After a video introduction that displayed on the giant televised screen, which had their band logo on it, Black Sabbath began their set with their namesake song, the lengthy “Black Sabbath,” which was haunting, and front-man Ozzy Osbourne had the fans waving their hands up in the air. His laugh midway through the song resonated well with his die-hard fans, and this song earned them a standing ovation.
Osbourne took off his black robe and moved from side to side, as he introduced “Fairies Wear Boots,” which had a psychedelic background on the televised screen. “I love you all,” he told his Jones Beach audience, and he blew a kiss to the crowd, and had them clapping along.
“How are you doing?” he asked. “Thank you all to the loyal fans,” he added. “God bless you all.” He noted that it was extremely hot, and he took a sip of water and threw the water bottle into the crowd. When they performed “After Forever,” yellow and purple laser lights dimmed from the stage. Osbourne was raw and unfiltered. “We love you all,” he said, graciously, and went on to introduce his band-mates.
The “Princess of Darkness” went on to introduce “Into the Void,” and he emerged as an army general, where the metal-head fans were his soldiers, reciting the lyrics back to him. Lead guitarist Tony Iommi delivered a killer electric guitar solo at the end of this tune.
They picked up the pace with “Snowblind,” where he encouraged everybody to be loud. “I can’t fucking hear you,” Osbourne said, and noted that they won’t continue until he is able to hear everybody. “War Pigs” was the song the crowd was waiting for, where he invited everyone to sing along. It opened with red sirens and white laser lights, and everybody’s iPhones lit up during this vocal to record this haunting progressive rock classic.
“Are you having a good time out there?” Osbourne asked, and immediately broke into “Behind the Wall of Sleep.” During “N.I.B.” guitarist Geezer Butler proved that he was all about the bass thanks to his impressive bass solo, and one of the standout lyrics was: “My name is Lucifer, please take my hand.”
“This one is called ‘Hand of Doom’,” he said, and he delivered a noteworthy rendition of the tune, showcasing his wide range. “Rat Salad” was fun and drum-driven, and they closed with such standards as “Iron Man,” “Dirty Women” and “Children of the Grave.” For their encore, Black Sabbath returned to sing “Paranoid,” where they left their fans yearning for more.
The Verdict
Overall, Black Sabbath put on a high-energy heavy metal performance at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, as part of their farewell tour. It is no wonder that they have been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Osbourne has been hailed as the “Godfather of Heavy Metal.” The influence they have had on so many other bands in the genre that followed them was evident in their music. Their live concert at Jones Beach garnered two thumbs up.
To learn more about heavy metal group Black Sabbath, their music and farewell tour dates, check out their official homepage.
