Tony Iommi revealed the two songs Black Sabbath had rehearsed for their final show, but ended up not playing.
And he suggested fans might have heard the additional tracks if Ozzy Osbourne hadn’t wanted to deliver a solo set just before the band’s farewell.
Their Back to the Beginning show featured “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” “N.I.B.” and “Paranoid” after Osbourne had played a solo set including “I Don’t Know,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Suicide Solution,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “Crazy Train” from his custom throne.
READ MORE: How Black Sabbath Would Like to Be Remembered
Speaking SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk (audio below), Iommi revealed that Sabbath had also prepared “Black Sabbath” and “Fairies Wear Boots.” He explained: “We worked out what we were gonna play… And it was really a case of how long Ozzy could do it, because we didn’t know.
“With him doing his own set… I said to him I didn’t think he should do, because I didn’t want him to get burnt out by the time he’d come with us. But he didn’t, and he did his own set.”
The show featured a reunion with drummer Bill Ward, marking the first time the original lineup had played together in 20 years. Iommi admitted it had been a “hairy” moment “because Bill, when he plays, he plays different things every time. So you just have to be on your toes.”
He also observed: “It was a little difficult for Bill ‘cause he hadn’t played [the songs] for so long. Geezer and I, of course, we played them on the last tour. … Bill hasn’t toured, don’t forget, for a long time. So we could have done six, but we ended up doing four.”
Tony Iommi’s Stressful Black Sabbath Rehearsals
Iommi also admitting to doubts over his band’s performance quality, accepting he’s “a bit of a perfectionist.” He reflected: “We’re in our 70s and late 70s… to expect perfection from everybody is just impossible.
“But they did what they could do, and everybody was fine about it. And I think the audience would know that and accepted that – they weren’t expecting us to go on and be absolutely just brilliant players. We played as we played and as we are now.”
The guitarist described the period leading up to the show as “stressful,” explaining: “[W]e went into rehearsals a month ago. But you never know until the day… it was wondering what’s gonna happen. But no, it all went fine.”
He added: “I mean, it raised a lot of money for the charities… And it was great to see the guys and all be together again for a few weeks, while we were rehearsing, and got to know each other again. It was good, yeah.”
Listen to Tony Iommi’s SiriusXM Interview
Ozzy’s Final Show: ‘Back to the Beginning’ Photo Gallery
Rock and metal’s biggest stars pay tribute to Ozzy and Black Sabbath.
Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening
