Zakk Sabbath – Live Review, Southampton 1865
As far as tribute bands go, Zakk Sabbath certainly have the right credentials. Although, if the real Black Sabbath hadn’t recently announced their much-publicised Birmingham show, then maybe there would have been a little more breathing space. It had been some time since I last attended a gig at Southampton’s 1865, but ask anyone and they will no doubt comment on how busy it was. Sold out? I can’t help but feel that maybe it was a little more than that.
Even while watching openers Lowen, unless you were already in the thick of it most of the time at the back was spent jostling for position. Meanwhile, the lack of space upstairs left you with hardly any visibility of the stage all night.
For Lowen, however, this must have been an incredible sight. They gave it their all and were most impressive. The Middle Eastern vocals of Nina Saeidi took you deep into the Iranian desert, while the rest of the band’s music was relentlessly heavy.
Zakk Sabbath – Live!
Next, it was soon time for Zakk Sabbath. With Zakk Wylde having played guitar for Ozzy Osbourne from the late ’80s to the mid ’90s and appearing on numerous Ozzy albums/tours since, he was always going to pull off a decent Black Sabbath set.
Although, I still can’t help but wish it was his Black Label Society tour or a Pride and Glory reunion… As for the other two members: bassist Rob “Blanko” Nicholson had also been a member of Ozzy’s band for 20 years (as well as Rob Zombie’s) and Joey Castillo is best known for his time spent with Queens of the Stone Age, Danzig and most recently drumming for punk band Circle Jerks. Needless to say, there was some amazing talent on stage.
What is this that stands before me?
Zakk constantly showed off his skills by playing guitar behind his head while effortlessly controlling the crowd by raising his fist to the air. Ultimately, it was the songs themselves that spoke volumes. After all, despite the overcrowding making it somewhat less enjoyable, how can you go wrong with those early Black Sabbath albums? They’re full of classic songs and who better to play them than Ozzy’s guitarist, nailing every riff while adding his own take on Tony Iommi’s solos.
As for the vocals, some of the best moments were handed over to the audience, whereby hearing a sold-out 1865 singing along to “N.I.B” was almost as impressive as Zakk playing his extended “War Pigs” solo within the crowd and overlooking the sound desk.
If you wish to recreate the night at home, stick on the below footage courtesy of YouTube and get some mates to keep pushing past you en route to the bathroom. Did I already mention Zakk Wylde at 1865 in Southampton was a busy one? I think I did… alright now.
Live footage by Stuart Woodward
Check out Lowen here
Order Zakk Sabbath here
Find the Pride and Glory album here
Choose from Black Label Society here
