Copyright 1999 The Arizona Republic

All Rights Reserved

The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)

January 2, 1999 Saturday Final chaser Edition

SECTION: SATURDAY LIFE; Pg. 12D

LENGTH: 440 words

HEADLINE: BOB SURVIVES BLACK SABBATH BASH

BYLINE: By Justin Schmid, The Arizona Republic

BODY:
Bank One Ballpark's had its first pitch, its first home run and now its first big concert.
Metal legends Black Sabbath and a horde of hard rockers rattled the raftersat BOB on Thursday. The group
launched its first tour in 25 years featuring original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill
Ward.
Osbourne and company rose from the stage, swathed in red-tinted fog. A very tattooed, pierced and eager crowd
howled as the band kicked off the set with After Forever.
Osbourne's unearthly voice kicked the crowd into overdrive. He stalked the stage, urging the audience to get
loud.
And it did.
The crowd roared along with such Sabbath classics as Iron Man, Sweet Leaf and Electric Funeral. Fans in their
early 20s shouted out lyrics along with longtime Sabbath maniacs.
The band showed why it deserves a loyal following. Iommi's guitar work wastight, precise, confident. Butler
attacked his bass, pouring all his energy into rattling BOB, while Ward's drumming cemented the group.
And then there was Ozzy.
Nobody else sounds like him, and few can match his showmanship. He hurled buckets of water onto fans
crowding the stage, strutted around and even mooned the audience to get everyone hopping. (Some fans could've
done without the last one!)
Still, he's almost old enough to get a senior discount at Luby's. And it showed every time he had to prance across
the stage: Full-speed ahead isn't what it used to be for the Ozz-man.
Unlike many bassists who fade into the background, Butler was surprisingly energetic - he pumped the crowd
with cheerleaderlike enthusiasm. Iommi was more subdued, wrenching riffs from his guitar with machinelike
precision.
Sabbath finally closed the two-hour set with Paranoid and a sky full of fireworks. The crowd kept roaring long
after the band left the stage.
Sabbath was solid and professional, but BOB's acoustics dulled the polish.Sound bounced off the metal and
concrete like a ping pong ball. When the massive roof rumbled open during the encore, the sound improved
noticeably.
Sabbath and the opening acts (Soulfly, Slayer, Megadeth and Pantera) would've sounded far better with the roof
open.
Local band Megadeth got a strong reception from the crowd. Surprisingly,the group played before Pantera. But
there was a strong Pantera following lined up on the field. Bonfires, mosh pits and general mayhem were on the
menu for the opening acts.
 BOB's tinny acoustics definitely took its toll on Pantera and Slayer. Megadeth's more melodic sounds and slower
tempos were less muddied.
Still, BOB survived its first big concert. And if it can handle Black Sabbath, it can handle anybody.

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