There aren’t many people who can claim that they’ve sold over 75 million albums over a career spanning a massive half a century. There’s even fewer individuals who can say that they spawned one of the world’s largest music genres inspiring millions of people around the globe. There’s only a select handful who can say that they’ve helped raise millions for charity yet remain so humble. But there’s only one man who can hold his head high and claim that he’s accomplished all of this while also putting up with Ozzy for all those years and tonight we’re at the Town Hall Birmingham to hear his story. Iron Man himself; Tony Iommi.
Like hundreds of other fans all sporting black band shirts I make my way into the venue to find my seat. Onstage are two chairs engulfed in purple light with a projector above cycling through a few images of Tony during his early years. ‘Black Sabbath’ by Black Sabbath with its infamous tritone roars through the speakers as the slideshow starts showing more images taken throughout Tony’s life. Legends like Lemmy, Dio, Glenn Hughes and Brian May to name a few are all pictured with our man of the evening before our host Gary Newbon walks out onstage. He welcomes us before introducing Tony to the stage to thunderous applause, ‘I think you’re popular’ he chuckles.
As Tony takes his seat the first question of the evening is fired. It’s probably the question he’s been asked most over the last year and a half since the resolution of Sabbath’s ‘The End’ tour, ‘will Black Sabbath play again?’ Tony smiles and reflects for a second, ‘I’d like to think we would do something’. It’s not a confirmation by any means but it’s enough for our crowd of hardcore fans who all applause wildly. Tony quickly clarifies that it wouldn’t be any type of world tour but there’s always a possibility of a one off show somewhere, not surprisingly the fans seem to be pretty thrilled about the prospects of another Sabbath show.
There’s something so captivating about Tony and the way he speaks, he’s a surprisingly gentle man who hasn’t lost a single ounce of his Brummie charm. Heavy metal can be quite the serious affair but we get to hear more about his playful side as he shares anecdotes from throughout the years, it turns out Tony isn’t just a world renowned guitarist, he’s quite the prankster too. One of my personal favourite stories of his was the time he was staying at Richard Bransons house with Deep Purple singer; Ian Gillan. Ian had kindly refused a room and had instead opted to stay in a tent claiming that the fresh air was better for his voice. One evening while Ian was out, Tony and co set up stage pyrotechnics around the tent and patiently waited for Ians return. Upon return the pyro was set off launching Ian’s marquee into the air but more worryingly, the blast travelled through the grounds including Richards lake killing a number of his prized fish.
Tony’s experienced a lot during his expansive career and could easily spend hours sharing his wonderful stories but another highlight took place after a show in one San Franciscan hotel. Black Sabbath attracted the attention of all types of people; many of which were Christians who would protest outside of venues in an attempt to stop the performance branding Sabbath as Satanists. This unholy moniker had the habit of attracting a completely different group of people. During the show Tony was confronted by three people claiming to be witches, he thought nothing of it and went back to drinking and trying to keep Ozzy out of trouble. Later on at the hotel when exiting the elevator to their floor, the band found themselves face to face with a corridor full of people wielding candles, chanting and dressed head to toe in black robes. Tony laughed “Security wasn’t as tight back then”. The band squeezed through the crowd to their respective rooms and phoned each other:
‘What do we do?’
‘It’s ok, I’ve got a plan’.
They all burst out of their rooms singing happy birthday scaring them all off.
It amazes me how even at 70 years old, Tony is still filled with life and charisma and thankfully now a clean bill of health (following his brush with cancer). He’s currently taking a well deserved break from the stage but doesn’t appear to be slowing down. A question sent in by a fan sparks the subject of the possibility of another solo album, something Tony does seem to be interested in but affectionately brings up the prospect of working with Queen’s Brian May who he’s been friends with since 1972. The duo have been bouncing ideas off each other for years but busy schedules have hampered any such plans.
As the evening comes to a close I’m left to reflect on what I’d just heard. I’d just spent two hours listening to the man who started it all. When he stepped foot onstage he was the icon we all know and love but by the end, he was so much more than that. He felt like a close friend. Someone I’d known for all my life. This man invented a genre loved my millions and has improved the lives of millions via his music and charity work but never once shouted about it. He is the most humble man on the face of this planet. A true legend.
A special thank you must also be given to the wonderful staff of the Town Hall Birmingham who kindly helped a fan with mobility issues move seats for easier access. Not only that however but also going the extra mile to come back during the show to double check that they were doing ok. Thank you!
