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 THE BAND
- Ozzy Osbourne - Vocals
- Tony Iommi - Guitar
- Geezer Butler - Bass
- Bill Ward - Drums
- Geoff Nicholls - Keyboards
CONCERT PHOTOS
None available - if you have any, let me know.
TOUR REVIEWS & REMARKS
From: "David Inman" <davidinman@mcmail.com>
To: <siegler@black-sabbath.com>
Subject: Black Sabbath Review - Birmingham UK, 21 Dec 99
Date sent: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 00:15:17 -0000
Hi Joe
Just thought I'd give you my thoughts on the Sabbath gig in Birmingham on
21st Dec 99 if you'd like to put it up on www.black-sabbath.com and find
attached scan of stub.
"The NEC Arena again was the venue for Sabbath's return to their home
city, the weather had been freezing, but the atmosphere before was
pleasant and warm. An eternity seemed to have passed since I booked for
the Earls Court Ozzfest fiasco which was meant to been held in August 1999
(Ozzfest with Slayer, Megadeth, SOAD etc etc cancelled much to the outrage
of the people like myself had booked all the travel and accommodation).
I'll bypass Drain Sth and Godsmack was nobody took much notice of them but
they sounded OK. Then System Of A Down entered the three quarter full
arena, and give a GREAT performance. I took some flak of some miserable
"people" was I was standing up during SOAD's set......please, this is a
Rock concert and not Sunday school.
The arena rapidly filled up between 20:40 and 21:00 with the usual queues
for the NEC's dreadful toilet facilities. At 21:00, the lights went down,
the sirens wailed and I was about to see Sabbath for the last time in my
life. Despite the poor seats (on the floor, near the back) the view was
OK, but the sound was EXCELLENT, even better than in 1997. The set was
pretty much the same as the "Reunion" CD with the addition of "After
Forever" and a great solo from Tony. There was only one technical hitch
when the guitar vanished during N.I.B. for half the song, Tony vanished to
sort the matter out, and the band played on as a trio.
Ozzy was in first class form and I've not heard him as good for years. He
gave it his usual 150% but I have to say that the NEC let him down. Many
people were just sanding there life they were waiting for a bus, showing
no emotion. Whilst it is everyone's right to do what they want, how can
people not react to Ozzy saying "GO CRAAAAAAZY" ?
Things heated up during "Paranoid" and the NEC had all the covers ripped
off the seats again and used as frisbees. Fireworks, smoke and the
strains of "Robin Hood" from the PA marked the end of an era. Many a tear
was in the eye as we'll never (?) see Sabbath again, but without the
reunion we may not have not seen them period.
The night went on as System Of A Down had a signing session at a local
rock nightclub as we slammed the night away to Sabbath and other popular
pop tunes!!"
Dave Inman
December 1999
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