Black Sabbath Concert Reviews
August 15, 2008

Mohegan Sun
Uncasville, CT

THE BAND

  • Ronnie James Dio - Vocals
  • Tony Iommi - Guitar
  • Geezer Butler - Bass
  • Vinny Appice - Drums
  • Scott Warren - Keyboards

SET LIST

  1. Unknown

CONCERT PHOTO GALLERY

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FAN SUBMITTED TOUR REVIEWS & REMARKS

Awesome show in Uncasville. Heaven and Hell rocked. Ronnie was in great voice and the band was tight. Nice to hear Neon Nights - this is the third time I have seen them in Moheghan Sun Arena and it was a charm! - Setlist same as current tour - Time Machine but no Ear in the wall but we got the encore.

Posted by: Tim at August 16, 2008 10:20 PM


Great show. Nice and LOUD, as compared to prior shows at this and other arenas. This was my 6th time seeing them since the reunion with Dio, and it was definitely one of the better performances altogether though it was not nearly as long as I (and I'm sure everyone else) would have liked. Dio's voice was particularly strong tonite. Cameras were not allowed, but there were plenty of cellphone cameras up throughout the night - Sure enough, the staff broke everyones' stones about those too! Hopefully some decent pics will show up though, as everyone in H&H seemed to have an "on" night, very energetic - Tony seemed almost restless at times. I think that time constraints (no Ear In The Wall) made certain improvisational parts a bit shorter than usual, so the intro to Die Young seemed a little short to me, for instance, but I could be wong on that. I also noted that Tony's flange-type effect used on many solos in '07 wasn't heard tonite - I'm not sure if he's backing off on it for this tour, or if maybe I just couldn't hear that effect from where I was, but the sound seemed really good otherwise, so I'm thinking it wasn't used at all tonite... I also haven't heard it in any of the other dates' clips on YouTube yet.

A great, spirited performance from Black Sabbath tonite, no matter what they're calling it.

Note: Motorhead did not play this gig, so they scheduled a separate show in Worcester MA for this date.

Posted by: Paulie at August 17, 2008 11:03 AM


Awesome!every band that play was Awesome.Is all i can say.

Posted by: dave at August 18, 2008 6:09 PM


This amazing evening started with a group of us meeting outside the box office, where I ran into George who remembered meeting me while waiting in line to meet the band on May 15, 2007. We met Mark who was there from Maine, and we (all of whom had signed up to meet either Priest or Sabbath) were soon escorted to a conference room with open bar (beer, wine and soda, no hard stuff) and cold and hot appetizers. It really was a very nice spread. We also met two guys both named Vince. While we ate, drank and talked, the latest Sabbath and Priest CD's played for our enjoyment until the raffles began. The best item given away was a Sabbath t-shirt.
We went in to see Testament, who were OK, but not really my cup tea. However, I really did enjoy watching Alex Skolnik, who is truly a master of the guitar.
As H&H were about to come on stage, I realized that I as only 6 rows back from where Geezer Butler would soon stand and rock my world. He along with the rest of the band did not disappoint, except for the fact that they were not headlining and the accompanying fact that their set would (as always) prove to be too short for my enthusiasm.

E5150 was the standard taped intro.

The Mob Rules. Tony played a black SG with a black pick-guard with white trim and with a whammy bar, as opposed to last year's cream colered model. Ronnie went into "Break the circle" about a measure early, but it was fine. He and the rest of the band sounded great, but the sound was a little bass heavy given my seat.

Children of the Sea. Tony played the "old boy" from this point on.

I. Ronnie was spinning the mike stand and dancing with energy and enthusiasm. He really seems to love this song.

Sign of the Southern Cross. My vantage point for watching Geezer use his finger like a pick could not have been better. Ronnie's voice seemed to crack a little on the 3rd "Fade away". When the heavy part began, it seemed just a little slow to me; this is by no means a complaint, merely an observation. Ronnie's voice cracked again on "Break the crystal ball" going into the solos, during which Tony was too cool. Tony and Geezer were smiling at each other before the final punch to close the song. They really seemed to have a good time the whole night.

The drum solo which came next climaxed with the standard keyboard music that Vinny used last year. It was at this point that I realized that I couldn't see Scott Warren, and that he was virtually inaudible until this pint of the show. I actually wonder if he was even with them this time. During the enter show, Vinny pulled the toms closer to himself so he could really hit them hard, but
Toward the end of the solo, he lifted the rear vertical tom and beat it.

Time Machine was a nice surprise. Ronnie was smiling in the chorus, which really played well live. The verses were a little lackluster for me, but I was still very impressed with this new addition to the set. Tony caught a little intentional feedback while sustaining a note. it was perfect.

Falling off the Edge of the World. Tony's guitar sounded so sweet for the intro, at the end of which Ronnie held a nice long note before the song got fast and heavy. The sheer power of this song was somewhat overwhelming. Geezer was playing with the fingers of a machine, but the soul of a man. This had a very tight and powerful finish.

Die Young was introduced with Ronnie calling Tony "The greatest guitar player on Earth" Who are we to disagree? The pause after the "someone Stopped" line was longer than usual, and the gargoyles on either side of the stage exhaled a grey smoke to fill the pause. This was another very tight ending.

Heaven and Hell, was the typical powerhouse with Tony and Vinny laughing together while Ronnie passionately sang the first verse. Geezer was unreal during the "if it seems to be real" verse. The solo and jam, while shorter than last year's sets, featured Vinny hitting some nice accents and syncopations, and Ronnie and Tony playing off one another almost as if they were moaning together. Before the solo built too much, Tony was doing some nice finger picking. At the end of the song, Vinny was beating the hell out of his kit. Tony was absolutely on fire during the fast closing verse and also into the solo, and he actually made facial expressions showing his excitement and how into the music he was.

Neon Knights. Geezer switched to a tan bass for this juggernaut which is the perfect ending to any set. As they said good-night from the stage, I made eye contact with
Geezer, and said "Thank you" to which her replied with a thumbs-up.

It was then time to meet the band.

After waiting for 15 minutes that seemed like forever, we were brought behind the stage. At one point we passed the back of the stage itself and I could see where I had been sitting. After lining up there for a few more minutes, we were brought into another hallway outside a small room where the stars of the evening awaited. While waiting for my turn to meet them, I read the notes on the wall which held the bands' menus. It was pretty funny to read. There were no pictures allowed at all back there, except the one that a representative for the band was about take of each of us one at a time with the band. While I could hear Priest playing on stage, I kept considering my plan was to tell the four men of Black Sabbath / H&H that it was a crime that they were opening for anyone and that I still thought of them as Black Sabbath, but the conversation took another course.
Since we were each allowed only 1 item to bring in to sign, I brought my Mob Rules tour book. Geezer began signing the cover, until I asked him to sign the inside where his picture resided. He commented on the fact that it was before he was a vegan because he was wearing a leather jacket. He Vinny and I had a nice laugh over it, and they reminisced for a moment to and with me. Vinny next signed and commented that his son looked a lot like he did then. I complimented both men on their performance during the night's set before moving on to meet Ronnie and Tony. First was Ronnie of the golden throat. He asked if I had any tour books from the years that this line-up was not together. Not getting the joke, I asked if he meant something with Tony Martin, and he politely, patiently and quickly explained that he meant a nonexistent tour book from a then nonexistent band. I then shook the fret-hand of the inimitable Tony Iommi. I mentioned that I was a huge and life-long fan, since Ronnie joined the band, enjoyed all eras of the band but preferred the current line-up, and thanked them all for getting back together and doing this meet and greet.

When I left the back-stage area to return to my seat, Priest were in the middle of a song. I snapped a few fingers and tried to get into them, but the most exciting part of the evening had past, and no matter how well Priest played, they could not top the events that had just transpired. No one could.

Posted by: Eric Goldberg at August 18, 2008 6:11 PM


Saw the show from a perfect vantage point right behind the sound board and slighly elevated. I saw H&H last year at Mohegan Sun and the sound was not good so i was hoping it would be better the second time around....and it was. The sound was superb....the band was tight.....and Tony's guitar work was amazing...as usual..."the best guitarist on the planet" as Dio introduced him... The solo work during "I" and "Falling off the Edge of the World" were fantastic. The song that absolutely sent a chill up our spine and had us in tears of ecstasy was "Die Young"....a breathtaking performance and the best version i've heard live. Dio sang in a lower key this time around and it gives the songs more of a metal edge....Finishing off the set with one of my favorites...Neon Knights....made for a great evening.
Too bad they were not the headliner....cause i would have loved to hear a couple more songs.
I am a Judas Priest fan as well....but they did not impress me at all. H&H sounded better and Tony, Geezer, and Vinny can do more as a 3 piece band than other bands with 4 or 5. The Judas Priest set list was dreadful, nothing from the early albums to which many of their original fans credit their music. I can't stand the choreographed movements of the band...and the sound seemed muddled.
Can't wait for a new album and tour from H&H in 2009.....don't miss it.

Posted by: Deech at August 25, 2008 9:28 AM


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