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SET LIST
CONCERT PHOTO GALLERY None yet. Have any? Submit 'em!. FAN SUBMITTED TOUR REVIEWS & REMARKS from Linda <linden3@ncable.net.au> Hi Joe Just got back from Heaven and Hell Gig in Melbourne and thought I would email my thoughts to you while they are still fresh in my mind. I have reviewed and photographed artists over the years on a frequent basis for magazines and the like, and the professionalism and talent of this lineup is just simply amazing!! The crowd ranged from a wide mix of ages on average of 13 to 65 and almost everyone was up screaming for more by the time the final song was over. Australian crowds tend to sit in their seats alot and watch the proceedings, but the band rocked tonite. All band members absolutely amazing, Dio's voice better than it has been ever (if thats possible), and drumming from Appice amazing. Cant remember the set list exactly but no surprises thrown in, pretty much the same set from all other gigs. Dio interacted with crowd going along front row slapping and shaking hands with fans, seemed to be alot more interaction from Iommi and Dio than reported in previous tour reviews. Stage was set up in the middle of Rod Laver Arena which I have never seen before, but ensured a fantastic close up view for everyone. Crowd went wild when Heaven and Hell intro was played. If you havent been and get the chance, go, or regret it forever, an amazing, amazing experience that I will never forget. Cheers............Linda:0) from Antony Aristovoulou <antoniusmagnus@optusnet.com.au> Beneath the constellation of the Southern Cross, there was an amazing buzz around Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. The crowd was anticipating the first ever Black Sabbath concert there with RJD fronting the band, and the first Black Sabbath Melbourne gig since 1974!!! Yes, due to poor form, poor promotion or bad luck, Black Sabbath, including the ‘Dio Years’ gig, has only visited this major global metropolis 3 times!! Firstly, the original Black Sabbath came to Melbourne in January, 1973, and then in Nov. 1974. The three 1980 ‘Heaven and Hell’ Melbourne concerts were cancelled because Geezer Butler broke one of his playing fingers in Japan, but irresponsibly kept on playing during the Sydney gigs until the broken digit needed surgery, and thus, the rest of the Australian Tour was cancelled. It gets worse… the proposed late Oct/ early Nov. 1989 Australian leg of the ‘Headless Cross’ tour was aborted, and, finally, the Nov. 1995 Australian leg of the ‘Forbidden’ tour was cancelled by the promoter. Memorable and successful solo gigs, however, included Dio in August, 1986 for ‘Sacred Heart’; and, Ozzy Osbourne for ‘The Ozzman Cometh’ in Feb.1998. The stadium set-up for the 2007 Melbourne concert was rather intimate. Only a third of Rod Laver Arena was used, with the large stage situated beyond the middle of the floor. The area allocated for ticket-holders was filled to near-capacity, so there were probably around 4500-5000 fans on the night. The stage comprised of a variation of the church motif, with the church “wall” featured across three curtains in the background – the two side “walls” each featured a quartered church window. The church yard fence featured in the mid-ground, with the drum set behind, and the rest of the band in front. Based on what the band played in previous ‘Dio Years’ gigs, it was expected that, ‘After All (The Dead)’ be played after the ‘E5150’ intro, and two of the new tracks be played. Neither happened, but what the Melbourne crowd received was an 100 minute gig, whose main aim was to present a selection of choice tracks, but each in an expanded and embellished format – the major example being a 15+ minute version of ‘Heaven and Hell’. A razing rendition of ‘Mob Rules’ logically followed ‘E5150’, and was in turn followed by a ‘Heaven and Hell’ album favourite ‘Children of the Sea’, and the razor sharp ‘I’. Other highlights include: a mesmerising rendition of ‘Sign of the Southern Cross’, which RJD dedicated to the Australian crowds, since he claimed it was during the Australian leg of the 1980 ‘Heaven & Hell’ tour that he was inspired to write this song; and, ‘Voodoo’ where RJD gave one of his best live performances ever, with an rapturous, entranced, ecstatic, and repetitive invocation with the word ‘voodoo’ towards the end of the song. After ‘Voodoo’, as the rest of the band took a toilet break, Vinnie Appice remained on stage performing a drum solo in two parts - first on his own, and second with accompaniment by Scott Warren. The first part I thought was, although energetic, rather sloppy, incoherent, and uninventive. When the hypnotic synthesizer sounds kicked in, however, Appice’s solo transformed into a structured, positively powerful, and even emotional piece. How Appice’s drumming could evolve from mediocrity to sheer virtuosity within the one track is beyond me. ‘Computer God’ and ‘Falling off the Edge of the World’ were other powerful moments, with RJD happy to highlight them as realised prophecies regarding the current state of society, and the world in general. Only ‘Shadow of the Wind’ was played from the ‘Dio Years’ album, and it was played essentially as heard on the recording. Nevertheless, it was a great track for them to play, since, in my humble opinion, it is the best of the 3 new songs. The Sabs hit top gear with ‘Die Young’ and ‘Heaven and Hell’ both, of which, were augmented by glittering guitar solos provided by the master, Mr. Tony Iommi. Also, during ‘Heaven and Hell’, some awe-inspiring demonic vocals from RJD were heard, along with fire-filled special effects, and the obligatory crowd participation. Although long, I never felt bored. Instead, I felt I was taken on a journey. These were the final songs played before the encore - a razing, but fun rendition of ‘Neon Knights’. In fact, the crowd saw RJD and Iommi in a very jocular mood, especially when RJD, having such a ball with the crowd lining the front of the stage, threw professionalism to the wind and mixed up the lines and the verses, leaving Iommi smiling broadly, and showing some happy teeth in the process. No one cared. This whole gig was a fantastic celebration, and a welcome back party for Black Sabbath. The ‘Neon Knights’ encore showed that the band we’re having a ball, and that they were sincerely happy to be back. The affection which RJD consistently showed, and the recognition the rest of the band gave to the crowd during the course of the gig was well received. Of particular interest was the flushed, humbled and courteous reaction Tony Iommi had to the adoring crowd, which was actually quite heart-warming. A cynical bastard may feel a little duped that the Sabs didn’t play a two hour gig, and that, there was only one song played during the one and only encore, but the quality of the musicianship – Appice’s enthusiastic drumming, Geezer’s rock solid, yet sophisticated and technically superb bass playing, Iommi’s mind-boggling guitar work, RJD’s flawless execution of vocals, (quite amazing for a 65 year-old), and, the inventiveness heard on all the expanded songs, left me with a feeling that I saw something unique and special. I truly hope this particular concert gets bootlegged - I have never heard Black Sabbath play with such passion and gusto. Even more, I hope these four men, in one form or another, come back to play in this city again – much sooner, rather than later. from Tony <ingve@optusnet.com.au>
Just thought I'd share my
opinions and observations of the show at Rod Laver Arena,
Melbourne on 10th August. I hope you can use it on your
website.
In a somewhat scaled-down arena
(it looked to be set up to approximately 50% of the full
size available), I witnessed one of the most enjoyable
concerts I have ever attended. The place was sold out and
the crowd enthusiastic - I don't know why they had set up
the arena with such a limited capacity, I'm sure they could
have easily sold hundreds more seats. But enough of that -
on with the show.
The expected intro tape of
'E5150' set the mood as the house lights dimmed. Out of the
darkness strode Tony Iommi, and the band ripped into 'The
Mob Rules'. The sound was almost perfect, just a little
Geezer-heavy in the mix from the side of the stage where I
was seated. The stage setup was fairly simple and
unembellished, which allowed you to focus on the performers.
And what a performance they gave! The place was in an uproar
and the crowd responded fanatically to every gesture Ronnie
James Dio made. Next up was 'Children of the Sea'. Close
your eyes and you were back in 1981, it was that good. In
fact I'd dare to say it was better, the performances
crisper, the sound clearer....
I can't recall the exact running
order, but songs played included 'I', 'Voodoo', 'Falling off
the Edge of the World', 'Shadow of the Wind', 'Computer
God', 'Sign of the Southern Cross' (which received an
ecstatic reception from all of us fans born under the
Southern Cross!), 'Die Young', 'Heaven and Hell' and closed
with 'Neon Knights'. Every song was played to perfection,
Tony's solos were inspirational and Ronnie's voice has never
sounded better. Vinnie also had a drum solo that showcased
his ability to be entertaining behind his kit, pulling huge
pylons of drums toward himself to be played in turn. Many of
the songs were extended and several had different
arrangements (in particular, different endings) to what I've
heard being played on previous tours. 'Heaven and Hell'
itself was very long, but always interesting, and the crowd
stayed well involved throughout. It also had the only real
use of effects in the entire concert, namely the intensely
red lighting used on Ronnie's face for the "There's a big
black shape looking up at me" section, along with some voice
processing and pyro effects. I liked that there were minimal
effects, when they did come it made more of an impact than
if they were being overused and gimmicky.
So overall an excellent show. My
only small complaint is that they could have fit in one more
encore - the crowd was demanding it, and the show ended
nearly 15 minutes before curfew. But being there to see,
what is to me, the ultimate Black Sabbath lineup give it all
for over 90 minutes is something I had never expected to
experience. It was worth waiting almost a quarter of a
century to see them at their peak!
from George Votzourakis <george.votzourakis@bigpond.com>
I have waited twenty seven
for this show, since the cancellation of the Palais
Theatre show due to Geezer's finger.
In essence a very
professioanl show, the diverse audience lapping it all
up. The audience ranged in ages from 4 years of age to
50++.
Dio as always a consumate
professional, having a great deal of fun with the
audience. The due of Butler and Iommi solid as always,
but if I do have one gripe that there was probably too
much bass. Vinnie Appice made it all look so easy, in
much the same way as the last time I saw him with Dio in
the mid 80's.
The entire band seemed to be
having fun, which belies any issues of the past.
However, after years I
expected a bit more in the set, 1.5hours and the
standard encore was a bit to short. Not sure how long
they play at their overseas gigs.
Apart from that I was happy
and so was everyone else.
Yours sincerely
George
from Bill Davis <billcbs@tpg.com.au> I went to the Heaven &
Hell tour show In Melbourne Australia, and wanted from George Fotis
<cozyp98@yahoo.com.au> When i heard the 3 new songs from the Dio years CD i couldn't believe how good they sounded not to mentioned Dio's strong voice . So i knew going by that i had to see them Down Under. Who would have expected Sabbath to be in Australia again or Dio , i was so glad i was there . Amazingly i managed to
get a ticket on the floor area a few rows from the front
, so i knew i was in for a great show. But never
expected Dio's voice to be sounding so well & powerfull
. You would have expected his voice to be rough & worn
out now at 65 but he still sounds & moves around like on
the Rainbow Munich 77 DVD , he was amazing. A great
front man another Mick Jagger . He was definitely the
highlight of the concert. I wish Deep Purple can played this hard sounding. Some of the songs played were , Mob Rules , Children Of The Sea, I, Computer God, Shadow Of The Wind , Neon Knights, Sign Of The Southern Cross, Falling Off the Edge Of the World. Computer God , Die Young . They could easily go back into the studio & make another Dehumanizer type of album if not better. I hope they can keep up the good work & do just that. from michael pace <paceman_ssxgto@hotmail.com> Hi Joe, the name's
michael, great website, extremely extensive. Here's my
short take on the heaven and hell concert at melbourne
australia aug 10 2007. from Hales, Mark G <Mark.Hales@team.telstra.com> Joe, It has been a long time, 26 years actually, that any form of Black Sabbath has graced the shores of OZ. I have followed the band since I brought 'Black Sabbath' and 'Paranoid' and 'Master of Reality' together back in '72 and have missed them each time they came to Australia (1974, 1979, 1981). I am one happy fan to finally see the next best line-up of the band. DOWN came on at 7:30 pm and got the crowd rocking. I was disappointed in the sound quality, but I guess the support band is not allowed to out do the main act. Don't think they could have even if their sound equipment was superior. I had not heard DOWN before the night and even though the sound quality was poor, I thought they were quite good. I will be getting my hands on some their albums. They played for 60 minutes and included such tracks as 'Ghosts of the Mississippi' and 'Rehab' and there was a slow ballad which I thought was really good, can't remember the bloody song though. Heaven & Hell came on at 9:00 pm with the eerie sounds of 'E5150' and strobed lighting giving a stormy night in a grave site. The crowd just went fucking mad at this point and never stopped until an exhausting 100 minutes later. 'Mob Rules' followed by 'Children of the Sea' and 'I' all played to perfection. Bit of a breather here as Ronnie thanked the crowd for the support and apologies for the long absence of the band from the shores of Australia. This brought in the next couple of songs, 'Sign of the Southern Cross' then an extended 'Voodoo' followed by an awsome drum solo by Vinnie. During the extended 'Voodoo' Tony played a short solo which included the lead from 'N.I.B' or 'Sleeping Village', well it sounded like it anyway. 'Computer God' , 'Falling of the Edge of the World' and 'Shadow of the Wind' came next with an extended 'Die Young' and extended 'Heaven & Hell' to finish of the main course. Tony played an extended intro for 'Die Young' and the band played an extended lead break and I was watching Geezer and his fingers were going fucking nuts during this break. 'Heaven & Hell' included Tony's solo. Normally before an encore the crowd shout the bands name for them to come back on but it didn't happen this night, I guess we were all confused about wether we yell out Sabbath or Heaven&Hell, so we did the only other thing and that was scream, whistle and make one hell of a racket until they came back on and treated us to 'Neon Knights'. What a bloody great night, never to be forgotten. I have included some pictures of 'DOWN' and 'Heaven & Hell', which are not the greatest, but not bad for a mobile phone. I did record the show on an mp3 player but the sound quality is pretty crap, but you can hear bits and pieces every now and then. The recording allowed me to at least but some time lines to the play list. E5150
0:00 The main course finishing at 1:31:30 Encore: from gftaylor@postoffice.utas.edu.au I discovered Black
Sabbath relatively late in the game in the early 1990s.
After the obligatory self-education and
self-indoctrination on all matters pertaining to
Sabbath, it was the Dio incarnation of the band that I
seemed to gravitate towards. For me, the name `Black
Sabbath' had always evoked a certain mysticism but I
felt it was only the Dio line-up that really
encapsulated this. from gftaylor@postoffice.utas.edu.au I discovered Black
Sabbath relatively late in the game around the early
90s. After the obligatory self-education and
self-indoctrination on all matters pertaining to
Sabbath, it was the Dio incarnation of the band that I
gravitated towards. For me the name 'Black Sabbath' had
always evoked a certain mysticism but I felt that it was
only the Dio line-up that really encapsulated this. |
THE BAND