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THE BAND
- Rob Halford - Vocals
- Tony Iommi - Guitar
- Geezer Butler - Bass
- Bill Ward - Drums
- Adam Wakeman - Keyboards
CONCERT PHOTOS
You can view the photo gallery for this concert
here.
Philadelphia radio
station 94 WYSP has a
photo gallery online - but no pictures of Sabbath! Damn.
TOUR REVIEWS & REMARKS
August 31, 2004
A NOTE FROM SHARON
To those who attended the Ozzfest show in Camden on August 26,
I would like to address the few complaints that have arisen from Black
Sabbath?s performance with Rob Halford in Camden last Thursday, August
26th. The situation quite clearly was that Ozzy was suffering from
bronchitis. He was hoping from the morning of the show until the afternoon
that he would have some sort of voice so that he could perform that
evening. Unfortunately by late afternoon he was advised by doctors that
that just wouldn?t be possible. So, our options were:
1. Have Black Sabbath not to perform at all and inform the crowd at 4:00
p.m. in the afternoon, which might have lead to a riot. or 2. Ask one of
the legends of the genre, Rob Halford, if he would step in for Ozzy that
evening so that people wouldn?t leave feeling disappointed not seeing
Black Sabbath perform at all.
Of course Ozzy's more disappointed than the fans and he feels incredibly
guilty that he let everyone down.
Sincerely,
Sharon Osbourne
P.S. Ozzy and I would like to personally thank Gil Edwards and WYSP-FM for
their enormous and continued support of OZZfest and hard rock music in
Philadelphia.
From: Joe Karavis
Subject: Ozzy a no show at Camden
Date sent: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 11:41:01 -0400
This Ozzfest was indeed a memorable
experience....
I got to see Ozzfest at Camden, NJ on August 26. I went on a bus trip from
my hometown of Wilkes-Barre, PA. It is about a 2 hour ride - we left here
at 8 A.M. We had a bus full of metalheads and there were 7 guys in our
group, which included myself and my band's bass player Chuck, and two of
the guys from the band Bodyfall, who are friends of ours. The other dudes
I did did not know.
Anyway, we got to the parking lot which was filled with the metal faithful
doing some tailgating. We had lots of food and beer etc, so it was nice to
have that included in the trip by the company that ran the trip. We ate
drank and hung out for awhile and headed into Ozzfest about noon.
I've been to Camden to see Ozzfest about 3 times prior and always had a
great time. This year's looked bigger than ever, and the small stage was
moved from where it usually was to a larger area that was alike a huge
parking lot. I liked where the second stage was set up in previous years
because you can sit up on the grass hill and watch the bands as well as
the madness down below, but obviously the amount of people at the second
stage was so large there was noplace else to do this. I have never seen a
larger crowd at the second stage. It was madness.
However, the sound totally sucked at the second stage. The only band who
sounded even listenable was Lacuna Coil, who I thought were good live. I
caught Otep, Lacuna Coil, Hatbread (more like heard them), and Slipknot.
Ozzy came out on stage before Slipknot, I think, and said something I
could not understand. I also could not see him from where I was. Could not
see very well for the most part. Pits were breaking out for Slipknot and
even though we were back from the stage it was jam packed. It was a
pushing match after slipknot as a sea of people started to drift out
slowly, people were knocking over barricades and jumping fences to get
out. It was a very dangerous situation.
It took us so long to get out of that madness that by the time we hit the
men's room and made our way to the main stage Black Label Society was
already done, and SuperJoint Ritual was on. I just have to say that Mr.
Anselmo does more talking than singing, and more screaming than singing.
Some people were heckling him, and his band was nothing special.
Dimmu Borgir really looked cool, and sounded very good. I have the new
album, but am not too familiar with them. But they seemed to have it
together and are pros at what they do. I like them.
Slayer - what else can be said. Total mayhem, the crowd loved it and they
did the usual Slayer tunes. Great to see these guys ...they have become
metal legends. Lots of Slayer fans at Ozzfest - next to Sabbath, I saw
more people wearing Slayer shirts than any other band.
Judas Priest is one of my favorite bands ever, right up there with
Sabbath, and Rob Halford is truly the voice of metal. He's been my
favorite frontman of any band. It was great seeing him with Priest. Great
show - they actually had the best stage show of any of the bands on
Ozzfest. I can't wait for the new Priest album and tour. The band did
pretty much what you'd expect. Awesome show, I thought the guitars could
have been a little louder. Halford's voice was loud and clear. You could
tell being in Priest again is a very emotional thing for Rob and he
obviously loves playing with the other guys again. The crowd really liked
them.
This is where things became quite strange. Priest's stage set was torn
down and they began to set up for Sabbath. It looked like a puny setup.
Not really a big stage show. A few speaker cabinets that looked dwarfed by
the size of the main stage. A big video screen behind the drums was all. I
thought this was strange for Sabbath. I always think of the great stage
setups over the years - Mob Rules tour, Born Again Tour, and even the '99
tour. This time I was feeling it bit let down.
Then Bill Ward walked out on stage. There was a guy with him that said he
had an announcement. He basically said Ozzy would not be performing
tonight with Black Sabbath, and that Rob Halford would be taking his
place. Then I don't recall if it were this guy or Bill, but one of them
read a statement from Ozzy, briefly saying he was sorry, he had
bronchitis, and could not do the show. Lots of people booed and put middle
fingers in the air... this seemed to agitate Bill Ward, and he was like
"we are going to play our asses off for you anyway with Rob Halford." He
also said "Ozzy Loves You All."
So Sabbath took the stage with Rob Halford and the crowd seemed a bit
deflated. Some people left while walking up the aisles with middle fingers
up, But it looked like Ozzfest was still packed and almost everyone
stayed. It did not seem like the crowd was into it as much because Ozzy
was not there, but Rob Halford did a great job. He was a bit subdued
between songs, not really working the crowd too much. There were some long
pauses between songs and the guys would be talking or looking at each
other as Rob seemed a little unsure of what was next. Rob's vocals were
true to the way the songs were, and he did not throw in any extra stuff ,
and actually sounded very good on everything. He only really messed up at
very the end for Paranoid and he knew it. There was no encore as the band
left the stage for the night. It was not really Sabbath's best show I ever
saw, but the band sounded very good.
While this was unusual and not quite what anyone expected, it is a
performance that will be remembered in Sabbath history forever as a
historic one. The Costa Mesa gig was historic, with Halford doing vocals,
but I believe this is the first time Ozzy would not be able to do the show
and was replaced with someone else. It is also amazing Halford had the
energy to do this after doing a full set with Priest and then right back
on stage again with Sabbath. I think this will be talked about forever
when discussing Sabbath history.
While this was Ozzfest, it was clear Rob Halford was the star of the day.
I'd also like to add that I hooked up briefly with Carl, from Baltimore,
who is a longtime member of the list. We met up in the seating area and
talked for awhile. Good guy, and it's cool to have actually met someone
from the list. I've been on this list for years, but apparently Carl has
been on longer. We talked about Sabbath and even a little NFL football. I
think this is something everyone on the list should do. If you are in
another city try to hook up and say hi to some other list members.
The sad thing about all this is Ozzy is in pretty bad health right now,
and Bill has also had health problems. It is a very unpredictable
situation. We don't know where this is going to end up, as each time I see
Black Sabbath as well as Ozzy solo I think it might be the last. It's a
shame the band has been unable to do a new album of new material in so
long. We as Sabbath faithful are always wondering what the future holds
for this band at every turn. I think it is time for the guys in Sabbath to
get some solo stuff done, or do a new Sabbath album, while they all still
can.
Joe Karavis
From:(Robert Murin)
Subject: Ozzfest-Camden 8-26 NO OZZY---HALFORD SINGS FOR AN ILL OZZY!!
Date sent: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 01:58:18 -0400
Just got home from the show. In what came
as a total surprise, as the Sabbath gear was put out on stage, roadies and
stagehands tuning everything-anticipation building in the crowd--Bill Ward
is standing at stage front-introduced to the crowd and greeted with loud
applause--And then--A statement from Ozzy is read stating he's ill with
bronchitis and won't be able to sing!! Rumblings in the crowd ( I'm
thinking "this could get ugly") if Sabbath doesn't play. Then it's
announced that Rob Halford is going to handle vocals for the show. Lot's
of boos-lot of griping-Bill takes mike in hand saying--if your angry, just
know that this band will play it's Fucking Balls off for you! if you feel
cheated, just know that this band will play it's Fucking Balls off for
you! AND THEY DID---Rob did a fantastic job handling the vocals, gradually
turning the boos into cheers in what must have been a very tough spot to
be in. The Sabs themselves played their hearts out. Tony just blistered on
some extended leads, Bill adding some pounding extended endings, Geezer
thundering on a nice selection of different basses. I'm sure most people
wanted to see the Original Sabbath, but given the circumstances I don't
see how they could have possibly done better. I myself feel privileged to
have seen this line-up and just say THANK YOU to the players for pulling
it off.
From: "Vic Scaz"
Subject: OZZFEST PHILADELPHIA 2004
Date sent: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 06:22:08 -0400
Everything was going smoothly until Bill
Ward came up on stage and said " Ozzy will not be able to play tonight he
has bronchitis" This made the crowd EXTREMELY bent out of shape. Bill kept
insisting that Ozzy loved them and that he anted to be there. He also said
that Ozzy would make it up to everybody by showing up next year and give
the show of a lifetime. Basically, Bill stopped a riot by announcing that
Rob Halford would step in and sing for Sabbath. At first that didn't go
over too well, but after a few seconds the crowd seemed a little more
accepting of the idea. He said "If you're ok with that , we're gonna play
our asses off!...."If you feel ripped off , we're gonna play our asses
off!....if you're angry, we're gonna play our asses off!" and so on....you
get the idea. How did Rob do? Not bad actually. Thanx to telepromters up
front , he did fine. He only had a major blunder at the end of Paranoid.
It's not like he was stepping in new territory, Rob jumped in and sang
when Dio last flew the coop. But obviously, it wasn't a show, more like a
"wing and a prayer".
Eh.....at least Sabbath PLAYED!
From: MikeK48
Subject: The Metal God Saves The Day (or really night)
Date sent: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 08:05:34 -0400
I don't know if anyone has posted about this yet but I was at the Ozzfest
show in Camden on Aug. 26, 2004 and here is what happened.
Just before Sabbath were to perform Bill Ward came out on stage with an
"anouncer" and read a letter from Ozzy stating that he had bronchitis and
would not be able to perform. Bill told the crowd that we were in for a
once in a life time experience and of course, I knew it would happen at
some point of this year's Ozzfest tour, Rob Halford would help out Sabbath
on vocals. At first there were some boos from the crowd but Bill told the
crowd that "We are going to play our balls off tonight". Bill said that a
few times to get the crowd to calm down a little and I must say that I
have never seen Bill speak in such a forceful and excited way. He really
did an excellent job of "crowd control" and I commend him.
As soon as Sabbath came out with Rob at the front it seemed like
everything was fine and Rob did an outstanding job (with a little help
from a teleprompter I am sure) and took on the task well. The only thing
Rob messed up was the last verse of Paranoid but I think Bill, Tony and
Geezer were just happy that there wasn't a riot. ;-)
The set seemed short for Sabbath and it seems to me that Priest might have
played an extra song or two fully knowing what was going to happen later.
Although Ozzy was sorely missed, all in all it was great night. After a
fantastic show, and great sound I might add, by the "Re-United" Judas
Priest, Sabbath came out did what had to be done and that was "play their
balls off"!
Mike
From: "King Francis"
Subject: Ozzfest- Philly
Date sent: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 10:51:50 -0400
Hey man, great site. I was at Ozzfest in
Philly last night. Everything was great. Then something happened. Bill
Ward and some DJ guy came out and read a statement from Ozzy- basically
saying he was too sick to perform. I was pissed. But- then Ozzy named his
replacement for the evening- Mr. Rob Halford. I damn near shit my pants.
It was unbeleivable- truell something special. This happened before in
California, years ago- but not with Bill, and this time, Halford did War
Pigs, Faries..., and Black Sabbath. I swear to you I have never been so
blown away as I was last night. Everything was great except Paranoid, when
Halford forgot most of the last verse. No one cared, we sang it for him. A
lot of people left, fuck them-they missed something really special. My
only beef with it, was the lack of an encore. After the show, I was barely
standing from being in the sun for 10 hours, and hard headbanging since
Slayer. On the way out, the consession stands were throwing out leftover
food, so we got free cheesesteaks-the perfect end to the day. Just thought
I'd drop you a line, and let you know what happened. Seeya.
From: "Andrew Shal" <andyshal@lycos.com>
To: siegler@black-sabbath.com
Subject: Ozzfest 8/26 Camden review
Date sent: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 11:13:48 -0500
Hey Joe,
Well, this was the show to end all shows...
This was my return to Ozzfest after not going since 1999. My friend and I
got there around 1 PM for some unknown reason, and spent the next couple
hours walking around and checking out shitty bands on the shitty second
stage. Unlike past fests, the 2nd stage wasn't inside the venue proper,
but in a parking lot outside the main gates (right behind a huge "No
Re-Entry" sign which no doubt caused much confusion). With perhaps the
worst sound I've ever heard in an outdoor setting, in one of the worst
environments (surrounded by big buildings for the sound to bounce off), I
wasn't really enjoying it all that much. Otep were on when we first
arrived, and I couldn't even remotely enjoy it. Just a garbled mess.
Lacuna Coil were alright, the only band with any melodic sense. Lamb Of
God were ok, I think...couldn't hear anything except a mishmash of
distorted, throbbing low end (in a bad way). After Hatebreed whipped the
troglodytes into a frenzy, I decided to adjourn to the hill near the lawn
to watch Slipknot. This band really isn't any good. Take away the costumes
and the gimmicky drummers and you have absolutely nothing. Meh.
The main stage opened with Black Label Society. Still shitty sound, just
less shitty. They played a couple songs, I didn't really feel it.
Superjoint Ritual followed, and it was entertaining to hear Phil's
ramblings (which weren't all that lengthy). Thought the music was
terrible, but the crowd seemed to dig it. Dimmu Borgir came up next, and
while I was interested to see them, the crowd wasn't. Having a black metal
band play in broad daylight doesn't work. The vast majority of the crowd
sat there looking confused. Slayer arrived to set things in motion for the
better. Decent song selection (but no Angel Of Death), but again the sound
was crippling. Mud. Cool seeing Lombardo though.
Finally, Judas Priest. They fucking stole the show...super tight,
impeccable guitar work. Just totally fucking nailed it. Tipton and Downing
are two of the best ever, no doubt. Halford sounded great as well...better
than I expected. Had a bit of trouble with the highest of high notes, but
still hit them to some degree. Long set too, played all (most) of the
classics. The sound was finally well done, too. Halford's vocals were a
little too high in the mix, but at long last I could hear the damn
guitars.
This is where things got interesting. After a long delay (most band
changes were done in 10-15 minutes), Bill Ward walks out with the local DJ
to announce that Ozzy was sick and wouldn't play...however, Rob Halford
would sing for Sabbath. This was totally amazing news to me...I was
practically doing backflips. Two of my all-time favorite bands coming
together at last (well, it happened twice before, but I wasn't there).
Plus, I wouldn't have to deal with Ozzy's blown voice and annoying stage
banter. The crowd felt otherwise, booing lustily (this is Philly after
all). Many people were also leaving during the set, which was akin to
slapping the band in the face. Shameful. They played a shorter set than
usual (no "Snowblind"), but Halford did a great job. He sang it very close
to Ozzy's version, in a mid-range voice (think "Electric Eye"). No high
notes/screams. Made fewer mistakes than Ozzy would of, at least. Few minor
flubs here and there ("Paranoid" for one), but it was jus t too damn cool
seeing him up there with Iommi (who would smile and nod at Rob when it was
time for him to start the next verse). Halford was dressed in plain black
shirt/pants, and other than the video screen there were no special effects
whatsoever. This, coupled with the absence of all the "can't fucking hear
you" and buckets of water, allowed the songs to stand on their one in a
way that they haven't been able to in years. Why giant golden statues of
Iommi aren't in the center of every city on the planet is beyond me. He is
truly the king of all musicians, of all time. What a super-heavy,
gut-churning guitar tone he had...a monster. The intro to "Fairies Wear
Boots" was one of the greatest moments I've ever witnessed in a live
setting, and I've seen 'em all. Geezer was heavy as hell too. Bill Ward
was pounding the kit, as he promised to "play his balls off" when the
annoucement was made. People were chanting "Ozzy" at first, but by the end
the chants changed to "Halford" . The last image on the screen before it
was turned off was of Halford and Iommi walking arm-in-arm offstage...an
image that will be in my mind forever.
In all, it was well worth it. I was ashamed at the crowd's reaction to the
Sabbath set, as in my eyes it was a rare treat, a gift. I've been a
Sabbath fan forever, having seen them many times. Just when I thought I
knew exactly what to expect, they still manage to thrill me. The ending
surprise made the trip for me, as it is something I'll always remember and
always cherish.
Andy Shal
From: Glenn & Andrea
Subject: Ozzfest 2004 Tour Stuff aug 26 Camden
Date sent: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 23:10:04 -0400
Well it was the Ozzfest that wasn't.
Great day great fun Judas Priest was
awesome,........and then Bill Ward from Black Sabbath stepped up to a mic
between the sets and announced that Ozzy couldn't perform. Well being only
a few feet from the stage my immediate thought was this is where I am
going to die. These fuckers are going to riot and I'm at ground zero. Ward
challenged the mob and promised Sabbath would play and that Rob Halford of
Judas priest would stand in for Ozzy. More unrest. They seemed a little
unsure as to how to start so they left the stage (Crowd is going mental),
the lights go down shit is flying through the air, and the pre-show video
starts. You name it they are throwing it. Then Sabbath takes the stage
Halford hits the first note and everyone who stayed either because they
were curious or out of respect for the rest of the band was stunned he was
almost perfect his voice was great, it fit the songs. It sounded
natural, only near the end he fucked up Paranoid during the last verse.
He showed his embarrassment bowed to the crowd and kept going. At the end
of the show they all gathered round Rob and gave him hugs and handshakes
and then did the arms around the shoulders bow to the crowd. If not
for Rob Halford I might very well have died at the hands of a mindless
mob. Just Glad to have been there G in NJ
From: OZZYSNEWDOVE
Subject: OZZFEST CAMDEN REVIEW
Date sent: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 17:24:37 EDT
Ozzfest Camden Review
I had gotten pit tickets in order to see Ozzy and Sabbath up close. I
wanted to be as close as possible to see the original Black Sabbath up
close. Thatâ?? s what I paid for. So I left Slipknot early and made my way
up front to the barricade. I waited the whole day not wanting give up my
spot. By the time Priest left the stage I was a tired, thirsty, hungry
face retaining mess but I was psyched to see Ozzy. About 20 minutes after
priest left the stage I knew something was wrong. It all seemed to hit me
at once. I realized the set change was taking way too long and there
seemed to be tension in the back stage area. Then they announced that
Halford would be taking the place of ozzy.
I couldn't believe it. I was livid. Lots of boos from the crowd. I saw
many people in tears walking out. I stayed.
The show opened without the curtain intro. Halford walked on with the rest
of the band and was dressed in a black button down shirt. They launched
into war pigs. Halford's voice was as always great. Halford said he has
always been a huge Sabbath fan and how much of a dream come true this is
for him. He seemed to do pretty well with the lyrics. He flubbed a little
on paranoid but that's understandable. They played the regular set minus
Snowblind. Overall it was a good set and a unique experience - but not the
one I paid for. I wanted Ozzy. Ozzy has cancelled a gig on me before but
refunds were offered. They told us early in the day and anyone who left
before 5:00 could get a refund while others could stay and enjoy the show.
There was no option of a refund at this show. It is obvious that they knew
about this all day. Alcohol sales were stopped early and vendors stopped
selling once priest went on .The way this was done was completely
unprofessional. The fans at this show deserve a refund of some sort. If
you agree please sign my online petition at the following link:
http://www.petitiononline.com/ozrefund/petition.html
I understand that the ozzman is sick but to not give the fans any type of
refund is wrong.
From Joe: I contacted Ozzy's office after
the gig, and I was told refunds were available there on site for that day
for anyone who wanted one.
From: Steven Smith
Subject: review: Camden 8-26
Date sent: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 05:54:53 -0700 (PDT)
I have read some reviews and wanted to
provide a different view.
Would it be Zeppelin without Plant? Would it be the Stones without Jagger?
Would it be Kyuss without John Garcia? Would it be Sabbath without Ozzy?
No. I was at the Philly/Camden Ozzfest last Thursday. I have been
anticipating the show for weeks, months even. And feel fleeced by the
absence of Ozzy. Unlike many of the people there, I am not a big fan of
Judas Priest, so Rob Halford filling in did not put a smile on my face in
any way. I will admit that he was more than competent in this roll, and if
anyone was to do it, he was the guy. Nonetheless, it still was not Ozzy.
The energy was gone. The band sounded great and they did play their balls
off, but without Ozzy it was lifeless. If people knew to expect Halford
maybe it would have taken the edge off things, but to have that news
delivered at that point I believe was unfair. Guns and Roses without Axl?
Bronchitis is not something one "gets" one day and recovers from the next.
I can accept that Ozzy is in poor health, but it seemd unlikely that
bronchitis was the culprit. Most importantly, I hope Ozzy gets better.
I cannot see how the band could have performed without him. People spent a
lot of money for their tickets and anything else they bought that day. The
paid for Ozzfest, not Halfordfest. The band owes Philly something. They
could add a special Sabbath show at the end of the tour to make it up, or
announce a date for the not too far off future. I doubt that will happen.
Perhaps they'll be back next year, but it won't be becasue Ozzy loves us.
If Ozzy, Bill, et al. love us, then make it up to us, give us what we paid
for: Black Sabbath. I wouldn't mind paying again to see them by
themselves, but if they only come back again, and it takes until next
year, it will be clear they don't "love" us, but sure don't mind loving
our money.
How does one contact the band, Sharon, anyone?
Steve Smith
From: "Frank Burock"
Subject: camden 8/26/04 ozzfest
Date sent: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 14:57:33 -0400
my review of thursday, 8/26/04 ozzfest. i
did not sit down until the beginning of dimmu borgir.
DIMMU BORGIR - they looked like a cool band with all of their makeup and
what not, they even played a melody or two, but basically , FLUFF.
SLAYER - i,ve been going to concerts since 1977(ELP), without a doubt, the
most overrated band i've ever seen. what really got me, alot of the crowd
seemed to be into this CRAP. my friends and i used to have a term for this
type of music in the early 1980's, STUPID HEAVY METAL, only this wasn't
quite that good, being slightly infected with punk.
PRIEST - was great in stage show, length of show(considering what was to
follow for their singer), song selection and overall grit. my only gripes
and they are small ones are 1) halford's appearance was way over the top
with chrome & leather from head to toe. his dome even seemed like it was
waxed and later on, when he sang for the sabs, it seemed that they must
have powdered his head down as the shine was completely gone to go with
his all black outfit. 2) i was hoping they would have played SINNER or
DIAMONDS & RUST, they played neither. still, very good.
SABBATH - i had been following all of the reviews on this site leading up
to when i would see them(this was the 15th time since NSD tour('78), and i
read each previous time they had closed the black curtain while sabbath
was setting up. they didn't do that here. also, the stage was pretty pukey,
and before you knew what was going on, ancient bill ward appeared with a
piece of paper alongside, i guess a local promoter. there was booing and
many things flying(plastic things) at their heads as you would expect from
a phila crowd. ward said they would play their balls off at least 3 times,
i mean why wouldn't they. would they rather issue a refund or face a riot,
which easily could have happened. i was very disappointed at their overall
show given the circumstances. they did not deviate one iota from the show
they generally play, from not playing snoblind and not even adding any
other "makeup" song or songs TO having rob halford read the lyrics from a
monitor in front of him just like OZZY does; only in this case rob has a
very good reason, doesn't he. halford came off smelling like a rose in all
of this. i'm very sorry i cannot say the same for the other 3. you mean to
tell me they couldn't improvise even one tune, any tune, to show
appreciation for what was basically a RIPOFF, i mean who is the star of
OZZFEST? as i was watching this event, it got me to thinking, after
hearing live all of the various sabbath vocal incarnations over the years,
and yes halford really just has done a one or two off, and yes, ozzy is
really OVERDONE, they're best vocalist in concert by ten miles is ronnie
james dio, both musically and visually. he is a true frontman.his
interpretations of the ozzy material , though different , was tremendous.
don't count out dio reuniting again, at least with iommi. i would like to
review each sabb:
WILLIAM WARD - though he looked 75 years old with a ponytail of long gray
hair and a beerbelly, ward can still play sabbath stuff better than
anyone. i hope his health holds up.
TERENCE BUTLER - geezer is starting to age a bit, and seemed subdued,
maybe from the halford change. in fact, i think iommi moved around more
this time than geezer did.
ANTHONY FRANK IOMMI - the undisputed leader of sabbath and all of heavy
metal from day one, the one true "professional" of the band. yeah ozzy has
more money and luck and fame for biting the head off of a flying rodent,
geezer wrote great lyrics, ward is a nice guy, but iommi was the driving
force because of his ability to create great riffs, end of story. unlike
jimmy page , he didn't have to steal countless ideas from old blues
greats, he created a whole new sound. whether it was due to his chopping
up his fingers or not , so what, HE DID IT. anyhow, getting back to this
show, iommi must keep himself in great shape . at 56, he looked 10 years
younger than rob or geezer, and 30 years younger than wardy. he also
seemed shorter than i thought he was, maybe he's stopped wearing bootheels,
i don't know. as usual, he didn't miss a note, but like i said before, i
am disappointed in him and the other two members for not varying this show
even once. what , are they made of stone?
SIDENOTE: - as can be expected, there was a large gathering off to stage
left, behind adam wakeman(did he really play anything; he reminded me of
linda mccartney with WINGS), i noticed zaakk wylde watching this
revelation for a good 35 minutes.
SABBBOY
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