Why Black Sabbath hero Tony Iommi is so proud to play at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
The eyes of the world are on Birmingham as the city hosts the 2022 Commonwealth Games – and Black Sabbath guitar hero Tony Iommi is bursting with pride in his hometown.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe Brummie rock star is helping spearhead a high-profile Opening Ceremony for the Games on Thursday in front of a 35,000 crowd and an estimated global television audience of ONE BILLION.
The spectacular show, written, produced and starring an all-Brummie cast of singers, musicians, dancers, poets and actors, is designed to showcase Britain’s most multicultural city.
Tony says he is “bursting with pride” to be part of the production but admits there will be more than a hint of nerves as he steps out onstage at the Alexander Stadium, home of UK athletics.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIt will be the guitar hero’s first major appearance since Sabbath played their final farewell more than five years ago at Birmingham’s then Genting Arena on the National Exhibition Centre campus.
“A billion people tuning in is a huge figure,” Tony tells me as we catch up for a chat. “It’s going to be seen not just across the Commonwealth but throughout the world. We really have to do Birmingham proud.
“Representing Brum is a great honour and I’m bursting with pride to be doing it. I’ve flown the flag for Birmingham all of my life because it’s my city and it’s given me wonderful opportunities.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“I like to think that Black Sabbath helped to put Birmingham on the map musically, and it’s great now that the Games ceremony will feature so many talented people from the city.
“It means a hell of a lot to me. But I have to admit, there’ll be a bit of stage fright on the night. I haven’t played onstage at a big show for five years since the final Sabbath show in February 2017.”
Tony and renowned city saxophonist Soweto Kinch will lead a dream sequence entitled Hear My Voice, based on the title track from 2020 film Trial Of The Chicago Seven.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe soulful song, originally by Celeste, has been re-imagined by Brummie R&B acts Indigo Marshall and Gambimi, who will also join the Sabbath icon onstage.
But that’s not even the half of it.
After Tony and Soweto play an extended instrumental lead-in, they will be joined by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and a 700-strong community choir.
“It’s a very big production,” he says. “We start full rehearsals on Monday, then we’ll do it live in front of an invited audience in a dummy run on Tuesday. There’s a day off – then it’s showtime.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe gig will be Tony’s biggest audience since Sabbath played at the California Jam in 1974, a festival headlined by Deep Purple and Emerson Lake & Palmer, with more than 250,000 fans in attendance and beamed across the US on television.
But it’s not actually the first time heavy metal founder Tony has played with a saxophonist.
“In the early 1960s, when we we going by the name of the Polka Tulk Blues Band, we had a sax player,” he recalls. “There was Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler, the sax player and a slide guitarist.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“But it didn’t last five minutes. We decided that we were better as a four-piece and carried on from there. I’ve not performed with a sax player since then so it’s going to be quite an experience.”
Plans for the performance were drawn up in secret during a series of meetings chaired by Broad Street boss Mike Olley in the city centre. “They already had the song they wanted us to perform,” says Tony. “I had to learn it, and I’ve been practicing it ever since.”
Back in 2017, Tony wrote a choral piece entitled How Good It Is for Birmingham Cathedral, and performed it with a small choir “but I never imagined ever playing with an orchestra and 700 voices,” he admits. “That’s going to be something!”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAlso appearing at the Opening Ceremony will be Brummie chart stars Duran Duran, Birmingham Conservatoire graduate and mezzo-soprano Samantha Oxborough, Birmingham Royal Ballet and musicians from The Royal Marines.
There will be a huge cast of dancers, including 200 members of inclusive disability dance company Critical Mass and a parade of iconic Birmingham-made cars in red, white and blue.
The show is set to start at 7:15pm and gates to the Alexander Stadium will open at 5pm. It will be televised on BBC One and iPlayer, with none other than Brummie Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight CBE as executive producer.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdRead more by Paul Cole at paulcoletravels.com and http://stillgotthefever.blogspot.com/
A message from the editor:
Thank you for reading. BirminghamWorld is Birmingham’s latest news website, championing everything that is great about our city - reporting on news, lifestyle and sport. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.