Black Sabbath performed in Melbourne for the very first time on Friday night and for the band's first ever performance, the embarrassingly small crowd gave it their all.
Let's face it, this whole tour didn't sell well. It was expensive and the band was only playing songs from the three albums recorded with Ronnie James Dio on vocals, which would've scared off more than just a few of those 15 year old kids who wear Sabbath t-shirts because they heard 'Paranoid', but those who knew 'Heaven and Hell', 'Mob Rules' and 'Dehumaniser', this gig was a treat!Ronnie James Dio might have become a parody of himself over the years, but that doesn't mean when push comes to shove, he can't belt out some of the most powerful vocals you're likely to hear for a while.
"If you listen to fools... the mob rules!" he screamed as the band launched into their classic 'Mob Rules'.
It wasn't long before guitarist Tony Iommi was given his chance to shine, showing with every guitar solo why he is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
A crowd favourite was clearly the tune 'Heaven and Hell', with Dio leaving the crowd to sing the epic title.
Geezer Butler is not to be overlooked. His phenomenal bass playing boggled the minds of anyone who has ever picked up a bass, yet he just hung back looking oh-so-cool.
'Die Young' saw the band at their most explosive and while yes, I am aware of the irony of it being sung by a sixty-something year old Dio singing it, it also marked the point where Dio's voice seemed to have finally warmed up and he was officially in the zone.
Somehow that man, no matter how much you may mock him, manages to even make "Goodnight Melbourne" sound bloody exciting.
When it comes down to it, despite the undeniable tackiness of Ronnie James Dio and the rather cheesy set behind them, if you're a metal fan and you weren't at this gig, you missed out.
