Born Again Tour 1983
Encyclopedia
The Born Again Tour 1983 was a global concert tour by in support of Black Sabbath
's Born Again album. Both the album and the tour were the only ones of Black Sabbath's to feature former Deep Purple
frontman Ian Gillan
on lead vocals. Ex-Electric Light Orchestra
drummer Bev Bevan
was hired to replace Bill Ward, who had returned to the band for the recording of the album after a two-year hiatus, for the tour. This was the final tour to feature original Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler
until 1992's Dehumanizer
tour.
-era tracks, "Heaven and Hell
" and "Neon Knights
", as well as a good helping from the new album, and a few fan favorites reappeared in the set, such as "Supernaut" and "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor
". Each show on the tour ended with a two-song encore, with the first song being a cover of the Deep Purple classic "Smoke on the Water
", as Ian Gillan was formerly of Deep Purple. This is one of the few cover songs Black Sabbath have ever done at live shows and did not go down well with many Sabbath fans, who considered it a sacrilege to perform the Deep Purple staple, a band that Sabbath had been rivals with going back to 1970. Gillan says it was Iommi
and Butler's idea: they say it was his.
"Children of the Grave
"
"Hot Line"
"War Pigs"
"Born Again"
"Supernaut"
"Rock 'n' Roll Doctor"
"Stonehenge"
"Disturbing the Priest
"
"Keep It Warm"
"Black Sabbath
"
"The Dark"
"Zero the Hero
"
"Heaven and Hell"
"Neon Knights"
"Digital Bitch"
"Iron Man
"
"Smoke on the Water
"
"Paranoid
"
"Sabbra Cadabra"
"Evil Woman"
"Children of the Sea"
"Never Say Die"
"Symptom of the Universe"
"N.I.B."
"The Wizard"
"Tomorrow's Dream"
replicas. In a 2005 interview, Geezer Butler states that it was an error in the dimensions (feet vs. meters) that resulted in stones that were three times bigger:
Ian Gillan
recounted in interview that Stonehenge was indeed Geezer's idea, and that when asked for details by set buildings Light and Sound Design, Geezer simply said: "Lifesize". Filling three containers, it was too big for any stage, so only a small part of it was used at a time, but still the band and crew had problems edging between the monoliths.
Photos of the Born Again tour show that at least some of the stones were present on stage.
Early in the tour, there was also a dwarf that was dressed to look like the demon-infant from the album cover. The dimension problems and use of dwarfs bear strong similarities to the infamous Stonehenge scene in the movie This Is Spinal Tap
, which was released a year after Sabbath's tour. This is undoubtedly a coincidence, however, because the "Stonehenge scene" was already in a 20-minute early demo of the film from 1982.
Bill Ward was unable to play the Born Again tour because of personal problems. He explains:
and Tony Iommi's then girlfriend, Lita Ford
with future Sabbath drummer, Eric Singer
on drums.
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
's Born Again album. Both the album and the tour were the only ones of Black Sabbath's to feature former Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
frontman Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
on lead vocals. Ex-Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
drummer Bev Bevan
Bev Bevan
Bev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...
was hired to replace Bill Ward, who had returned to the band for the recording of the album after a two-year hiatus, for the tour. This was the final tour to feature original Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler
Geezer Butler
Geezer Butler is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and lyricist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He was also involved in Heaven & Hell from 2006 to 2010.-Career:Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, with old friend John "Ozzy" Osbourne in the autumn of...
until 1992's Dehumanizer
Dehumanizer
Dehumanizer is the sixteenth studio album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in June 1992.It was the first Black Sabbath studio album in over a decade to feature Ronnie James Dio on vocals and Vinny Appice on drums. It is also the first in nine years to feature original bassist...
tour.
Tour
The first leg of the tour consisted of nine European shows in August 1983, followed by a second European leg in September and October consisting of 15 shows. There were also two North American legs consisting of 31 shows from October through November, then 26 shows from January through March 1984.First European Leg
- August 7, 1983: BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
- National Exhibition CentreNational Exhibition CentreThe National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the... - August 14, 1983: BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
- National Exhibition CentreNational Exhibition CentreThe National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the... - August 18, 1983: DrammenDrammenDrammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
- Drammenshallen - August 19, 1983: StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
- Johanneshov IsstadionHovetHovet , formerly known as Johanneshovs Isstadion, is an arena in Stockholm mainly used for ice hockey, concerts and corporate events. It was opened in 1955 as an outdoor arena. A roof was added in 1962, and the arena interior has also been a subject to major renovation in 2002. The arenas main... - August 21, 1983: HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
- Jäähalli - August 23, 1983: LundLund-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
- Olympen - August 24, 1983: CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
- FolketeatretFolketeatret, CopenhagenFolketeatret is a theatre in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1857, after an initiative from Hans Wilhelm Lange.- External links :*... - August 27, 1983: ReadingReading, BerkshireReading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
- Reading and Leeds Festival - August 28, 1983: Dublin - Dalymount ParkDalymount ParkDalymount Park is an Irish football stadium situated on Dublin's Northside. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as 'Dalyer' by fans, it was also historically the "home of Irish football" holding Irish internationals and FAI Cup...
Second European Leg
- September 13, 1983: BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
- Plaza De Toros - September 14, 1983: MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
- Estadio Roman Valero - September 15, 1983: San SebastianSan SebastiánDonostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
- Velodromo de AnoetaVelodromo de AnoetaThe Velódromo de Anoeta is an indoor arena in San Sebastián, Spain. The arena holds 5,500 spectators.It is primarily used for indoor athletics, motocross events and concerts.... - September 18, 1983: Offenbach - Stadthalle OffenbachStadthalle OffenbachStadthalle Offenbach is a building in Offenbach am Main, Germany. There are 3,000 seats.-External links:...
- September 19, 1983: DüsseldorfDüsseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
- Philips HallePhilips HalleThe Mitsubishi Electric Halle is an indoor arena located in Düsseldorf, Germany that was built in 1971. The capacity of the arena is up to 7,500 people. It was originally named after Dutch electronics conglomerate Philips... - September 20, 1983: MannheimMannheimMannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
- Musensaal Rosengarten - September 22, 1983: MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
- Circus KroneCircus KroneCircus Krone, based in Munich, is the largest circus in Europe and the only one in Western Europe to also occupy a building.-History:It was originally founded in 1905 by Carl Krone as an animal exhibition. Later the circus was run by his daughter Frieda Sembach-Krone and her husband Carl... - September 24, 1983: FrauenfeldFrauenfeldFrauenfeld is the capital of the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-Early history:The earliest trace of human settlement are several La Tène era graves to the east of Langdorf. The Roman road from Oberwinterthur to Pfyn ran through what is now the Allmend in Frauenfeld. Two Roman villas were...
- Festhalle Ruegerhols - September 25, 1983: GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
- Pavillon Des Sports Del Champel Geneve - September 27, 1983: NeuenkirchenNeuenkirchenNeuenkirchen can refer to several municipalities in Germany:*in Lower Saxony:**Neuenkirchen, Cuxhaven, part of the Samtgemeinde Hadeln, district of Cuxhaven**Neuenkirchen, Diepholz, part of the Samtgemeinde Schwaförden, district of Diepholz...
- Hemmerleinhalle - September 28, 1983: BoblingenBöblingenBöblingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen District. Physically Sindelfingen and Böblingen are continuous.-History:Böblingen was founded by Count Wilhelm von Tübingen-Böblingen in 1253. Württemberg acquired the town in 1357, and on 12 May 1525 one of the bloodiest battles...
- Sporthalle - September 30, 1983: ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- Espace Balard - October 1, 1983: BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
- Vorst Nationaal - October 2, 1983: ZwolleZwolleZwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
- Ijsselhallen Veemarkt - October 3, 1983: Nijmegen - De Vereeniging
First North American Leg
- October 17, 1983: Rimouski, QC - Colisee de RimouskiColisée de RimouskiThe Colisée de Rimouski is a 4,285-seat multi-purpose arena in Rimouski, Quebec, Canada, built in 1966. It is home to the Rimouski Océanic ice hockey team, and the arena hosted the 2009 Memorial Cup....
- October 18, 1983: Chicoutimi, QC - Centre Georges-VezinaCentre Georges-VézinaThe Centre Georges-Vézina, formerly the Colisée de Chicoutimi, is a 4,651 capacity multi-purpose arena in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada...
- October 20, 1983: Quebec City, QC - Colisee de Quebec
- October 21, 1983: Montreal, QC - Montreal ForumMontreal ForumThe Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
- October 22, 1983: Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Civic Center
- October 24, 1983: Sudbury, ON - Sudbury ArenaSudbury ArenaThe Sudbury Community Arena is a multi-purpose arena in the downtown core of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. It was built in 1951.It has an ice size of 200' x 85', with a capacity of 4,600 seated, 5,100 standing and is wheelchair accessible....
- October 25, 1983: Toronto, ON - Maple Leaf GardensMaple Leaf GardensMaple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
- October 27, 1983: Buffalo, NY - War Memorial AuditoriumWar Memorial AuditoriumThe War Memorial Auditorium is a 1,661-seat performance hall located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is located across the street from, and is governed by, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and is also adjacent to the Tennessee State Capitol.- History :...
- October 29, 1983: East Rutherford, NJ - Brendan Byrne Arena
- October 30, 1983: Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
- November 1, 1983: Providence, RI - Providence Civic Center
- November 2, 1983: Landover, MD - Capitol CentreCapitol CentreCapitol Centre is an indoor shopping centre in the city of Cardiff, Wales. The building is built on the site of the former Capitol Cinema and theatre, and is situated at the eastern end of Queen Street near the Dumfries Place bus terminus and Cardiff Queen Street railway station.It advertises...
- November 4, 1983: Worcester, MA - The CentrumDCU CenterThe DCU Center is an indoor arena and convention center complex, located in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts....
- November 5, 1983: Philadelphia, PA - The Spectrum
- November 6, 1983: Portland, ME - Cumberland County Civic CenterCumberland County Civic CenterThe Cumberland County Civic Center is a 6,733-seat multi-purpose arena, in Portland, Maine. Built in 1977, at a cost of $8 million, it is home to the Portland Pirates ice hockey team, various trade shows and the Maine Principals' Association high school basketball tournament...
- November 8, 1983: New Haven, CT - New Haven ColiseumNew Haven ColiseumThe New Haven Coliseum was a sports-entertainment arena located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut. Construction began in 1968 and was completed in 1972...
- November 9, 1983: Rochester, NY - Rochester Community War Memorial
- November 11, 1983: Detroit, MI - Cobo Arena
- November 12, 1983: Cleveland, OH - Cleveland Public Hall
- November 14, 1983: Saginaw, MI - Wendler Arena
- November 15, 1983: Rockford, IL - Metro CenterRockford MetroCentreThe BMO Harris Bank Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Rockford, Illinois. It is currently home to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs hockey team...
- November 16, 1983: Green Bay, WI - Brown County Veterans Memorial ArenaBrown County Veterans Memorial ArenaThe Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena is a 5,248-seat multi-purpose arena, in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, situated on the corner of Lombardi Avenue and Oneida Street, across from Lambeau Field...
- November 18, 1983: Chicago, IL - UIC PavilionUIC PavilionThe UIC Pavilion is a 6,958-seat multi-purpose arena, located at 525 S. Racine Street on the West Side in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which opened in 1982. It is home to the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames basketball team and the former home of the Chicago Sky WNBA team...
- November 19, 1983: Madison, WI - Dane County Coliseum
- November 20, 1983: Minneapolis, MN - Met Center
- November 23, 1983: Reno, NV - Lawlor Events CenterLawlor Events CenterLawlor Events Center is an 11,784-seat multi-purpose arena in Reno, Nevada, located at the intersection of North Virginia Street and 15th Street on the University of Nevada, Reno campus....
- November 25, 1983: Las Vegas, NV - Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts
- November 26, 1983: Phoenix, AZ - Veterans Memorial ColiseumArizona Veterans Memorial ColiseumThe Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, located on the grounds of the Arizona State Fair...
- November 27, 1983: Tucson, AZ - Tucson Convention CenterTucson Convention CenterThe Tucson Convention Center , previously named the Tucson Community Center, is a large multi-purpose convention center located in downtown Tucson, Arizona...
- November 29, 1983: Albuquerque, NM - Tingley ColiseumTingley ColiseumThe Tingley Coliseum is an 11,571-seat multi-purpose arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Originally built as a rodeo and horse show auditorium, it is located at 300 San Pedro Drive N.E....
- November 30, 1983: El Paso, TX - El Paso County ColiseumEl Paso County ColiseumEl Paso County Coliseum is a 5,250-seat multi-purpose arena, in El Paso, Texas. It opened on May 22, 1942 and seats up to 7,000 people, for concerts.-Late 1940s – 1970s:In addition to rodeo, many legendary music artists have performed here....
Second North American Leg
- January 25, 1984: Daly City, CA - Cow PalaceCow PalaceCow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
- January 26, 1984: Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Arena
- January 28, 1984: El Paso, TX - El Paso County ColiseumEl Paso County ColiseumEl Paso County Coliseum is a 5,250-seat multi-purpose arena, in El Paso, Texas. It opened on May 22, 1942 and seats up to 7,000 people, for concerts.-Late 1940s – 1970s:In addition to rodeo, many legendary music artists have performed here....
- January 29, 1984: Salt Lake City, UT - Salt PalaceSalt PalaceThis article describes a large building in Utah. A one-story building made of locally mined salt blocks in Grand Saline, Texas is also called the "Salt Palace"....
- January 31, 1984: Denver, CO - University of Denver ArenaUniversity of Denver ArenaUniversity of Denver Arena was a 5,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Denver, Colorado. It was home to the University of Denver Pioneers ice hockey team. It also hosted several Frozen Fours...
- February 1, 1984: Amarillo, TX - Amarillo Civic CenterAmarillo Civic CenterThe Amarillo Civic Center is a multi-purpose convention center in Amarillo, Texas. Built in 1964, it consists of multiple facilities including:* A 2,848-seat auditorium with 2,324 permanent seats and used for concerts, Broadway shows and other events....
- February 2, 1984: Lubbock, TX - Lubbock Memorial Civic CenterLubbock Memorial Civic CenterThe Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, a convention center located in Lubbock, Texas, was built in 1977 and dedicated to the memory of local residents who died in a 1970 tornado that struck the site of the center...
- February 3, 1984: Corpus Christi, TX - Memorial ColiseumCorpus Christi, TexasCorpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
- February 4, 1984: San Antonio, TX - Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
- February 7, 1984: Houston, TX - Sam Houston ColiseumSam Houston ColiseumSam Houston Coliseum was an indoor arena, located in Houston, Texas. It was located at 801 Bagby Street near downtown. The arena was opened in November 1937 and had a capacity of 9,200. It was built in conjunction with the Houston Music Hall, which was adjacent to the Coliseum...
- February 8, 1984: Dallas, TX - Reunion ArenaReunion ArenaReunion Arena was an indoor arena, in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas . It held 18,293 for basketball and 17,001 for ice hockey.It was demolished in November 2009 and the site was cleared by the end of the year.-History:...
- February 10, 1984: Beaumont, TX - Beaumont Civic CenterBeaumont Civic CenterThe Beaumont Civic Center, in Beaumont, Texas, is a 6,500-seat arena where concerts, conventions, trade shows and exhibitions are held. It has of ground-level exhibit space. The venue is part of the Beaumont Civic Center Complex. This complex includes the Civic Center, Julie Rogers Theater and the...
- February 11, 1984: Little Rock, AR - Barton ColiseumBarton ColiseumT. H. Barton Coliseum is a 7,150-seat multi-purpose arena, located within the Arkansas State Fairgrounds, in Little Rock, Arkansas.It is the former home of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans basketball team, the defunct Arkansas GlacierCats ice hockey team of the WPHL T. H. Barton...
- February 13, 1984: Birmingham, AL - Boutwell Auditorium
- February 14, 1984: Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Memorial ColiseumJacksonville Memorial ColiseumJacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum was an 11,000-seat multi-purpose arena, in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. Built in 1960 and known as "northern Florida's most historic concert venues", it was home to most of the city's indoor professional sports teams and hosted various concerts, circuses and...
- February 16, 1984: Lakeland, FL - Lakeland Civic Center
- February 17, 1984: Sunrise, FL - Sunrise Musical Theater
- February 20, 1984: Atlanta, GA - Fox Theater
- February 22, 1984: St. Louis, MO - Kiel AuditoriumKiel AuditoriumKiel Auditorium was an indoor arena, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It was the home of the Saint Louis University basketball team and hosted the NBA's St. Louis Hawks, from 1955-1968....
- February 24, 1984: Toledo, OH - Toledo Sports ArenaToledo Sports ArenaThe Toledo Sports Arena was a 5,230-seat multi-purpose arena, at 1 Main Street, Toledo, Ohio. It was built in 1947 and razed in 2007.As a concert venue, it seated 6,500, for theater concerts and stage shows, 4,400 and for boxing and wrestling, 8,250; also, the arena was 33-2/3 feet tall...
- February 25, 1984: Dayton, OH - Hara ArenaHara ArenaHara Arena is a 5,500-seat multi-purpose arena, in Trotwood, Ohio, just outside the city of Dayton.At one time, it hosted the Dayton Jets basketball team and Dayton Gems, Dayton Blue Hawks, Dayton Owls, Dayton Bombers and Dayton Ice Bandits ice hockey teams and The Marshals indoor football...
- February 26, 1984: Kalamazoo, MI - Wings StadiumWings StadiumWings Stadium is a 5,113-seat multi-purpose arena, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The arena opened in 1974 and is home to the Kalamazoo Wings, an ice hockey team in the ECHL....
- February 27, 1984: Salisbury, MD - Wicomico Youth and Civic CenterWicomico Youth and Civic CenterThe Wicomico Youth and Civic Center is a multipurpose arena located in Salisbury, Maryland, USA. It contains of space and can seat 2,500 for banquets, 1,600 for theater concerts and stage shows, 6,100 for end-stage concerts, 6,747 for center-stage concerts, boxing and wrestling, 4,157 for ice...
- February 29, 1984: Utica, NY - The Stanley Center for the ArtsUtica, New YorkUtica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
- March 1, 1984: Albany, NY - Palace TheatreAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
- March 4, 1984: Springfield, MA - Springfield Civic Center
Set lists
The set list featured two DioRonnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
-era tracks, "Heaven and Hell
Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath song)
"Heaven and Hell" is the title track to Black Sabbath's ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell. It was written mainly by Tony Iommi, but as with almost all Black Sabbath albums, credit is given to the entire band. The lyrics were written entirely by then-newcomer Ronnie James Dio...
" and "Neon Knights
Neon Knights
"Neon Knights" is a song by heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their 1980 album, Heaven and Hell. It is the opening track on Heaven and Hell, Black Sabbath's first album with American vocalist Ronnie James Dio.The lyrics were written by Dio...
", as well as a good helping from the new album, and a few fan favorites reappeared in the set, such as "Supernaut" and "Rock 'n' Roll Doctor
Rock 'n' Roll Doctor
Rock 'n' Roll Doctor is a song from heavy metal group Black Sabbath from the album Technical Ecstasy. The song runs for three minutes and thirty seconds.The song was first played during the instrumental workout on the 1975 tour ....
". Each show on the tour ended with a two-song encore, with the first song being a cover of the Deep Purple classic "Smoke on the Water
Smoke on the Water
"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...
", as Ian Gillan was formerly of Deep Purple. This is one of the few cover songs Black Sabbath have ever done at live shows and did not go down well with many Sabbath fans, who considered it a sacrilege to perform the Deep Purple staple, a band that Sabbath had been rivals with going back to 1970. Gillan says it was Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
and Butler's idea: they say it was his.
Songs played on the tour
"Supertzar""Children of the Grave
Children of the Grave
"Children of the Grave" is a song by Black Sabbath from their 1971 album Master of Reality. The song lyrically continues with the same anti-war themes brought on by "War Pigs" and "Electric Funeral" from Paranoid, adding in Geezer Butler's pacifist ideals of non-violent civil disobedience...
"
"Hot Line"
"War Pigs"
"Born Again"
"Supernaut"
"Rock 'n' Roll Doctor"
"Stonehenge"
"Disturbing the Priest
Disturbing the Priest
"Disturbing the Priest" is the third song of the album Born Again, by the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. The song was one of the last songs that was recorded for the album, and it is, in fact, a homage to a priest that lived near the studio where Born Again was recorded...
"
"Keep It Warm"
"Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath (song)
"Black Sabbath" is a song by British heavy metal band of the same name, written in 1969 and released on the band's debut album, Black Sabbath...
"
"The Dark"
"Zero the Hero
Zero the Hero
"Zero the Hero" is a song on the album Born Again, by the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It has become moderately popular amongst fans and is one of Ian Gillan's favourite songs....
"
"Heaven and Hell"
"Neon Knights"
"Digital Bitch"
"Iron Man
Iron Man (song)
"Iron Man" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their second studio album Paranoid released in 1970. It was later included on their initial greatest hits compilation We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll , as well as all subsequent greatest hits compilations.-Writing and...
"
"Smoke on the Water
Smoke on the Water
"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...
"
"Paranoid
Paranoid (song)
"Paranoid" is a song by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, featured on their second album Paranoid . It is the first single from the album, while the B-side is the song "The Wizard". It reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100...
"
Songs rehearsed for the tour, but never played Live
"Trashed""Sabbra Cadabra"
"Evil Woman"
"Children of the Sea"
"Never Say Die"
"Symptom of the Universe"
"N.I.B."
"The Wizard"
"Tomorrow's Dream"
Staging
There were many problems surrounding the tour for the album, including having little room on stage due to it being decorated with StonehengeStonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
replicas. In a 2005 interview, Geezer Butler states that it was an error in the dimensions (feet vs. meters) that resulted in stones that were three times bigger:
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
recounted in interview that Stonehenge was indeed Geezer's idea, and that when asked for details by set buildings Light and Sound Design, Geezer simply said: "Lifesize". Filling three containers, it was too big for any stage, so only a small part of it was used at a time, but still the band and crew had problems edging between the monoliths.
Photos of the Born Again tour show that at least some of the stones were present on stage.
Early in the tour, there was also a dwarf that was dressed to look like the demon-infant from the album cover. The dimension problems and use of dwarfs bear strong similarities to the infamous Stonehenge scene in the movie This Is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
, which was released a year after Sabbath's tour. This is undoubtedly a coincidence, however, because the "Stonehenge scene" was already in a 20-minute early demo of the film from 1982.
Personnel
- Tony IommiTony IommiAnthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
– guitar - Geezer ButlerGeezer ButlerGeezer Butler is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and lyricist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He was also involved in Heaven & Hell from 2006 to 2010.-Career:Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, with old friend John "Ozzy" Osbourne in the autumn of...
– bass guitar - Ian GillanIan GillanIan Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
– vocals - Bev BevanBev BevanBev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...
– drums - Geoff NichollsGeoff NichollsGeoff Nicholls is a musician and keyboardist, who is best known as the longtime sideman for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Nicholls also played in the NWOBHM band Quartz before joining Black Sabbath...
– keyboards (performed off stage)
Bill Ward was unable to play the Born Again tour because of personal problems. He explains:
Opening acts
Quiet Riot was the opening act on the first American leg of the tour. The bands Heaven and Ratt supported the band on their U.S. tour in 1984. The European tour featured Diamond HeadDiamond Head (band)
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
and Tony Iommi's then girlfriend, Lita Ford
Lita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
with future Sabbath drummer, Eric Singer
Eric Singer
Eric Doyle Mensinger , better known as Eric Singer, is a hard rock and heavy metal drummer for the rock band Kiss and formerly for singer Alice Cooper...
on drums.
External links
- Gillan the Hero – Fan site with information on the tour.