Australia’s premier Black Sabbath tribute band comes to town next weekend.
Sydney band Sabbath Bloody Sabbath will bring all the iconic hits, sludgy riffs and shredding solos of the preeminent pioneers of metal to the Barwon Club on Friday 16 January.
Guitarist Johnny Iommi, filling the role of Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, said the band formed about eight years ago out of a deep love for the source material.
“We wanted to put together a show that we really believed in, something we would love to tour and play and put a lot of energy behind,” he said.
“When I was learning guitar the grunge period was in full swing, so like a lot of guys my age I was listening to Metallica, Soundgarden…Australian bands like Tumbleweed were a huge influence.
“I would listen to interviews these bands were giving and they would always reference Black Sabbath. So it was like, okay, what’s this all about?
“So I listened to them and over the years I realised how many genres have been spawned from their music, from stoner metal, to heavy metal, to thrash metal.
“The architecture and foundations for a lot of genres that have come out in the last 20 years were all from exploring what these guys did back in the 60s and 70s…People would go, what’s with that song, and then tease a whole genre out of it.”
One of the keys to the show’s success is its authenticity, particularly in their faithful reproduction of each instrument’s tonal qualities.
Like the original Iommi, Johnny uses Laney amps, light-gauge strings and detuned Gibson guitars. He even emulates Iommi’s use of his first and fourth fingers, a result of the Sabbath guitarist losing the tips of his middle and ring finger hands on his right (fretting) hand.
“These songs sound fantastic on record, but when you hear it live and feel how powerful it is, that’s when the music really comes alive,” he said.
“When you finish something like Children of the Grave and you’ve done a good job, it’s like you’ve taken a Ferrari out for a spin. It’s the most satisfying feeling.”
Visit barwonclub.com.au/gig-guide for tickets.
