Photos by Tequila Mockingbird for The LA Beat
When I was 13, I became a Black Sabbath fan. My parents, nice Baptist people, were outraged but that just made it all the better. After years of listening to James Brown and Aretha Franklin 24 /7 , I finally had music of my own that spoke to me about my generation. My military dad and model mom were horrified, and I hid all my white people records under the bed lest they be broken as punishment for one thing or another. My cousin Cindy turned me on to Rock and Roll and sneaked me in to see Zeppelin and Black Sabbath early on, molding my musical taste for life.
Well, I remember my first Black Sabbath concert, and now, 43 years later, possibly my last. Ozzy and the band are moving on, but still turned in an amazingly cohesive show, playing all my favorites. I enjoyed the sing-along with Ozzy experience. Ozzy is still a great performer, and the band is still a great band, tight and slinky. The new members must have grown up listening to Sabbath, because they fit right in. The new drummer is a stand out — sexy and young — the kind whose blood you would drink if you were a young vampire.
Ozzy said, “God Bless you,” over and over. I felt as if he were atoning for the mess that his drunk and stoned but happy followers can be sometimes. We all love him just the same as ever. He turned in a stellar performance. The graphics were both colorful and sublime. The Hollywood Bowl turned into a proper rock venue for the night. I remember my mom saying this music would never last….Black Sabbath.
Here is the song list:
Fairies Wear Boots
After Forever
Into the Void
Snowblind
War Pigs
Behind the Wall of Sleep
N.I.B.
Hand of Doom
Rat Salad
Iron Man
Dirty Women
Children of the Grave
Encore:
Paranoid
