As soon as a pair of silver vans arrive at the VIP entrance of Birmingham, England’s Alexander Stadium, the whispers start. “Is that Sharon Osbourne?” a squinting security guard asks her friend.
“I think so,” the other guard says. “Does that mean . . . ?”
The drivers keep security in the dark — literally — by turning off their dome lights as they wait for Prince Edward to finish a speech for the closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, a multisport event similar to the Olympics that took place in early August. The vans creep toward the stage. That’s when the crowd of 30,000 hears a bass drum: thump, thump, thump, thump.
“I am Iron Man!” a familiar voice bellows from the ether, as Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi struts onstage. Fifty- four years earlier, Sabbath, whose members all grew up in Birmingham, defied their foregone destinies as steelworkers to forge their own brand of metal.
A trapdoor opens and a lithe silhouette with arms outstretched levitates to Iommi’s height. “Come on, Birmingham, let’s hear you,” the figure commands as a spotlight reveals Sabbath’s founding frontman, Ozzy Osbourne, sporting a Cheshire-cat smile.
This is when the audience recognizes Birmingham’s hometown hero, and their disbelief turns deafening as Sabbath shifts from “Iron Man” to their biggest hit, “Paranoid.” It turns out the performance was such a secret that Ozzy’s son Louis, who happened to be in the audience, is in disbelief as he spots his dad onstage.
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Denne historien er fra October 2022-utgaven av RollingStone India.
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Akshath Plots India Tour on the Back of Hit Song 'Nadaaniyan'
Mumbai artist's breezy love song took over streaming charts and short-video platforms
Aksh Baghla and 10CM Swap Languages in 'Spring Snow' Hindi Version
The Indian pop artist got the South Korean indie-pop artist to sing in Hindi on his hit song from the 'Lovely Runner, Part 8' soundtrack
Sukha Talks New EP '2003' and the Success of '8 Asle'
The Toronto-based Punjabi artist also looks back at hits like 'Sangdi' and the EP 'Undisputed'
Masrat Un Nisa on Channeling Raj Begum in Upcoming Film 'Songs of Paradise'
Inspired by the legendary Kashmiri voice Raj Begum, the singer talks about working with filmmaker Danish Renzu, who has also called on her for songs with his label Renzu Music
How Daira's 'Jaadoo Bastar' Tapped Into Chhattisgarh Tribal Stories
Mumbai rock band teamed up with artists including Lakheshwar Khudaram and Hindi lyricist Alok Ranjan Srivastava for five songs and a documentary that goes behind the scenes of the project
Peekay Embraces Djent on 'Merciless' and Plots an L.A. Move
The Hyderabad artist worked with guitarist Jonathan Edward and prog band Skyharbor's Keshav Dhar on the track
The Derelicts Take a 'Highway Drive' on Euphoric New Song
The Kochi disco-pop/electronica band introduce a science fiction-informed storyline for their first release since 2018
Sudan on How 'Happy Accidents' Led To His Genre-Defying Debut Album
Mumbai-based producer and multiinstrumentalist launched 'Sudan?' in August with a collab-heavy list of guests including Tejas, Frizzell D'Souza and more
Zubin Mehta Talks Symphony Orchestra of India Concerts
The Mumbai-born conductor leads a slightly offbeat selection for the SOI Autumn 2024 Season, taking place on Aug. 17 and 18, followed by Aug. 24 and 25
Ameya Saraf: 'I Wanted to Do Music for Life the First Time I Picked Up a Guitar'
Los Angeles-based Indian composer and producer worked his way from the rock scene to assisting pop artist Arjun Kanungo at the latter's Promethean Studio in Mumbai