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A magical WOW moment for hard rock and dance fans alike: Tony Iommi, legendary guitarist and founding member of Black Sabbath, was back on stage after Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert at the beginning of July. It wasn’t a normal rock show, though.
With an idea of “Black Sabbath – The Ballet” On Wednesday evening (April 22nd) at the Sadler’s Wells Theater in London, Iommi caused goosebumps when he unexpectedly picked up the guitar and played the iconic solo to “Paranoid” – a brilliant conclusion to the evening.
Brian May celebrates Tony Iommi
Among the enthusiastic spectators was Iommi’s friend, Queen guitarist Brian May. He shared the performance on Instagram with videos and an emotional tribute:
“All respect! The true father of heavy metal made his guitar sing like a bird at Sadler’s Wells tonight. Tony Iommi, plus a 40-piece orchestra and 50 dancers – it was the icing on the cake on a great production of Black Sabbath – The Ballet. Proud to call this infinitely humble and generous genius my friend.”
The piece, staged by the Birmingham Royal Ballet, combines classical dance with the oomph of Black Sabbath’s music.
After the sold-out premiere in the band’s hometown and a successful UK tour in 2023, international performances followed, including the US start at the “Virginia Arts Festival” in May 2024.
Reworking of “Black Sabbath – The Ballet”
For the 2025 performances, the production has been extensively reworked with new audio from interviews with Sharon Osbourne and die-hard Sabbath fans.
In addition, according to the organizers, there is a “sharpened” sound design that is intended to immerse the audience “at full volume” in an “electrifying interplay of rock and dance”.
The play runs in London until October 25th and then moves on to the Edinburgh Festival Theater, where four performances are planned from October 30th to November 1st.
As they say in the UK press: A touch of heavy metal in the world of ballet – and proof that Tony Iommi’s riffs have lost none of their magic even 50 years after “Paranoid”.