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And Finally Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Black Sabbath confirm split
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 9 March 2017
Black Sabbath have announced that they have split up once and for all. That’s it, folks. Move along, nothing to see here.
The band played the final show of their farewell tour in their hometown of Birmingham over a month ago now, which you might think was confirmation enough. Though it wouldn’t be the first time a band has done that and then subsequently reappeared, so I think providing some extra confirmation was a valid move. Especially as guitarist Toni Iommi was only recently suggesting that there might be more albums in the band yet.
Seemingly not, because yesterday an image was posted on the official Black Sabbath Facebook page bearing the words “Black Sabbath 1968-2017”, and accompanied by the hashtag #TheEnd. I think it’s the hashtag that makes it feel so real.
The band decided to put an end to their touring life due to Iommi’s health problems in recent years. And, of course, there’s the ongoing dispute with drummer Bill Ward, which already put him out of both of the band’s recent tours. So it seems like this time they might really mean it.
Anyway, next year is the band’s 50th anniversary, so shall we just pencil something into the diary now? I mean, as the band’s one-time frontman Ronnie James Dio will tell you, these days you don’t even have to be in the building to play a gig. Or be alive.