On Jan. 22, Black Sabbath said goodbye to more than 20,000 fans at the United Center in Chicago after 47 years of being in the music business and producing occult compositions.
Waiting nearly 30 minutes to enter the stadium due to high security gave me a chance to look around and see who some of the Black Sabbath fans were: the older generation, who presumably grew up with the band and stuck around through the band’s victories and mishaps; the younger crowd, who began listening to them because of the older generation; and the people who just wanted to check them out before they were done for good.
Their last tour, simply and appropriately named “The End,” has been a compilation of their 19 studio albums. However, in reality, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and hired drummer Tommy Clufetos have been focusing on the first four albums throughout this final tour.
The beginning of “The End” started with a short video, flashing images of an apocalyptic world in which a fallen angel emerges, and finishes with an image of the world, and all those who inhabit it. The bells of Black Sabbath filled the place, and from a pool of smoke came Ozzy and Co., dressed in all black, ready to give a sermon.
As the band played “Fairies Wear Boots,” “After Forever” and “War Pigs,” Ozzy lifted his hands to the crowd in a show of gratitude. He brought up the many accusations of the band’s satanic motives, saying, “We were just having fun.”
Watching Ozzy play made it apparent that time has caught up with him. He is now only able to rock back and forth on the mic and shake his hands toward the crowd. However, the energy he retains, and his ability to remain in tune, is admirable.
Iommi’s and Butler’s playing is also still impeccable. Butler introduced “N.I.B.” like it was a show from their earlier days, and Iommi’s “Iron Man” riff boomed, making the audience believe that an immense creature was about to rise from the center of the stage. Clufetos’ dedicated two-minute drum solo seemed to bring out the beast.
Images of the band’s prior performances during the 1970s were lit up on the side screens, reminding the audience of how far the band has come, and how quickly the time has passed.
Forty-seven years came to an end with “Paranoid” and “Children of the Grave.” With confetti showering the audience, two-and-a-half hours had already gone by. With hardly any air left in him, Ozzy stretched out his hands, blessed the audience, and told us to drive home safely.
