Black Sabbath Share Last Ever ‘N.I.B.’ Performance From ‘The End’ Concert Film
On Feb. 4 earlier this year, Black Sabbath played their final concert in Birmingham, England, the place where their career began in 1968 as a blues rock band named Polka Tulk. We've seen farewell tours come and go, only to come back again (and again and again for some bands), but this one had a resolute sense of finality. It's all been chronicled in the concert film, The End, and now Sabbath have shared their last performance of the classic "N.I.B."
Geezer Butler's wah-drenched bass lick famously opens the song before Tony Iommi's tectonic riffing comes in, followed by the haunting timbre of Ozzy Osbourne. We all know and worship this track that first arrived in 1970 on Black Sabbath's iconic eponymous debut. In the video clip, we get close-ups of Iommi's fretting hand in action with an eagle-eyed view of the caps worn over the fingertips that were sliced off in the fateful accident that ultimately spawned heavy metal. "God bless you all, you're No. 1," exclaims Ozzy as the song builds to a crash ending.
The End will be released on Nov. 17 through Eagle Vision and is available for pre-order at this location, where fans can explore a variety of bundle options and special offers in addition to the standard format selections.
Earlier this week, Ozzy announced that he will embark on a farewell solo world tour in 2018 that's expected to run through 2020. The move isn't all too shocking given that the Prince of Darkness will turn 69 before this year expires and Sharon Osbourne had publicly stated she wants him to retire from touring before he's 70. Still, it's sad to see one of metal's most distinct voices call it a career as we gradually lose members of the first guard either from retirement or death. The good news is that he didn't rule out select shows after the tour's conclusion. Go here to see the first batch of Ozzy's farewell dates.
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