Shihad Tour Diary: Part Four

For me, it's Black Sabbath's Paranoid album that has stuck with me all my life. My mum told me that she used to play the record to me while I was in her belly. So, technically I've been listening to them longer than I've been walking on this planet. Thanks mum!

Get 'em started on Sabbath while they're young!

I also remember being about twelve years-old and staying at my friend's house - his parents were out so we decided to make 'rocket fuel' from their liquor cabinet (who in their right mind mixes sherry with vodka, gin, port and whatever else). We jumped up and down on his trampoline with acoustic guitars while listening to his older sister's vinyl of Born Again until we fell over cracking up. Ahhh the memories...

THE DAY WE MET OZZY

It's good to be back home, hang out with the cat, finally get to listen to my copy of Churn on vinyl and do a bunch of washing (rocking is a dirty job). But best of all we get to play two nights at Rod laver Arena with Black Sabbath.

Monday's show is Tui's baptism of fire (Tom and Sarah's baby girl who's only a couple months old). Probably too young to remember but she'll be the coolest kid in the playground in years to come. My 'baptism of fire' was Genesis, probably the first time I thought that playing in a band would be cool, though I wish it was Sabbath or AC/DC I saw first.

Soundcheck - just prior to the 'lord of darkness' appearance.

Well there's a first time for everything and today we got to meet Ozzy. In fact, we were in the middle of sound check when we got the word that the 'lord of darkness' had a spare moment. We ran off the stage and waited in the green room like excited teenagers. Our poor crew were probably wondering what was happening.

When we were introduced as the support band Shihad, he retorted,"Shihad? You guys must be fookin' crazy calling yourselves that! I mean, New York? Iraq?"

Yes that's right, Ozzy called us crazy!? A big compliment coming from him.

We were all fired up and had a great show, maybe even the best of the tour so far, though the second Auckland show was pretty damn good. Thank you Melbourne!!!

Check out Shihad doing a Sabbath cover back in the 80's, before I even joined the band.

Written by Karl Kippenberger.