Black Sabbath—who late last year confirmed the recording of their first new album in more than 33 years and a worldwide headlining tour—have had to put some plans on hold due to Tony Iommi’s battle with lymphoma. At this time, Black Sabbath will perform only one show of this summer’s previously scheduled European tour. It will take place Sunday, June 10 at the U.K.’s Download Festival.
So as not to let the promoters and fans down, Ozzy Osbourne will now perform the majority of the previously scheduled Black Sabbath dates (both festival performances and the headlining shows) billed as Ozzy & Friends. These “first ever” Ozzy & Friends shows will feature appearances by “special guest” musicians including Geezer Butler (who will join Ozzy for a special Black Sabbath set as a show of respect and support to their friend, Tony Iommi) and longtime former Ozzy band member Zakk Wylde. In addition, Ozzy will be accompanied by longtime collaborator and friend Slash at select shows, with other “special guests” set to join the tour at various stops along the way (full list of dates, appearances below).
Tony Iommi continues to make excellent progress and is looking forward to getting back out on the road. Meanwhile, Black Sabbath continue to write and record music in the U.K. for their upcoming album. More information about these dates and Black Sabbath’s recording and touring plans is forthcoming.
The 2012 tour dates are as follows:
BLACK SABBATH
DATE CITY VENUE
Sun 6/10 Donnington UK Download Festival
OZZY AND FRIENDS
DATE CITY VENUE
Wed 5/23 Helsinki, Finland Hartwall Arena
Fri 5/25 Stockholm, Sweden Stadium
Sun 5/27 Jelling, Denmark Jelling Festival
Tue 5/29 Bergen, Norway Bergen Calling Festival
Thu 5/31 Oslo, Norway Spektrum
Sat 6/2 Malmo, Sweden Malmo Stadium
Mon 6/4 Dortmund, Germany Westfalenhalle
Wed 6/6 Prague, Czech Rep O2 Arena
Fri 6/15 Vitoria, Spain Azkena Rock Festival
Sun 6/17 Clisson, France Hellfest
Fri 6/22 Dessel, Belgium Graspop Metal Meeting
Sun 6/24 Milan, Italy Gods of Metal Festival
Tue 6/26 Vienna, Austria Stadthalle
Thu 6/28 Belgrade, Serbia USCE Park
Sun 7/1 Athens, Greece Rockwave Festival – Terra
Metallica have posted a video recap of the final night of their 30th anniversary shows in San Francisco, earlier this month. In it, you can see Metallica performing with Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler, producer Bob Rock, Jason Newsted, original bassist Ron McGovney, guitarist Lloyd Grant, and many more, as well as the opening set by Death Angel. Watch it below, and let us know what you think of it in the comments.
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For the finale of Metallica’s four-night 30th Anniversary concert extravaganza on Saturday night at San Francisco’s the Fillmore, the legendary thrash band reunited onstage with the musicians of its earliest lineups for a rendition of the song “Hit the Lights.” Guitarist Dave Mustaine, who’s made his name with Megadeth in this years since his departure from Metallica, joined Metallica with original bassist Ron McGovney and guitarist Lloyd Grant, who played on the first recording of the song as it appeared on the Metal Massacre compilation in 1982. You can see fan-filmed video of the performance below.
Over the course of the shows, which were held for members of the band’s fan club, Metallica paid tribute to their now-deceased bassist Cliff Burton and joined up with musicians whom they have played with over the years, including Jason Newsted, Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler, Kid Rock, Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull, Glenn Danzig, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell, and present and former members of Mercyful Fate, Diamond Head, Armored Saint, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Down, Faith No More, the Anti-Nowhere League, Death Angel, Apocalyptica, Saxon, and more. The band filmed each of the shows, so look for a release of these shows in some form in the future.
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The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund held its first annual Awards Gala on November 1. The event will took place at the Playboy Mansion, and Dio’s former bandmate Geezer Butler, as well as Rita Haney, long-time girlfriend of the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell, were honored. The event also included a silent auction, hosted by That Metal Show cohost and radio personality Eddie Trunk, as well as a performance by Asia, featuring John Payne. To find out more about the cancer fund, or to donate to it, click here. Check out photos from the event, taken by Gene Kirkland, as well as the foundation’s honorees below.
Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund Honoring:
Tony Martell
Founder, T.J. Martell Foundation
Man On The Silver Mountain Award
Mike Carden
President, North America, Eagle Rock Entertainment
Rainbow In The Dark Award
Geezer Butler
Bassist, Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell
King Of Rock n’ Roll Award
Sandeep Kapoor, M.D.
Medical Director/Co-Founder, Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund
Sacred Heart Award
Danny Zelisko
Presisent, Danny Zelisko Presents
Killing The Dragon Award
Rita Haney
Founder/Widow, Dimebash (In Memory of Dimebag Darrell)
All four original members of metal pioneers Black Sabbath—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—held a press conference in Los Angeles today, hosted by Henry Rollins, to announce that they have reunited. The group is halfway through writing an as-yet-untitled new record, which will be produced by Rick Rubin (Metallica, Slayer, Slipknot), and will go into the studio early next year. A release date has yet to be announced. The bandmates will also be heading out on a worldwide tour, including a performing at the U.K.’s Download Festival in June. The group The four have not performed together since 2005. For more, get the RevolverTV app.
]]>All four original members of metal pioneers Black Sabbath—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—have just announced that they have reunited for their first new album in 33 years. The group is halfway through writing the record, which will be produced by Rick Rubin (Metallica, Slayer, Slipknot), and will go into the studio early next year. A release date has yet to be announced. The bandmates will also be heading out on a worldwide tour, including a performing at the U.K.’s Download Festival in June. The group held a press conference today, hosted by Henry Rollins, to announce the news at the famed Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles, the site of the band’s first appearance in the city 41 years ago. The four have not performed together since 2005.
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The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund has announced that they will be hosting their first annual Awards Gala, on November 1. The event will take place at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, California. Those being honored on the night include Dio’s former bandmate Geezer Butler, as well as Rita Haney, long-time girlfriend of the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell.
The event, which will also include a silent auction, will feature guest Eddie Trunk hosting, as well as a performance by Asia, featuring John Payne. Individual tickets are $750, with a gold table for 10 people available for $10,000, and a platinum table for 12 people costing $15,000.
The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund was set up in the aftermath of the Heaven and Hell frontman’s death from stomach cancer last year. To find out more about the gala, click here.
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Contrary to earlier reports, guitarist Tony Iommi is calling news of a Black Sabbath reunion merely “speculation.” The “official” news comes from an article published in the Birmingham Mail earlier today. On his own website, Iommi says:
“I’m saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion.
“At the time I was supporting the Home of Metal exhibition and was merely speculating, shooting the breeze, on something all of us get asked constantly, “Are you getting back together?”
“Thanks to the internet it’s gone round the world as some sort of ‘official’ statement on my part, absolute nonsense. I hope he’s enjoyed his moment of glory, he won’t have another at my expense.
“To my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, sorry about this, I should have known better.
“All the best, Tony”
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UPDATED: Tony Iommi has issued a statement calling this “speculation.” Read about it here.
The original lineup of Black Sabbath—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—have reunited and are working on a new album, according to birminghammail.net. Beginning in June, Osbourne and Iommi began writing new material together. ‘‘We’re really looking forward to it and I think the stuff we’ve been writing is really good,’’ Iommi said. ‘‘It’s more back to the old original stuff.’’ The one concern Iommi has had, he said, was whether Ward’s health would hold up. ‘‘He hasn’t been 100 percent,” the guitarist said. “He had an operation a few months ago, so we’ll see how he is.’’ In addition to working on the album, the group is hoping to tour.
Before you get too excited, though, we want to add that our sister publication, Classic Rock, in the U.K., says, “Iommi’s management have now strongly denied the authenticity of this story, claiming that the guitarist hasn’t spoken to the paper for two months!”
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