This past Saturday, May 19, Black Sabbath made their triumphant return at a hometown show in Birmingham, England. The show would also serve as a warmup gig for their upcoming headlining slot at Download festival.
Iommi, who has been undergoing treatment for lymphoma, was admittedly nervous before the show, writing afterwards:
"I was extremely nervous beforehand about playing a long set, not knowing whether I'd be able to last. It turned out to be no problem whatsoever because Ozzy, Geezer and Tommy were nailing everything; no chance to feel tired! I'm really pleased with how it turned out, fantastic crowd and I want to say thank you to all of them for giving me such an amazing reception. On our way again at last! Finally, a special thanks to Tommy; we invited him to play and he was brilliant."
The Tommy in question is Tommy Clufetos, the drummer in Ozzy Osbourne's solo band. Tommy served a last-minute replacement when original drummer Bill Ward could not come to contract terms with the remainder of the band.
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