Black Sabbath Reunite in Birmingham
The biggest question about Black Sabbath’s long-awaited reunion was answered first, as soon as Ozzy Osbourne ran onto the O2 Academy Birmingham stage last night with a cheery "Come on, you fuckers!" while looking as gleeful as a kid on Christmas morning. The tattooed figure behind the drums was not given a formal introduction by a band respectful of original member Bill Ward’s absence but, as Osbourne’s regular drummer, Tommy Clufetos was instantly recognizable to many in the crowd.
With that out of the way, Sabbath’s comeback became about who was present, rather than who wasn’t. Much of the audience’s focus was on guitarist Tony Iommi, still receiving treatment for lymphoma, with the first emotional chant of "Tony! Tony! Tony!" going up immediately after opening song, "Into the Void." Later, Osbourne introduced him as the "Iron Man" before the song of the same name, and a clearly-moved Iommi remained an immutable presence throughout: black-clad, smiling and infusing the most famous riffs in heavy metal history with a vitality to thrill both the veteran Sabbath fans in the 3,000-strong audience, and those born decades after they were first committed to vinyl.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/black-sabbath-reunite-in-birmingham-20120520#ixzz1vWoe4JFO
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