BLACK SABBATH Plays First Show In Seven Years

May 19, 2012

BLACK SABBATH performed earlier tonight (Saturday, May 19) at the intimate 3,800-capacity O2 Academy in Birmingham, England as a warm-up for the band's upcoming appearance at the Download festival.

According to various fan reports, the setlist for the show was as follows:

01. Into The Void
02. Under The Sun
03. Snowblind
04. War Pigs
05. Wheels Of Confusion
06. Electric Funeral
07. Black Sabbath
08. The Wizard
09. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
10. N.I.B.
11. Fairies Wear Boots
12. Tomorrow's Dream
13. Sweet Leaf
14. Symptom Of The Universe (intro only)
15. Drum Solo
16. Iron Man
17. Dirty Women
18. Children Of The Grave

Encore:

19. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (intro only)
20. Paranoid

Commented BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler after the show: "Thank you, thank you, thank you Birmingham. Best fans ever — you brought out the best in us. It was a privilege playing for you tonight. Tony [Iommi, SABBATH guitarist] was a hero — you were the best medicine he has had. Proud to be a Brummie."

According to Black-Sabbath.com, tonight's concert was professionally recorded and filmed.

BLACK SABBATH's first performance in the band's hometown in 13 years — and their first concert since 2005 — featured three-quarters of the legendary heavy metal act's original lineup — guitarist Tony Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler. Tommy Clufetos, a member of Ozzy's solo band, is filling in for original SABBATH drummer Bill Ward, who is sitting out the group's reunion shows due to a contractual dispute with his bandmates.

All tickets for tonight's show reportedly sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale on May 4.

BLACK SABBATH was supposed to tour the Europe and North America this year as part of a worldwide trek in support of a new album, but Iommi's cancer diagnosis put those plans on hold.

Ozzy, Iommi and Butler recently spent time in London recording their first album together in 33 years, although without drummer Bill Ward it is not the original SABBATH reunion announced last November.

BLACK SABBATH has been confirmed for this year's Lollapalooza festival, which takes place on August 3-5 at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois.

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