Black Sabbath: Birth-day Boys!
By Malcolm Dome, Kerrang Magazine #50 - Sep 8-21, 1983

Well, it may be true that success hasn't gone to Ian Gillan's head, but something sureas hell has! Either that or he's modeling the new range of in Kerrang! cake style caps!! No, seriously folks, the new Sabs vocalist became the unwitting victim of that classic rock'n'roll disease 'celebrationitis' recently, when the band took time off from rehearsing their new stage show at Birmingham's NEC to raise a glass or sixteen in salute to 'The ROCK Magazine' - our 50th issue to be precise. The Brummie lads even thoughtfully provided a special birthday cake. However, before it could be devoured by the hoards of starving peasants who gathered in the venue hoping to lick up the crumbs, said culinary masterpiece ended up...(yes, you guessed it) as Gillan head-gear!

But, to get back to business, the bands latest live set is arguably their most ambitious yet. It boasts no less than FOUR backdrops, plus a fully maneuverable lighting rig. And when Sabbath head off for the USA later this year (they're just finishing off a short European stint at present), they will be taking a massive 20 foot Metallic cross which looks likely to dominate proceedings wherever they might wander.

The new Blackened opus, 'Born Again', is officially due out on September 12, featuring the line up of Ian Gillan/Bill Ward/Tony Iommi/Geezer Butler. However it can't have gone unnoticed by those of you who saw them headlining at this years Reading festival, that drummer Bill Ward wasn't present. In point of fact, the man behind the kit was none other than ELO stalwart Bev Bevan, an old Brummie associate of the Sabs. Apparently, Ward has been unable to play any of their Euro dates because, according to Iommi, he was:" not well enough but... we are pleased to have our old mate Bev Bevan helping us out."