What's News at Sabbathlive?!

FINALLY, AN UPDATE FROM THE EDITOR

Many apologies for the lack of updates here on the news page over the past year.  I'll spare you the excuses, but can at least assure you that the research has never ceased.  When I first started this website, it was primarily for the purpose of accurately documenting Black Sabbath's live performance history, as well as the numerous recordings that exist.  Over the past few years, I also started adding additional sections to the site, including two massive image galleries of cover art and memorabilia.  As time allowed, I would also post the latest Sabbath related news headlines on this page.

Once my spare time started drying up, I realized I needed to choose my battles a bit more wisely.  Even with Sabbath currently entering another dormant period, it is still not easy to keep with all of the little news bits that arise (especially when it comes to Ozzy!).  I decided my time would be better spent focusing on things that are not so well covered elsewhere on the Internet and leave the news pieces in the capable hands of Joe Siegler of black-sabbath.com.  I will still post an occasional news flash as time allows, but I'd rather not invest my precious time on them.

Sadly, my e-mail correspondence has also suffered too, so please be VERY patient if you do write to me here.  It takes me hours to get through even a dozen messages and I never seem to manage to get my unread messages under 50!  I do appreciate everyone's input and want to be sure that every tidbit gets added to our knowledgebase here on Sabbathlive.  It's just very time consuming for me.

I've done most of the revisions on Sabbathlive very quietly in the image galleries and show / audio / video listings.  I'm always correcting and adding my texts in order to keep the site accurate and as up-to-date as possible.  My main aim here with Sabbathlive is to provide an essential reference to Black Sabbath's live history and NOT to chase the headlines.  Thank you to everyone who has helped me keep this project alive and kicking!  There have been plenty of exciting new finds in 2006 and I'll do my best to review them for you here.

-Rob

RONNIE JAMES DIO TO APPEAR WITH QUEENSRYCHE IN L.A. ON OCTOBER 5TH

It's Official: Ronnie James Dio will appear on stage with Queensryche, October 5th at the Gibson Amphitheater, one night only to sing his part of Dr. X on Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime II.

Dio stated, "I've been asked to reprise my performance as Dr. X on the Operation Mindcrime II in a live venue. It worked out where I was able to do it for this show, and it should be quite a treat."

Dio heads off to Scandinavia next weekend, playing Copenhagen's Amager Bio on 8/28, Aarhus' Train on 8/29, the Hamar Music Festival on 8/31, Riga's Skonto Hall on 9/2, and then the Loud Park Festival in Japan in October with stops in Tokyo and Osaka before heading home to work on the next Dio studio record and putting finishing touches on the new tracks for Black Sabbath: The Dio Years.

Submitted by Thierry Bauwens

May 14, 2006

BLACK SABBATH CONVENTION NEXT WEEKEND IN LIVERPOOL!

April 26, 2006

NEW INTERVIEW WITH DIO

Greg Prato recently interviewed Ronnie James Dio for Billboard.com.  Ronnie discussed his recent collaborations with Tony Iommi, his new HOLY DIVER LIVE album, Rainbow reunion rumors, & his cameo in the new Tenacious D movie.

Dio Interview

GALLERY SECTIONS STILL EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES

The two gallery sections of Sabbathlive (containing cover art and memorabilia scans) still have some unresolved issues that need to be straightened out.  The problems began when my web host set up a new server and our related to the PHP engine being used.  I haven't had enough time recently to sit down and go through the problems in detail, but I am aware of what is happening.  Most of the bugs I've run into have been fairly minor, but still quite annoying.  I do attend to get these issues resolved in the near future.  Thanks for your patience!

DP HUB INTERVIEWS WITH IAN GILLAN

Brent from the Deep Purple Hub sent me this head's up on his recent interview with Ian Gillan!

Hi, all!  I don't usually send out Hub-wide e-mails, but this is a special occasion!!!

To celebrate the release of Ian Gillan's new cd "Gillan's Inn", I have gotten an exclusive interview with Ian for members of the Deep Purple Hub.  I conducted the interview on Tuesday, April 18, 2006... just this past week.  I have finally transcribed it and it is now up and available to read.

I will be posting the audio for active, sharing members sometime this weekend and in the next week or so the Deep Purple Hub will be holding a contest to give away some items autographed by Ian himself!  Come check it out!  Also see www.gillansinn.com for some great info about the release, Ian's weekly blog, and more great stuff!

http://deeppurplehub.proboards31.com

SACK SABBATH TO HOST FAN GATHERING IN NOTTINGHAM ON MAY 20TH

Russell Saxton (lead guitarist of Sack Sabbath - a U.K. Sabbath tribute band) just informed me that they have planned a rather special evening for Sabbath fans in May.  They will headline an evening of music and conversation at Nottingham Boat Club on May 20th.  Also appearing at the club that night will be Geoff "Luke" Lucas (Sabbath's road manager from 1968 through 1976) and Phil Hyatt (managed Mothers in Erdlington, Birmingham frm 1968-1971).  Tickets are only £5 and can be reserved by contacting Russell here.

March 19, 2006

ROCK AND ROLL HALL FAME TO AIR TUESDAY ON VH1

VH1 will be premiering the recent ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME 2006 induction ceremonies on Tuesday, March 21st at 9 PM EST.  As you may have read in the post below, the original members of Black Sabbath were present at the ceremony, but did not perform.  Instead, Metallica performed two songs in their honor.

To read more about this program, go to VH1.com.

FOUR NEW BLACK SABBATH BIOS TO BE PUBLISHED IN 2006?

There are no less than FOUR authors offering their takes on the Black Sabbath story in the coming year.  A slew of Black Sabbath or Ozzy Osbourne related books have already been published over the last few decades, many of which are little more than an easy cash-in for the authors.  It is my hope that at least one of these new books offers us a new and worthwhile spin on this often told tale.

First time author Paul Wilkinson is set to release RAT SALAD - BLACK SABBATH: THE CLASSIC YEARS 1969-1975 on April 25th, 2006.  According to the press release for the book, the focus here is on their first 6 albums.

Where Rat Salad diverges from routes taken by most rock biographies, however, is in its detailed analysis of the band’s first six albums. These chapters — think Ian MacDonald’s Revolution in the Head meets Spinal Tap — occupy about half the book and persuasively explain the appeal of the music, its compositional artistry and its frequently audacious inventiveness.

For more on Paul's book, go to Amazon.co.uk.

I'm rather stoked about Martin Popoff's DOOM LET LOOSE, which is due out on August 1st, 2006.  I became a fan of Martin's work after purchasing his 2002 book TOP 500 HEAVY METAL SONGS, which was based on an internet poll he conducted.  The results gave Black Sabbath both the #1 honors as artists and "Paranoid" was hailed as the top HM song of all time.  Let's just say this one was an impulse purchase once I read how highly Sabbath scored in his book!

Martin has also recently done some books on UFO and Blue Oyster Cult.  I have spoken with Martin on a few occasions and found him to be refreshingly unpretentious and kind.  Although I have yet to read his book, I would be willing to give him my endorsement based on his past work alone.  For more info on Martin and his work, visit www.martinpopoff.com.

Due out on October 9th, 2005 is SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH.  This new book was written by Joel McIver, who also wrote the book JUSTICE FOR ALL: THE TRUTH ABOUT METALLICA.  Joel tells me that his book will include long, revealing interviews with Jim Simpson, Jeff Fenholt and many others.

Joel has also penned bios for a wide range of artists including The Sex Pistols, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Erykah Badu, and Queens Of The Stone Age.  He also used to work on the editorial team for Record Collector magazine, to which Martin contributes.  He's also editing an 'metal encyclopedia' for Garry Sharpe Young at the present time.

For more on Joel McIver and his work, go to www.joelmciver.co.uk.

Speaking of Garry, his latest Sabbath tome titled SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH: THE BATTLE FOR BLACK SABBATH (not to be confused with Joel's book, which is pictured at left) is supposed to be released this month.  This book compiles two of his previous works (OZZY OSBOURNE: THE STORY OF THE OZZY OSBOURNE BAND and NEVER SAY DIE: 1979-1997) into one volume and also adds some additional material.  For more on this one, go to www.rockdetector.com.

March 14, 2006

BLACK SABBATH FINALLY HONORED BY U.S. ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME...BUT DOES NOT PERFORM

Excerpts From CNN article [Tuesday, March 14, 2006; Posted: 10:05 a.m. EST (15:05 GMT)]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Between an ugly feud among Blondie members spilling over onstage and a rancorous letter from the absent Sex Pistols, the latest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class did not enter quietly on Monday.

The animosity even made Ozzy Osbourne, inducted with Black Sabbath, seem sedate....

Osbourne may be better known now as an addled reality TV star, but his musical legacy with Black Sabbath got its due with the band's induction.

Osbourne has badmouthed the hall of fame for waiting a decade to induct Sabbath, a cause taken up by Metallica member Lars Ulrich in his induction. Metallica guitarist James Hetfield and Ulrich both said their band would not exist without the example of Black Sabbath.

"If there was no Black Sabbath, I could still possibly be a morning newspaper delivery boy," Ulrich said. "No fun."

Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward did not perform, but Metallica rattled the walls with versions of "Iron Man" and "Hole in the Sky."

"Thank you to all Sabbath fans everywhere," Ward said. "Hopefully our induction tonight will add to the validation ... (and) hard rock and heavy metal will have an enduring and everlasting place in rock history."

Osbourne thanked his wife, Sharon, who sat in the ballroom with their daughters Kelly and Aimee...

Each of the acts is still active. Blondie and the Sex Pistols reformed after long dormant periods, and so did Sabbath, which frequently headlined the popular Ozzfest summer concert tours...

Inductees are honored at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland. Highlights of the 21st annual ceremony will be shown on VH1 on March 21.

THE EDITOR CHECKS IN

Here's a long overdue update on the state of affairs at Sabbathlive.  We're still very much alive and working hard on Sabbath research behind the scenes.  Things got quiet here on the newspage towards the end of August, mainly because I'd switched employers.  After spending much too long doing IT support for one ungrateful employer, I was offered a much better opportunity in the field of data recovery.  Of course, this meant I'd need to spend more time learning my trade and much less on web pages.

I wasn't really happy about taking a break from the site, since the band was still in the midst of its U.S. tour.  I did get to see them in Charlotte on the 2nd to last date of the tour, but that's a story I'll tell in more detail later.  After a few months, I actually felt relieved about not having to worry about updating my web pages.  Keep in mind that I have sacrificed a good many lunch hours to work on Sabbathlive. 

Although I wasn't working on the news page anymore, the work never really ceased for me.  There are always piles of unanswered e-mail's to wade through.  I'm always playing catch up with these and have yet to answer everyone.  I can invest a few hours into replying to website inquiries without ever seeing the end of the tunnel. 

If you're one of those people who wrote to me and are still waiting for my reply, this is why.  I try to knock out the shorter ones when I can, but the long e-mail's that demand more attention and research often get put aside.  The key to getting quick answers from me is to make your e-mail short and to the point.  As much as I love to wade in the longer more thought provoking letters, I rarely have the time to give them the attention I feel they deserve.  The fact that I'm even writing this update means I won't be answering my e-mail this afternoon.  Sorry!

Guillaume and Jan continue to assist me with the never ending task of gathering up all of those missing live recordings we've been hunting.  I can't thank these guys enough for their loyalty, dedication and patience with me over the past year.  Without their assistance, I would have never found the time to continue acquiring so many Sabbath rarities and recordings each and every day.

I have continued to work on the backend of the site, filling in blanks in my timelines and adding new & interesting anecdotes.  Many thanks to Les Martin and Graham Wright for giving so generously of their time to offer me more interesting Sabbath tidbits that I know my readers will enjoy!

If you haven't checked out my weekly internet radio program (Sunday Morning Sabbath), you have surely missed out on some great shows!  My loyal listeners have been treated some unique and interesting shows, including MANY Black Sabbath recordings they wouldn't be able to hear elsewhere.  I do a lot of themed shows showcasing different tours, shows, members or other interesting mixes of live and studio material.  The focus is mainly on the unreleased stuff, since I'm assuming most people already have the official records.  Be sure to tune in on Sundays at 11 AM EST - www.realclassicrock.com.  You can also catch me during the weekdays on Tuesday and Thurday between 11 PM and 3 PM playing a mix of other artists and live boots.

Many noteworthy recordings have surfaced over the past 6 months.  Some of these I'm not even allowed to discuss yet, but I can assure you there is some fantastic things coming down the pipeline.  Yes, even cooler than Dumfries '69 (if that is possible).  The most exciting recording to surface that I CAN discuss is Keith Jefferson's audience recording of Mythology at their very last show in Silloth on 7/13/68.  This is the earliest recording of Tony Iommi and Bill Ward to surface to date!  You can read more about this in the Timelines section for Mythology.

As for the state of the band, I'm beginning to feel that Black Sabbath as a band may be reaching the end of its long and amazing road.  With the recent U.K. Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame honors and the knowledge that Sabbath won't be touring in 2006, there's a feeling that things have come full circle.  We have been very fortunate to have seen the original lineup touring so much since 1997, after being apart for so long.  Many fans are still quite disappointed that a reunion era studio record has yet to materialize and is unlikely to at this point.  It wouldn't seem to make sense for the band to continue with another singer (such as a Ronnie James Dio), but stranger things have happened in Sabbath history.

Regardless of what happens now, Black Sabbath has left behind an amazing legacy of studio recording and live tapes that we can still enjoy each and every day.  I will continue to support each of the guys in Sabbath with whatever creative endeavors they pursue in 2006.

THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM

If you just happen to be reading this on Sunday morning before 11 AM EST, be sure to tune in to this weeks edition of Sunday Morning Sabbath.  You WON'T be disappointed...

http://www.realclassicrock.com

Listen here

ARCHIVED NEWS

Here are all of the old news, updates and credits that I've posted here on SABBATHLIVE since it launched in July 2002.  I'm not maintaining any of the hyperlinks found within these pages, so don't bother reporting any bad links you might find in here.  This is the OLD stuff.  Much of the information in these posts has been added and updated elsewhere in the site, but there are also some older links and e-mail's you might find interesting.

2002              2003               2004

2004 (Nov. through Dec. - New Format)          2005