept my ear plugs in for the first two bands
because it was just plain aweful. When Sabbath came on I figured it might be better so I
took them out. I couldn't hear Ozzy at all over the guitar. All I could hear was Tony
ripping it up. Now and then I would feel Geezer's bass rumble, and Bill's FANTASTIC
drumming was practically inaudible for most of the time. The only song that sounded good
was Black Sabbath (maybe the sound guy rehearsed this shit or something?!?). In any case
it's really sad because you could tell the band was tight and was playing great.... after
waiting for 20 years to see the original Black Sabbath it sucks that it had to sound like
crap. I'm definitely going to write a letter to the promoters.
Everything (including the set list) was pretty much exactly as all of the other reviews
I've seen for previous Reunion tour shows. Ozzy did moon the entire audience after one of
the songs though because he said we weren't loud enough... haha very typical Ozzy antics
going on all night (including the buckets of water, bowing to Tony, leaping around like a
frog, etc). His voice (for the rare moments I could actually hear it) sounded pretty good
so I'll assume his throat is better.
One interesting thing to note though... right after Paranoid, Ozzy came out and gave a
little speech... he gave some good hints that they were either A) going to tour again
and/or B) do another studio album. Of course nothing means anything until it happens, but
it's a good place to start!
Ok well, time to go... hopefully they will do this again. At least now I can die a happy
man!
Charles
Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 05:12:02 -0500
From: Carl Atwell <catwell@bcpl.net>
Subject: Jersey Show
What a day!!! Worked until 12 and started north. I'm in Baltimore, never been to the
Meadowlands before so I was sure to allow enough time to accomodate ANY obstacle. I would
have walked if necessary. Before I left work, I called the box office and they told me the
show was still on. Just over a week ago, I was heading to Philly. Had several phone calls
telling me the show had been postponed, even got a card from Ticketmaster Saturday telling
me it had been delayed. Enough about Philly, that's a few weeks away. Took 4 1/2
hours.....I boned up the exit at the end....took a detour and finally ended up at the
Vince Lombardi rest stop on the turnpike. Had dinner there. Got to the show way early,
almost two hours. Only dissapointment was the $10 for parking, but I did get a great spot
and I was going to see Sabbath. Stayed out in the car with a rum and coke.....correction,
several rum and cokes. Went into the show without pain. Bought two programs, one will be
on it's way to Europe on Monday. Also got the Never Say Die pilot t-shirt in black. It
totalled out at $60, the shirt was $30. Walked around to my seat and for a $65 ticket, I
had a great view. I watch Tony 80% of the time and was a few sections on the side where
Tony was normally positioned. Had a great view of all band members, stood throughout, as
did most everyone. I think the first band was the Deftones......could not understand a
word the guy said, not even sure he was actually using words. Did make out that they were
from San Fran. Coulda stayed out there as far as I was concerned. They played half an
hour, started right at 7:30. Pantera came out at about 8:40 and played for an hour. I sat
through both opening bands, will find other things to do in Philly, neither really did
anything for me.
Having been a regular reader of this newsletter, I pretty much knew what to expect as far
as a setlist. They could play any song in their library, I'd be happy. Every song is
great, have listened to hundreds of all day Sabbath marathons, always a magazine of six
Ozzy era Sabbath cd's available. Ozzy sounds great, I was concerned after the
cancellations. Don't really know what a nodule is, but it seemed like Ozzy had it under
control. Would like for the drums to have been up more in the mix.....might have been
because of the side view. Looked like Bill was doing well all night. Each of the four was
fantastic. Need more eyes to take them all in. Need to remind myself to bring the
binoculars to Philly. Didn't see Geoff or keyboards...was not mentioned, but I rarely took
my eyes away from the stage.
The show was about 1:45, no need to expound on how great they were, lived up to all of my
expectations. Sabbath has been number one for me since I first heard them in 1970. I was
11 at the time, and had no idea what I had stumbled on, just that it was far and away the
coolest sounds I had ever heard. They have continued to produce that sound. Can't believe
it has been almost 30 years. Waited through the recording of Changes and headed for the
floor. I had to get some of the confetti. Got several pieces of the confetti and a good
section of a streamer. Headed out after that, still a lot of crowd in the halls. Got out
to the car and waited till just before midnight. Took off and got back home in exactly 4
hours. Well worth the trip, can't wait for the Philly show. Won't be solo there, will have
my 16 year old son and girlfriend. Just a great show....hope to see these guys around
again....they define Rock and Roll for me. Going to crash, been a long, glorious day, one
I have waited 20 years for, a wait that was worth every second.
--
http://www.bcpl.net/~catwell
From: SSNO22@aol.com
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 10:51:41 EST
Subject: Reunion Tour Report
Just saw Sabbath last night at the Meadowlands. Had the best seats in the house. Section 8
row 6. If i only brought my camera. I missed the Deftones due to the partying in the
freezing weather outside. Pantera KICKED ASS. They were loud and sounded tight. Wanted to
take a hit off the joint they smoking on stage while they were playing. Also had a few
guys from Anthrax come out and sing "Walk" with them. Then it was time for
Sabbath. They were AWESOME. They opened with "War Pigs". The only bad part was
Ozzy forgetting the lyrics to some of his songs. (Children of the Grave, Paranoid, and
Iron-Man). My friend ended up with the bands song list after the show and there were 3
songs on the list they didnt play. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was one that i would have loved
to hear. They also did Into the Void, and the best ever "After and Forever".
They were just great and at the end instead of confetti out came black tissue paper with
black sabbath all over it. It will be perfect for my Black Sabbath joints that i will be
smoking for a while.
From: Mrm45@aol.com
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 15:24:19 EST
Subject: NJ Gig
Deftones? Missed 'em. I was in the parking lot hoisting a few beers. Pantera?
Unfortunately, I got to my seats in time to see their whole set. All I could hear was bass
drums and a steady stream of growls and curses which I imagine was supposed to be someone
singing. Every once in a while the horrible noise would cease and the audience would be
"treated" to drunken, adolescent ramblings that seemed to go on forever.
Then the show started.
As Black Sabbath took the stage, I was out of my mind. I was so overcome that I was on the
verge of tears. I just could not believe that the 4 of them were together. I had waited my
whole life for this and was not disappointed. Although I was rocking along to every tune,
I can honestly say that I don't remember the first 3 or 4 - I was just in another place
with the idea that they were all together. ( Fortunately, I'm going to see them again
tonight at Nassau so I'll get to soak up all the details.)
They were absolutely incredible! Yes, Ozzy's voice wasn't perfect and yes, there were
moments where they weren't at their best, but for a group of guys who are all 50+, that
haven't played together for the better part of 20 years they were unbelievable. Tony was
on fire, sounding great on every tune, every note ringing clear and true. Geezer
was...well, Geezer.
Head bobbing at breakneck speed, holding the whole thing together. ( I swear he's got 15
fingers on his right hand). Ozzy was, as usual, a complete psycho. He was all over the
stage. With the exception of coming in too early on "Children", his performance
was flawless. And then there's Bill. I can't believe the energy he put into every single
song. He was dead on and didn't miss a thing. Anyone who tells you that he doesn't have it
anymore needs a good beating.
Having seen every other Sabbath lineup in concert, this was the first time that the music
itself sounded right. I've never seen them having so much fun. They were really enjoying
themselves and it came through in the music.Hopefully, it will push them to consider a
Studio album together. One can only hope...
Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 10:26:20 -0500
From: Erik DePoy <depoy@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Meadowlands Show 2/5/99
Deftones opened, and honestly made little impression on me. I had no idea they were even
playing until I took my seats (behind the stage) and saw three drum kits. They played some
sort of hip-hop grunge, if there is such a thing. Anyway they left after about forty
minutes, then Pantera came out to the back of the stage for a few minutes before they went
on. A note to those who feel they have to "settle" for behind the stage seats.
You will have a video screen right in front of you (it projects both ways), be able to
check out tons of equipment, guitars, etc and see the bands enter/leave the stage right up
close. And you're really close to the performers while they're playing, as if you had
floor seats, it's just that you watch their backs much (but far from all) of the time.
Dimebag, Ozzy, and Tony came right back there a number of times to acknowledge us. So
don't get down if you don't have those "primo" floor seats. There are plenty of
other great vantage points from which to check out the action.
Security was no problem as far as I could tell, the patdown entering the arena was really
lax, only a metal detector wand and you're in. One guy during the Deftones set seemed like
he was tripping, and started roaming around my section dancing and acting like he was
really far out there. After falling down once or twice, security escorted this bozo out,
only to have him return. Out he went again, but this time he ended up with like a dozen or
more security guys surrounding him in the lobby with walkie-talkies. Otherwise I was
surprised by how orderly the show was, considering the reputation the Meadowlands security
has preceding it.
As for Pantera, I thought the sound was rather muddy but at times it was so intense it
just pummeled you. The video screens were turned on for their set. Vinnie Paul is Mr.
Double Bass Drum as far as I'm concerned. Dimebag was great, love those guitars! Phil had
long hair and mutton chops, a much different look from the Vulgar Display of Power days.
During the song Walk one of the members of the New York band Biohazard came out to trade
verses with him (I think it was him anyway). They also brought out a couple of VIP fans,
who were hanging out behind and to the side of the stage during the show, to sing a couple
of verses. The roadies gave them a shot or two of liquor before the show as well (probably
to help relax them for their big walk-on). And I came maybe a foot or two away from
grabbing one of Vinnie's drumsticks, which he flicked into the crowd. So close!
What can I say about Sabbath that hasn't been said already? One woman in the front row had
colored electric OZZY lights on her shirt, which got plenty of attention from the camera
guys so everyone in the arena saw her on the screen a few times. Heck, I even saw myself
on the screen when the camera guy panned across my section. From my rear-view seats I
could see everything Geoff Nicholls was doing (don't mean to joke, but honestly he bears a
good resemblance to a blond Weird Al Jankovic). Can't be sure of this one, but someone who
looked like Vinnie Appice was at Geoff's side the whole night, occasionally holding up
what looked like a camera when Ozzy or Geezer would come close to play to the crowd.
And what a crowd it was! Honestly, NY/NJ crowds are usually
pretty wild but tonight was a good night even for them. For a Friday night crowd in this
area, Ozzy and Sabbath together are like gasoline and a lighted match. These fans LOVE
Ozzy, make no mistake. He can sell-out any show here for the forseeable future as far as
I'm concerned, with or without Sabbath. Nodules on his vocal cords? Whatnodules? Ozzy
sounded great, although he did come in a measure early tostart Children of the Grave.
However that was the only glaring mix-up the whole night, and Tony's guitar was MIGHTY
during Sweet Leaf and Black Sabbath. The set list was identical to the rest of the tour.
The band got BIG ovations when Ozzy introduced them, especially Bill, who was totally
solid, totally Bill. Geezer and Tony were given a big hand as well, the crowd just loves
Sabbath. Come back and play for us again sometime soon!
Date: Sat, 06 Feb 1999 16:52:46 -0500
From: Keeton <ondeck@erols.com>
Subject: Meadowlands Story
Just got back from the Meadowlands (drove 4 hours from Maryland - well worth it!) - What a
GREAT fuckin' time! What a Show! What a BAND!!! This was the eighth time I've seen Sabbath
(third with the original lineup) andthey never dissapoint. Yeah, maybe Ozzy struggled with
a couple of tunes("Snowblind" and "Sweet Leaf" particularly) and
forgot the words to others (i.e. hilarious restart of "Children of the Grave")
but it almost doesn't matter. He is a consummate showman and had the crowd eating from his
hands all night long - I was fuckin' exhausted by the end of the night, but I'm on a high
that just won't quit.
I'm not gonna review the show - many others have done that very nicely, thank you - but
you get a sense of being privileged to be there when you see them. Sabbath is, in every
sense of the word, a Legendary band, and you feel it when they're on stage. There aren't
that many musical acts that can offer that these days - and these are special days indeed.
Ward and Butler were in top form IMO and Tony just looks like The Man onstage. The great
thing about listening to Sabbath on record is that you can pick out one instrument and
enjoy it throughout any given song. The same is true in concert. I found myself focusing
in on Bill for "Electric Funeral", or Geezer on "NIB", or Tony on
"Dirty Women", and being positivelyschizophrenic on "Sweet Leaf".
But, thanks to Joe Siegler, this night was special in another way. I missed the
Philadelphia concert (tho' keeping fingers tightly crossed for the 18th) where I was going
to meet a couple people from this mailing list. One of them - Steve Lawton - emailed me
with condolences and an offer of a ticket for the Jersey show. When I got there we went to
a bar where we ran into two other guys - Eric and Stan - who were also from the list! That
couple of hours preceeding the show got us all so pumped up. It's a great thing to be able
to share your thoughts and opinions with people who feel the same way you do about a band
thats been such a big part of our lives! Eric said Sabbath was like the Grateful Dead of
Heavy Metal - with loyal fans going to multiple shows, taping concerts and being able to
connect with strangers.
One comical scene from the evening to wrap things up: We were on Tony's side in one of the
lower sections and there were a few roudy Pantera fans just in front of us during their
set. Their pushing and shoving got a bit out of hand and two of the guys got into a
full-fledged fist fight - one of them got knocked over two rows of seats! When the guy got
up, his assailant had fled (seeing security heading our way), so he picked the guy next to
him and sent him over the next row with a right hand punch! Then he picks the guy up to
hit him again, realizes its the wrong guy and they start hugging. The rest of the set
they're the best of buds, alternately pushing and shoving and high-fiving and hugging.
Anyway, at one point this guy is screaming "Pantera rules! Sabbath sucks!".
About that time, Pantera's singer starts telling the crowd how much they appreciate
Sabbath and how they're honored to be part of the tour. Then he said anyone that doesn't
think Black Sabbath is great is "the biggest, stinkiest pussy there is!" The guy
dissapeared after that. Outnumbered, embarrased. From where I was sitting, everyone
thought Sabbath was great, and the place was packed.
Two weeks to Philadelphia!
"Peace and happiness in every day . . . yeah!"
Craig
Subject: Meadowlands Show, 5 February 1999
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 99 17:29:05 -0500
From: David Lee Beowulf <DLBeowulf@angry-viking.com>
Now, what everyone missed was the rehearsal on Thursday, 4 February 1999 at Maxwells,
Hoboken they played right after arriving in from Boston. I was there because a
"special friend" called me. They played:
1. Tomorrow's Dream
2. Killing Yourself To Live
3. Megalomania
4. Hole in the Sky
5. Symptom of the Universe
6. Supernaut
7. Back Street Kids
8. The Wizard
9. Johnny Blade
10. A National Acrobat
11. The Writ
12. Rock and Roll Doctor
Then I woke up from my Friday afternoon daydream and left for the show...
==========================================================================
Here's my review of the Meadowlands show on the 5th of February:
A. Deftones. Missed 'em. We arrived at about 8:30 as Pantera went on.
B. Pantera. Two words: Didn't suck.
But...
Some interesting particulars, primarily related to the fact that my seats were BEHIND the
stage! I had no idea; I'd thought they'd be waaaay, waaaaay in the back, where I could
barely see the band. Man, I was close enough to the band that I could read Ozzy's
teleprompter! These seats were GREAT! During Pantera's set, which consisted of mostly
excellent "marshaling" Metal music with mostly unintelligible vocals, one of
their roadies was going absolutely apeshit and running around in tight, little circles
during every song! No and then he'd adjust the drum kit or look at a wire, but most of the
time he was banging his head and screaming along with Phil. It was also amusing to see
this big kid in front of me with his dad was sitting right next to him. Heh! The poor
kid's father kept telling him to sit down because the people behind him wouldn't be able
to see! Good for you, dad! Teach these brats some lessons about show etiquette!
The sound was really good from behind the stage. Why was this? I don't know, but I could
hear all the guitars quite clearly and I could hear clearly after the show, no ringing in
my ears (although, sometimes that's a sing of a lousy show).
C. Black Sabbath went on at around 9:30 (I didn't write down the times) and started out
Spinal Tap style by rising up out of the stage! Literally! Tony, Ozzy and Geezer
simultaneously rose from beneath the stage on lighted risers while smoke billowed out all
around them, very "Sabbath" and very Metal. Bill Ward, the shirtless, pudgy,
crew-cutted old man simply walked out of the back to his drums. And on they played!
The set:
1. War Pigs
2. Bassically/N.I.B.
3. Fairies Wear Boots
4. After Forever
5. Electric Funeral
6. Sweat Leaf
7. Into the Void
8. Snowblind
9. Dirty Women
10. Black Sabbath
11. Iron Man
12. Children of the Grave
13. Paranoid
As far as their sound went, I thought they were great. I'd seen them only at Ozzfest '97,
both in Camden, NJ and Giants Stadium (next to the Meadowlands) and I was too far away
from the stage to really see the look of intensity on Tony Iommi's face as he hammered
away at the guitar. He'd grimace every time he'd lay down a chord.
There were neat torches all around the stage that burned during "Black Sabbath"
and if anyone had a photo of the stage for that song, please let me know!
Some interesting observations: The teleprompters (there were two, side by side) must've
been controlled by a computer as there were some long-hairs working a couple of laptops
stage-right (my left, from behind the stage). After the show I looked through the
_Reunion_ CD booklet and noticed a couple of close-ups of the teleprompters (they're the
Sony TV sets with the words to "War Pig" on them). Then, my pal Pete pointed out
to me a guy playing keyboards to our right (stage left). I remarked that that was Geoff
Nicholls (he's a tall, blond dude, right?) and that I'd expected him to be somewhere off
stage. I looked like his keyboard area was hidden behind a wall of speakers, but it was
very clear what he was doing: 1) he was playing keyboards, including the church bell
sounds on "Black Sabbath," 2) he played guitar on "Snowblind" and
"Dirty Women" -at least I noticed him banging away at an axe during those two (I
didn't see him until "Sweat Leaf," and (this will floor everyone reading this)
3) HE SANG INTO A MICROPHONE, BACKING-UP OZZY. He sang right along and clearly was into
each song as he banged his head during each tune. But when it came to singing parts, he
meticulously corralled his mic and paid strict attention to Ozzy's timing.
At first, we were shocked, is Ozzy lip-syncing? Oh, man, I'd want my money back! Man,
here's Tony, Geezer and Bill, all who are playing from memory and banging away, and then
there's Ozzy, who gets up on stage and does a karaoke act! Then, after calming down a bit,
I began to think, well, Ozzy's lifestyle took it's toll and he should really be living
into his 50's, secondly, Black Sabbath is clearly interested in giving the fans the best
show possible, and if that means backing up Ozzy on vocals, then so be it. Also, all the
band members would occasionally turn around and waive to us behind the stage; Ozzy even
jogged around back to get closer. That's good instinctive showmanship: always let the fans
know you care.
I wasn't really convinced, though, that Ozzy was lip-syncing. I mean, I was close enough
to the big-screen TV to see Tony's finger extensions and it sure looked like Ozzy was
belting out the tunes. Then, when they started "Children of the Grave," Ozzy
began to sing "Revolution in their..." and he stopped and said "C'mon,
let's go!", why? It was pointed out to me that the background singer had stepped away
from his microphone and wasn't ready! When Ozzy saw that Geoff (?) was ready, they started
the song again. Aha! Geoff's purpose was to "help" Ozzy hit the high notes and
some of the low notes! Well, "assisted" vocals are fine with me. Great show!
Other notes: Bill Ward was wearing some sort of Druid/native American costume. Ozzy doing
a "salaam" at Tony Iommi after introducing the band, Bill Ward skipping around
the stage like a lunatic when the show was over. Ozzy needs to do some push-ups, his chest
is getting flabby. Parking wasn't a problem and there were plenty of tastefully-dressed
Metal babes all over the place.
---Dave
From: ozzyhead@juno.com
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 19:37:04 -0500
Subject: Black Sabbath Concert Review, New Jersey 2/5/99
Ok, I'm going to start this right off with the souvenirs because there is a ton of them
for sale. I thought it was very cool too how they had a stand out in the parking lot so I
could waste all my money outside, throw it in my trunk, and not have to worry about
stepping on all of my stuff while I'm headbanging inside. I bought 2 t-shirts, a leather
wallet, and a tour book, which came to $110. Wow! That hurt, but hey, this tour will never
happen again so it's all worth it. I also picked up a bootleg shirt for $10. These
bootlegger guys were all over the place! I have never seen so many of them....there must
have been like 6 different styles too!
Moving right along.....I got inside, found my seat, and caught the last 2 songs from the
Deftones. I must say I was impressed. They sounded much better then I expected.
Pantera was up next. I really wasn't looking forward to sitting through another Pantera
set. I have seen them so many times and I think they arevery over-rated. I didn't see one
person moshing to these guys. I couldn't believe it. These guys are the kings of all mosh
pits and not one person got rowdy. In fact, I would say about three-quarters of the
stadium were sitting down! They were there for Sabbath and no one else. I actually left to
take a little walk while these guys were on and I would say there were more people in the
halls then in their seats! It was a madhouse out there! Anyway, if memory serves me
correct...these are the songs they played: (not in any particular order!)
Cover of Ted Nudgets Cat Scratch Fever
Domination
Hollow
A New Level Walk
Becoming
Use My Third Arm
New Metal Bullshit
Primal Concrete Sledge
Fuckin' Hostile
This Love
Now onto the goods. The lights went down, and the opening Sabbath video started. I didn't
even bother watching it because it's the same old footage that I've owned for years so I
kept my eyes focused on the stage. The air raid whistles started blowing and up rose the
Sabbath members through the billowing smoke...what an awesome site. They ripped into
"War Pigs" and the audience went crazy, everyone on their feet, hands in the
air, and heads a bangin'! So much energy. At the end of "War Pigs" big flames
shot up behind Bill Wards drum kit....very nice ending! Some stage hands came out to place
mats over some kind of vents, (I would guess the vents had something to do with the
flames) and while this guy was on his hands and knees, Ozzy got down on the ground behind
him and started dry humping him! Next up was "N.I.B." Geezer Butler totally went
off on his bass. This guy acts like he's still 25. Headbanging like mad, slappin' his
strings like mad, unbelievable. Infact, everyone looked in tiptop shape. This band just
doesn't show their age. Bill Ward showed nothing but pure energy behind his kit with his
short hair and his shirt off....I didn't hear him miss a beat. Tony Iommi was powerful as
always, and I would say he must have Kool-Aid running through his veins instead of
blood...he wore a long black leather trench coat all night! Shwew, I was sweating just
looking at him! Ozzy actually took his shirt off....something I haven't seen him do in a
couple of years! Somewhere during this time Ozzy mooned the crowd and when he pulled his
pants back up it seemed like he couldn't get them to button. He played with his pants for
a couple of minutes. Anyway's, next up was "Fairies Wear Boots"....great
song...Tony's solo at the end just sent shivers up my spine. "After Forever" was
after that...very cool to witness live. "Electric Funeral" was next, and once
again...Geezer with that bass.... Totally awesome. After that song was over Ozzy goes
"Oh yeah, I can smell the sweet leaf in here tonight!" And of course the next
song up was "Sweet Leaf"! Let me tell you, I've never smelled so much pot in my
life! Wow! I could go sniff my clothes I wore last night right now and gethigh! Ok,
"Into the Void" was next, Tony was just awesome. Ozzy had thecrowd do some
"OY, OY, OY's" during the beginning. I could have donewithout them but who am I
to complain? "Snowblind" was up next, every time Ozzy sang "Cocaine"
he put his fingers up to his like he wassnorting...this song rocked the house. Up next was
"Dirty Women". Thisseemed to be the least favorite song of the night. Alot of
people satdown.....how can you people sit down man? This is Sabbath! Anyway.....they
played it great. Next up was the greatest song of all time, "Black Sabbath".
Absolutely sick. The rain and thunder sound effects played to accompany the strobe light
lightning, the death bell rang, a huge gothic chandelier dropped from the ceiling, 2 huge
torches on each side of Bills kit were lit along with 8 other small torches. What a set.
You couldn't ask for anymore. It gave me chills. I banged my head incredibly hard during
Tony's solo. Up next was "Iron Man". Of course...it's just not a Sabbath concert
without "Iron Man". Bill started the drumming, but Ozzy wouldn't start singing
song until he had the crowd screaming "OY, OY, OY" as loud as we could. Once
again, I really can't stand that anymore, but that's just my two copper Lincoln's. Next up
was "Orchid / Children Of The Grave". Awesome song except for Ozzy coming in on
the lyrics too soon. He sang the first 2 verses and then started all over again..... no
big deal. Some guy got up on stage and stood with Ozzy for a very long timeàno security
was around to even take him off. Finally someone came out and he just walked off
peacefully. Usually there are these big apes that come out and yank you right off. At the
end of the song fireworks went off all over the stage. Awesome. For the encore they came
back out and did none other than "Paranoid". Awesome amounts of energy into this
puppy. The crowd went crazy. Then to top it all off they shot off 4 cannons of Black
Sabbath confetti. This stuff was allover the place, and it just kept coming out....I
didn't think it was going to stop! All four members held hands and took their bows for
about 5 minutes, all big smiles on all of them. They looked really happy to be back
together.
Ozzy's voice sounded very good to me considering he had problems with his throat just a
week ago. It did crack every once and a while, buthey....that's Ozzy! Ozzy's voice has
been cracking for the past 10years...so what! Bill was great, especially for just having a
heart attack, and you have to also take in consideration that playing the drums is the
biggest work out in any band. For a 50+ year old guy, this guy can still kick major ass.
Cheers to you Bill! Geezer was great as always...the man never stopped banging his head
through the all concert, and Tony....well, Tony was Tony....he doesn't move around much,
he pretty much just stands there and smiles, but he can still play one mean guitar!
By Mitch VanBeekum - http://www.ozzyhead.com
From: "Rich Moavero" <rich.moavero@gte.net>
Subject: Reunion Tour Report
Date: Sat, 6 Feb 1999 20:21:11 -0500
BLACK SABBATH IN CONCERT : Performance Review
Friday Nite Feb.5, 1999 Continental Airlines Arena - Meadowlands, NJ
Too cold for any tailgate parties. Deftones on at 7:30 off by 8:00 sharp.Pantara on at
8:20 to 9:20 They were wild.BLACK SABBATH on at 9:40. This was going to be my fourth time
seeing / hearing the band.1st time was a general admission show in Asbury Park in the
summer of 75. That was the loudest concert I ever heard.I got to meet the band by accident
after I stopped into a hotel after the show to ask for directions and they came down into
the lobby preparing to get into their limos.I also saw them with Aerosmith at MSG. NYC and
with Ted Nugent also in NYC.
This time around the music was crystal clear and had plenty of power. The digital
technology really makes sound much better than years past.The show started with Ozzy and
the rest of the group rising up thru the stage.Ozzy appeared thru the smoke and was
wearing that devious but comical look that he has. I was about 10 feet from the stage on
the floor center and knew it was going to be a great nite.They opened with War Pigs. I
felt Fairies wear boots and Orchard/Lord of this World were by far the best songs of the
nite.They seemed really confident smiled a lot and kicked ass with those songs.They were
really tight and they knew it, they really seemed to be enjoying playing ,not just up ther
collecting a paycheck.They finished up about 11:20. Iloved it and gave the show a 10.After
playing the reunion c.d on Sat. I was obsessed with trying to get seats for tonights show
in Long Island but to no avail.I thought they were tremendous and if anyone has the chance
to see them Go For It. I would like to fly somewhere to see them again.
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 14:09:26 -0500
From: Joe Karavis <voivod@tl.infi.net>
Subject: Meadowlands Madness
I'll try to keep this short if I can, since a lot of others will probably post the dtails
also of the Friday night Feb 5th show at the Meadowlands.
We went on a bus trip from Wilkes-Barre, Pa, about 2 1/2 hours west of New York City. I
was not able to get rid of my extra ticket, so had to eat the $130 ticket package.
It was a nice ride, everyone on the bus was partying. We arrived at the arena, having to
find a toilet when we go off the bus. We were directed to a single portable toilet
near the load-in area, where a fleet of tour busses sat parked. A white limo sat near the
entrance with it's engine running.
Up the ramp walks a group of people, and there was BILL WARD! Wearing a black ski cap
pulled over his head. I could not belive it was him... so I yelled "Bill" to
make sure it was him, and he tuned to me. I said "good show to tonite, best of of
luck" and he waved hello and said "thanks." That made the night.
We really had NO idea where our seats were until we got in. We were on the floor 19 rows
from the stage on Geezer's side! Awesome!
The Deftones did not do anything for me. They were ok, but sounded like a million other
bands to me. You know, the big pants, etc... trendy. Very un-interesting.
Pantera was much better this time than on Ozzfest '96. The guy from Biohazard got up on
stage, along with Scott Ian (I think) from Anthrax.Phil was kissing ass and brown-nosing
the NY/NJ hardcore scene BIG TIME.What a phoney kiss ass. It seemed very phoney to me.
What does Pantera know about the east coast underground scene? I'm in a band on the scene
here, and there's a lot of backstabbing. Phil is NOT part of it, and the guy from
Biohazard is just as bad because he's just a rich kid from Brooklyn... what does he know
about having to struggle? Phil also shined Black Sabbath's ass BIG TIME with another
healthy ass-kissing rap. But Pantera musically was very good, I liked them. I'm not a huge
fan, but it's better than having some washed up '80s glam act open.
Now, Black Sabbath: just incredible! Great show. What else can be said.Ozzy had a little
trouble in the first two songs, War Pigs and NIB... but shined the rest of the way. Bill
Ward was fantastic, playing like it was his last day alive. Geezer was great, and Iommi...
THE ONE MAN WHO HAS KEPT BLACK SABBATH ALIVE was superb as usual. His guitar was harsh
sounding... it cut right trough you. The man is class in every sense of the word.
Children of the grave had to be the most interesting song of the night. They messed up the
beginning, Ozzy had to start the song lyrics again after a few lines. But the band just
kind of smiled it off, as if they were saying with a laugh "boy, we really f--cked
that up, didn't we?" But it was still just THUNDEROUS! A guy that was on our bus
jumped up on stage and was with Ozzy arm 'n arm. It was funny!
They shot TONS of black confetti into the crowd. I gathered handfulls of it and starting
stuffing pockets. I found a plastic bag and filled it. (How much can I sell a piece for?
:) )
It was just an awesome experience.
After the show, I saw something that put everything into perspective... the different
generations of people who were there. A kid, who looked no older than 12 was looking at
the picture of the four Sabs in the program. The faces of these 50s-ish gods of metal were
staring back at the kid. That says something about how powerful the music of Black Sabbath
is... and the staying power they have.
--
Joe Karavis
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 14:51:23 -0800
From: thomas mondello <tommy1@voicenet.com>
Subject: Reunion Tour Report
siegler
went to meadowlands show feb 5th. nothing but incredible! sat in sec122 row7. the band was
really on top of their game this night. and thats not because i was feeling beyond ok,
even my brother, sober for life, agreed that they were fucking awesome. he sat closer to
the stage upper level. he had a pair of binoculars and had a birds eye view of the play
list. the only change during the night was that they deleted sabbath bloody sabbath and
played after forever instead. fuckin awesome. the crowd was stoned and loud. didn't see
any violence inside or out. but my brother said that upstairs tensions were at the
breaking point. and to back up his assumption, arena personnel were being doubled and
tripled upstairs. but nothing happened. ozzys voice didn't crack once. a very straight
forward show. they took their time with every song and didn't rush through them. this was
certainly true when they played black sabbath. large tiki torches surrounding the stage
and smoke billowing accross the stage. beautiful man. the solo at the end of dirty women
was longer than usual as iommi fuckin ripped through it. the only miscue on the night that
i saw was at the beginning of children of the grave. ozzy began singing too soon. caught
himself only a couple words in and stopped then forged right into the song from the
beginning. the rest of the band never missed a beat. there was one encore, parinoid.
great. i just wished they play something other than that. but i'll take it. the arena was
filled with black confetti and streamers. most of them had black sabbath printed on them.
what really made the show great in my opinion was that they constantly put on the house
lights. not 100%, but maybe 75% brightness. this made you feel really part of the show.
not just seeing the stage only light with darkness all around. it was agreat sight to be
able to see the whole fucking arena mirroring ozzys peace signs in unison. that made the
show 10 times more exciting in my eyes. the only disaster of the night for us anyway was,
that my brothers cigarete lighter didn't work so we couldn't listen to any sabbath cd's in
the parking lot.(potable cd player) the only thing we had was a worn out cassette tape of
we sold our souls. i think we heard that tape over about 20 times that night. well thats
it. i hope you get something out of this mess. it was fun for me just writting it down. i
just relived that whole fucking night!!! great page you have man. tommy mondello (fuckin
38 years old going on 17 all over again!)
From: WHO6489@aol.com
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 00:04:14 EST
Subject: Reunion Tour Report - Meadowlands Arena NJ Fri. Feb. 5 1999
Being a fairly new Sabbath fan (5 years) and a longtime OZZY fan, I wasn't really sure
what to expect. I must say I was very impressed! This was the second show after the
illness postponements, so I was hoping OZZY's voice was OK. It was!
The show started at 7:30 with The Deftones. They were really good and played to about half
capacity. Too bad their sound was pretty crappy. Next up was PANTERA. The were really
good! The place was almost completely full for them. They always had a big following in
the NYC area and let us know it! SABBATH came on at about 9:30. They were in good spirits,
and played a really tight set! The only time they seemed to lose there way was on
"Dirty Women" which is too bad, since I really like that song. "After
Forever" was a great surprise! One of my top 5! Now If they had done "Never Say
Die", I would have been ecstatic! Oh well.
All in all a great night! And here's a little tidbit... My best friend (who is a drummer
in a local hardcore band) actually met BILL WARD on line at the local grocery store the
night before and got his autograph! He said Bill was really nice and gracious. He asked my
friend is he was going to the show and he said "of course!" Bill said he'd ask
OZZY to give him a "shout out". We don't know if he did, because the crowd was
incredibly LOUD!
SET LIST:
War Pigs
After Forever
N. I. B.
Fairies Wear Boots
Electric Funeral
Sweet Leaf
Into The Void
Snowblind
Dirty Women
Black Sabbath
Iron Man
Children Of The Grave
Encore= Paranoid
I hope everybody else who goes to the shows has a great time! I know I did!
Keith in Jersey
Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 20:58:12 -0500
From: Paul LaBarbera <Ruiner@gagames.com>
Subject: Reunion Tour Report
This is from the NY/NJ Show in Continental....
Sabbath was great, same intro as other shows in. Deftones were cool, Pantera was great.
Pantera played Domination, Walk, This Love, Becoming, Hollow (not dom into hollow), CFH,
no cemetary gates, Fucking Hostile, i only own live 101, so thats the only tracks i knew.
They played Use my third arm too. OK, Sabbath... Dont gimme that shit about ozzy being old
or sick, he was possessed. He was SO much better then at the Show on the 3rd of July this
summer. He looked a bit pale, but he was great. Tony came out there being Tony kicking
ass, had his sweet Gibson Signature going. Love the fretboard. Geezer was great, he was
really banging it. Bill Ward looked out of place, but he still can kick those drums. Heres
Set List:
***Not In Exact Order****
1. war pigs,
2. NIB
3. After Forever
4. Sweet Leaf
5. Snow Blind
6. Dirty Women
7. Faries Wear Boots
8. Electric Funeral
9. Into the viod,
10. Iron man,
11. Black Sabbath
12. Children of the Grave
Encore:
13. Paranoid
I checked that with 4 or 5 others and they agreed, we dont have exact order, but thats the
set list. Opened with War Pigs, NIB, and After Forever. Closed with Children and Paranoid.
Black Sabbath (song) stage was amazing.
Date: 08 Feb 1999 10:48:12 -0500
From: Tony DeCecco <Tony.DeCecco@unilever.com>
Subject: Reunion Tour Dates - 2/5
Date: 2/5/99
at Continental Airlines Arena
Arrived during Pantera's set. Let's just say "I'm not a fan". They finished at
9:20, and Sabbath started at 9:40. My seats were way up and to the side of the stage, so
the sound quality there is not as good as in front of the set.
The stage and song list was the same as described for the last show before the
postponements. Tony was amazing. His riffs exploded, his solos sent chills up my spine.
The band was crisp. Ozzy is showing signs of trouble with his voice, but he did a good
job. Geoff definitely sings along with him (but he had to drink a lot of water too!) Bill
showed no signs of a man who had a heart attack. geezer was his usual thunderous self.
The crowd stood for the entire show. The place was sold out. Intros to the band members
came late in the set (after Dirty Women , I think). Ozzy introduced Tony as "the one
and only... Tony Iommi" and began bowing at his feet. Crowd loved it.
Best Sabbath concert I've been to. My first was their tour with Van Halen in the 70's. And
have seen all other lineups as well.
I also appreciated the fact that after Paranoid, they didn't run off stage. The guys hung
around, soaking up the applause, waiving to the crowd, shook a few hands, took bows, Ozzy
thanked everyone and wished everyone a safe ride home. Truly a night to remember. I only
hope they decide to do this again next year.
Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999 13:37:04 -0500
From: Jacques Kessous <domenj@crusoe.net>
Subject: Black Sabbath Tour
J. Siegler,
Friday, Feb. 5th., I went to see the one and only Black Sabbath. I've been waiting for 28
years for this moment and it was certainly worth every minute of waiting. Didn't care much
for the opening band, Deftones. Too loud/couldn't hear the singer much of the time. Might
be good on CD. Thankfully they only played for about 30 minutes. Pantera was pretty good.
Had never seen them perform. Probably if we weren't waiting for Black Sabbath to come on,
we might have enjoyed them more. Gave great praises to be touring with Black Sabbath. Then
the moment came when one of the greatest bands of all times took the stage. What a thrill
to see the four of them together again. We had seen Ozzy & Gezzer a couple of years
ago, but this was really something to see.
Who cares that these guys are 50 plus. I'm 46 and loved every minute of their set. They
are really amazing to see and hear. We sat their mesmerized- such a marvelous sight to
see. For old guys (I don't think so), they sure put a lot of these younger bands to shame.
I don't think they missed a beat. Bill was fabulous. It was so great to see him behind
those drums. It really looked like they were all having a great time together. What can
you say about Tony. He is one of the greatest guitarists I have ever seen or heard.
Gezzer's playing is spectacular. I hope others will give him the credit that he is due.
And Ozzy is always Ozzy. His voice was very strong and he looks great. They all look
great. So glad that they have seemed to settle their differences. What a shame it would
have been to not put this tour together.
When they did "Black Sabbath" the stage was amazing. The torches, lighting, fog,
everything was perfect. Really left me with a memory that I'll have forever. Thanks for
keeping us up to date on all of the tour info. and other news. Your site is really great.
J. Martin
From: SValenzano@oag.com
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 13:21:37 -0600
Subject: Feb 5th Show
Just went to the Continental Airlines Arena show on Feb 5th. Man now I can die and go the
heaven (or HELL). I've been there many times and this was one sold out show. Thanx to my
uncle for once again getting us great seats. Section 109, seat ?
The set list remains the same as the other reports. It was great to hear After Forever,
Dirty Women and Into the Void. Seemed not to many people knew those songs that well (what
a shame). Tony sounded incredible, especially his solo during Dirty Women. He had a grin
from ear to ear all night. Geezer pounded the living daylights out of his bass. His intro
(Bassically) before NIB was cool. Everybody has written Bill Ward off but he was in top
form (playing wise anyway), 2 thumbs up to ya' Bill.
Ozzy on the other hand, looked fat and out of shape. It seemed Geoff Nickols sang along
with him to most songs. Hope its just his current vocal chord problems. Ozzy still had the
crowd going crazy all night. Man I love him. Geoff played rythum guitar while during
Tony's solo which was cool. Black Sabbth had to be the best song, complete with Gothic
looking Tikki Torches with flames pouring out, smoke and fog billowing out of the stage
with hellish red lights. In fact, the light show all night was cool especially the purple
lights. They had a giant Chandelier lowered down towards the stage during the song. During
Paranoid confetti was shooting out all over the place. I made sure I grabbed handfulls of
it. (thanx for the tip)
All in all it has to be the best show I ever saw, just the vibe out there was insane. You
could just feel the chill down your spine seeing all four of them up on stage. My cousin
was able to take a bunch a pictures, can't wait to check them out. The tout book was well
worth the $15 bucks I spent. It's packed with vintage Sabbath stuff.
Scott Valenzano
svalenzano@oag.com
From: "Ronald Guancione"
<ronald.guancione@mci.com>
Subject: 2/5 East Rutherford NJ Review
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 12:20:31 -0500
Rather than get into what they played, what I wish they played, etc. I will just give my
objective opinion of the show. We all know what the set list is and the stage show.
Being a Sabbath fan for over 25 years and being fortunate enough to have seen them play
live 17 times with all of the line ups, I had a real good sense of what to expect from
this tour, at least I thought. The overall performance was good, not great. The sound was
definitely far worse than I expected and not loud enough. Pantera was more than a few
decibels louder than Sabbath which was disappointing. I had good seats (approximately 30
rows from the stage on the floor). My biggest disappointment of the show was the playing
of Bill Ward. He did not seem to play with any energy or force, more like just churning
along without any emotion. His drum fills were definitely more simplistic than they were
originally meant to be. I didn't expect him to play like when he was 20 years younger but
I did expect more feeling into his drumming. Having to say this really hurts me because I
am a HUGE Ward fan. He just plain old did not have it. Next was Ozzy. He made a few minor
mistakes which didn't really bother me but did make a bigger mistake in the beginning of
Children of the Grave. He started singing way too early and did not notice until he was
completely done with the opening verse. He then waited for the next line and started the
song from the beginning. No big deal really, but it was definitely noticeable. As far as
his voice is concerned, well either he had a bad night or after this tour he should
retire. He put on a decent show but struggled with alot of songs especially with long high
notes. The frog jump, pack up and send it home. He is too old for that and it is very
obvious when he trys to do it on stage. Next Tony Iommi. Well Tony is my favorite musician
of all time regardless of any type of music. I must admit though I was slightly
disappointed in his performance also. He played nearly flawlessly but was lacking
something. Maybe it was the volume. But I have never seen Tony have so much fun on stage
as this tour. He moved across the stage all the way to Geezer to jam a couple of times. I
have never seen him do that before. I was disappointed at the way they changed Electric
Funeral. The wah wah part was much higher pitched than on the original. I like the
original better. Last but not least Geezer. Geezer was totally awesome! He played that
bass with such feeling and energy, it was amazing. He was very clear and seemed to be
really into it. You would think that some of this would rub off on Bill but it didn't.
My ratings on a scale of 1 - 10:
Overall Performance - 7
Tony Iommi - 8
Ozzy - 6
Bill - 5
Geezer - 10
Highlights of the show - Into the Void (Tony really smoked on this) & Black Sabbath
Although I was expecting better, I am going to try and scalp tickets for the Philly show
on the 18th. I think the main reason is that this will probably be the last time I ever
get to see them as a group. I think Ozzy and Bill are done, Tony and Geezer have alot
left. God this makes me want to cry!! Hey maybe if and when I get to see them in Philly,
I'll change my mind. Maybe it wasn't a good night. But then again maybe it's wishful
thinking...... One thing is for certain, Black Sabbath will live in my heart and head for
as long as I am alive and will continue to influence my everyday life.
Long Live The Mighty Black Sabbath!!!!!!!
From: Rob_DeGeorge@prenhall.com
Subject: Comments on 2/5/99 show at Meadowlands
Date: 10 Feb 1999 12:54:05 -0500
It seems that no one on the east coast is willing to provide any comments on the shows
that have taken place here so far (unless the comments haven't been posted yet), so i
guess i'll have to do it.
The only bad thing about the Friday, February 5 show at Continental Airlines Arena was the
name of the venue (fuckin' corporate sponsorship!). The Deftones played for a half
hour and frankly, i didn't like them. I didn't like the singer's voice and i didn't care
for their sound. Pantera played for about 55 minutes and, although like the Deftones all
their stuff sounded the same, i liked them (they reminded me of a lot of the thrash bands
i used to see 15 years ago).
I won't bother with Sabbath's setlist; it's been the same for most of the tour (they still
haven't revived "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Killing Yourself to
Live"--unfortunately). The band sounded GREAT. Even though they're playing the same
material every night and even the between-song chatter is the same ("Make some
fuckin' noise!"), they sounded like they meant every bit of it (and i'm sure they
did). The songs in the first half of the show were more like the studio versions as far as
length/solos are concerned. During the second half, they (ie., Tony) stretched out a bit
more. Their sound was heavier than on album (it helps when you've got a stack of Marshalls
and a million decibels to play with); it definitely had more of an edge to it than back in
the day.
Bill was a powerhouse! It looks like Vinnie's gonna be twiddlin' his sticks during this
tour! Tony was as tasteful as always. The only effects he seemed to use were distortion,
wah, and delay (maybe some chorus on the rhythm). Geezer kept it all together, although
some of his effects made the bass lines sound a bit muddy (this is only a small gripe).
Ozzy was...Ozzy. He really knows how to get a crowd going. At one point, he told us to go
crazier than we'd ever gone in our lives. I don't know what he would've done if we started
ripping each other's heads off and eating the brains but it never came down to that. At
one point, some guy jumped onstage and hung out with Ozzy for the good part of a verse.
They then hugged each other and the guy was escorted off the stage--rather politely for a
venue noted for its Nazi security force. Then again, the guy might have wound up in a
landfill somewhere in Joisey...
The special effects (fireworks, torches, fog, confetti--you know 'em by now) were very
tastefully done. I hate concerts where the visual overshadows the aural. This definitely
felt like a concert and not a "show"; however, the visuals added A LOT of drama
where they were used.
Finally, to everyone speculating about whether Ozzy is singing or not: he is, as far as i
and anyone else i spoke with is concerned. Someone who commented on a show in Texas
remarked that the keyboardist spent much of that show up close to a mic. My friend had a
good view of him and saw no mic at all. Also, although Ozzy sounded great-- especially for
someone with nodules on his throat--his limitations did surface in a few spots. If someone
else was doing any singing, they wouldn't have picked someone whose voice cracked on
(rare) occasions. Also, they wouldn't have canceled shows because of Ozzy's throat.
Furthermore, the video screen revealed his lips to be in synch with the vocals and, in
"Children of the Grave", he came in a bit too early in the beginning of the
song. There was also apparently a rumor that Ozzy wasn't singing on the European tour and
i just want to add my two cents on this issue.
Sabbath's set lasted about 95 minutes and, for anyone who is about to see them, you're in
for a GREAT FUCKIN' SHOW! For any fans who don't have tickets to future shows, it's well
worth it to try and procure them (you won't regret it).
See ya on the next tour!
Rob DeGeorge
@someplace in rock'n'roll delirium
From: "lou m" <madman131@hotmail.com>
Subject: Continental Arena show in New Jersey
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 12:37:28 PST
Hi Folks! I have been on the mailing list for some time now but this is my first attempt
at any contribution's so bare with me! Got to the arena in time to catch the last 3 songs
from oh hell whats there name?. oh well anyway Pantera came on and as usual they kicked
some major ass. They played their usual set and had the place rockin from the time they
came on till the time they went off. If any one of you was there,what the hell was that
guy back stage doing? for all of you that wern't there this guy ( i figured he's some kind
of roadie) was jammin on the air guitar and air drums like there was no tomorrow. and talk
about running around? he got me tired just watching him by the time pantera had finished
their set. Ok Pantera's gone, stage is set light go out. 3 spot lights appear on stage and
from below the stage Ozzy,Tony and Geezer begin to rise up on to the stage and the place
goes absolutely crazy.Sirens are blarring and they break into "War Pigs". Man i
tell ya i was in heaven.They sounded as good as they did 20yrs ago when i saw them last.
The set list is basicly the same as you have been seeing posted from other show's that
have been done. Now to tell ya what i saw from my view point during the show. My seats
were located on the same side as tony stands but up in the 2nd to the last level in the
arena. To tell ya the truth the view was great and we got to see everything that went on.
Ozzy started out with the energy of a 3 yr old but as the set wore on you could see he was
getting tired,not to mention between songs he was always spraying what we believe to be
'Chloroseptic Sore Throat spray". Guess it had someting to do with being sick and
all. Ok you guys remember reading the rumours about Ozzy having someone back him up on
vocals? well its true. Geoff Nicholls, ( i think thats how you spell it )was off on
Geezer's side in my view as plains as day and every time Ozzy sang Geoff was also singing
into the microphone while backing up on keyboards.I even saw him on 2 occasions pick up
the guitar and back Tony up on "Snowblind" and "Paranoid". But to tell
ya the truth,Ozzy sounded as great as ever and i really didn't hear another set of vocals.
But you could hear Geoff backing up Tony when he broke into a lead. All in all it was a
night to remember. Black Sabbath lives!! Lets hope they come out with a brand new studio
album and do it all over again.
Peace fellow Sabbath Brothers & Sisters
Madman!!
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 17:10:21 -0800 (PST)
From: r signorino <rsignorino@yahoo.com>
Subject: Reunion Tour Report
Great, I mean GREAT web site. Definitely a labour of love for you!
Anyway, I attended the Feb. 5th show at Continental Airlines Arena with three friends. We
had seats in the upper tier, in back of the stage. We looked right over Bill and Geezer,
with Tony being the furthest away. These turned out to be excellent seats!
They opened with the retrospective video and music clips, which kind of shocks you into
re-evaluating your whole Black Sabbath experience. Watch these closely, as 70's era
Sabbath video is rare enough! We couldn't see it, but we're told Ozzy, Tony and Geezer
rose up through the stage on risers. Although the order's off, they played:
WarPigs
BlackSabbath(really sucks you in!)
Bassically/NIB
IronMan(didn't care for Oz singing the riff)
ElectricFuneral (Tony played AWESOME wah-wah on this)
FairiesWearBoots
SweetLeaf
AfterForever
ChildrenOfTheGrave
IntoTheVoid
Snowblind (very impressive)
DirtyWomen (another Tony showcase; Oz sounded great!)
Paranoid(so we were told)
We had to leave during ChildrenOfTheGrave, due to other obligations - it KILLED us to be
walking out when they sounded so damn GOOD!
They started out a bit ragged, taking the first two songs to get the mix down, and for
Ozzy to hear himself. But they really tightened up during the course of the show. Ozzy
impressed me with his vocal stamina, as I've read about the throat and flu probs they've
been having lately.
For those with a real musically analytical ear, WarPigs, ElectricFuneral, and a few other
tunes were all tuned down a step and a half from the studio versions, much like the tuning
on 'Live at Last'. I like WarPigs better in 'E' , but the 'C#' tuning actually brought out
a slightly different intensity/vibe to ElectricFuneral, especially when you expect it in
one key and they do it in another. Again, Tony's wah-wah playing REALLY made this tune,
for me. Although arenas sound lousy, i had ear plugs which help to cut down on the
reflections, allowing you to hear better, not to mention saving your ears for another
day...
Overall, we were VERY impressed, we got our money's worth. My only bummers: no 'Sabbath
Bloody Sabbath', and no 'PsychoMan', and that we had to leave before show's end. They did
a performance of which they should be extremely proud! With the total age of the group at
almost 200 years, not bad at all!
Pantera were good, it's just not our style...
Cheers!
From: BLKSAB174@aol.com
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 20:44:06 EST
Subject: Feb 5 and 6 shows
Well, folks I know it's been a week,but here is my review of the Meadowlands and Nassau
shows: 2/5 - NJ - Deftones opened. We liked them, but their sound was too distorted,
AND they didn't play 'Seven Words" (buy'Adrenaline'..you'll know what I mean). Next
was Pantera. These Texas guyskicked MAJOR ass!! Sound was great, set was tight. One thing,
though...no'Cemetary Gates'. They did play 'Walk', 'Cowboys From Hell', and 'First Love'.
Finally, the band we've been waiting to see..Black Sabbath!!. Their set was pretty much he
same as others have described. Opened with 'War Pigs', played 'Bassically', then 'NIB',
etc. But the MAGIC was there!!! Rocked through 'Faires Wear Boots'; thrilled us with
'After Forever'; enthralled us with 'Black Sabbath'. Ozzy was fine; his voice was great
(although he came in too quick on 'Children of The Grave'..so did the audience..he quickly
corrected it, though) . Ozzy hung a moon, showed off his tattoos, had water dumped on him,
and a member from the audience jumped up and sang with him. Geezer is a bassist's,
bassist. Playing as fast and powerful as ever, and having a great time. Tony...THE MAN!!
Played great, not missing a note! Mr. Bill Ward..sounded great, looked fine,and had a
GREAT time!! God Bless these guys!! They played 'Sweet Leaf',(which I understand they have
not always been playing on every show). I enjoyed 'Dirty Women', although the audience
seemed to quiet down slightly. They played one of my favorites, 'Electric Funeral'. ( I
wish they would haveplayed my other fav, 'Supernaut'). 'Snowblind' cooked. The encore,
'Paranoid' rocked!!! On Saturday, 2/6/99, I got to do it all over again, only this time in
Long Island's Nassau Colesium. (Floor seats!!..thanks for the tix , John P.!!) We missed
the Deftones and only caught the final minutes of Pantera (because we were partying, not
because we were late). Made our way down to the floor and stood for the whole show on our
seats. (it's kind of hard standing for 2 hrs. on folding chairs when you've been drinking,
but we did it!!). Again, Sabbath sounded GREAT!! (maybe a little better than the night
before..could be because of our seats). Needless to say, we were all drained after the
show. Sweating our asses off! Got confetti this time. Spent well over $100.00 on T-shirts,
programs, etc..between the 2 shows.. Don't care..well worth it!! (played 'Sweet Leaf'
again!!) I just want to say THANKS to Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill for coming back! These
2 shows were excellent! I've seen Sabbath a total of 8 times, now (4 times with original
members). Looking forward to Ozz-Fest '99; rumour has it Black Sabbath will be playing!!
Thanks again, Guys! GOD BLESS YOU!! Peace!
P.S. I was flashing the Peace sign all night. (Ozzy was, too!) My arms were sore, and my
voice was gone for almost a week from yelling!! Well worth it!!
Chuck
From: Sebastian Trovato <STROVATO@hart-ball-brgs.com>
Subject: Reunion Tour Report
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 13:15:43 -0500
Got to see the band at the Meadows in NJ on Feb. 5th.. After all these years they are as
tight a band as I always remembered them to be. Even the stage gimmicks and pyro were
great and enhanced a great line up of music. Ozzy had a voice (contrary to earlier reports
and the problems he always had with it at shows I saw in the 70's).Amazing how a guy that
is supposed to be crazy can remember all those lyrics.Todays music has about 8 words to
remember. Iommi, what else could anyone say. He is and will always be one of the best. I
was happy that they played (Into the Void), the crowd went nuts and his guitar was
screeming. This in my opinion was the hottest , most well recepted song of the night. I
never remembered them playing it years ago. Geezer and Bill still as tight as ever. Saw
Geezer at a few of Ozzies concerts and this guy reall pounds the bass and makes it sing.
It was great to see Bill instead of a stand in. I never cared for any chmges to his
originals. The fans were screaming when Oz acknoledged Bill.Great to see him and in good
health. At the shows end he walked around that entire stage and waved at the crowd and
really looked like he was enjoying it. Only regrets I have is they did not play (Lord of
This World) and (Behind the Wall of Sleep). Those are and always will be 2 kick ass tunes
in concert.
Caught some info on the radio the other day that said that the original band will be on
tao for Ozzfest this summer. Thsi came out of the promoters mouth. I know I'll be their
(hopefully a few shows).
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 03:29:20 -0400
From: Brian Aust <warlock@cheshire.net>
Subject: Reunion Tour Report
Jeez, I only just found this site, otherwise I woulda sent in a review long ago. Went to
the 2/5/99 Meadowlands (a.k.a. "Continental Arena") show in E. Rutherford, NJ.
I'm 26 and have been listening to Sabbath ever since I found my 41-yr. old bro's scratchy
original copy of "Paranoid" 13 years ago (to Ozzy for longer). I must say, I was
beyond impressed by the magnitude of all that was happening. It was more than a concert,
it was a killer SHOW. My only criticism of the show itself is that it seemed a bit
predictable, as all songs save for one that were played are also on the
"Reunion" CD. On the other hand, what was played blew me the hell away. Lessee,
in not quite this order, they played the following songs:
War Pigs
Electric Funeral
Faeries Wear Boots
After Forever
Into the Void
The WASP>N.I.B.
Snowblind
Black Sabbath
Iron Man
Dirty Women
Sweet Leaf
Children of the Grave
e: Paranoid
It was how they played it that mattered, with extended thundering Gibson jams (often
2-3-even 4x as long as their original studio-recordedcounterparts) and a novel, rolling
bass effects-pedal-type rendering,especially during The WASP>N.I.B. Tony was
magnificent, getting the "I am not worthy" bow-down by Oz at some point late in
the show. Also got major spinal shivers when the Torch Ring lit up around the smoke-filled
stage during "Black Sabbath." They did indeed seem to be enjoying themselves up
there, recent flu-bugs and throat nodules notwithstanding. The crowd, on the other hand,
was disappointing. I went expecting a rollicking madhouse of New Jersey metalheads.
Instead, there was only sporadic response instead, with entirely too much mellowness in
between. It seemed as if the significance of Bill Ward bangin' away on the skins was lost
on New Jersey fans, as Ozzy reamed them out and insisted that "C'mon, you can give
Mr. Bill Ward a better effin' hand than that!!!" He also told us that Boston's crowd
was crazier. Hell, anywhere coulda easily been crazier than most of the lameducks I saw,
standin' around with their hands in their pockets, even sitting for some bizarre reason.
For my own sake, there was no wayIcould sit for long. I jumped and thrashed about all
freakin' night, went totally nuts, loved every microsecond of it. The front rows all
deserved to get doused by Ozzy repeatedly for they WERE NOT WORTHY...I was hoarse and sore
for 2 days afterwards, and am feeling a bit more complete a person for having gone. One
other thing: although they did not play "The Wizard," even though I KNOW I was
close enough for them to hear me hooting the harmonica refrain at the beginning, they did
make up for it by playing "After Forever," a pleasant, instantly recognizable
surprise that was taken to new heights. I do hope they all make it thru the rest of this
tour alive, and continue this Renaissance of Madness....
Cheerz to all,
The Warlock
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