Review: Black Sabbath, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, April 25, 2016

IT WAS the end of The End as legendary heavy rockers Black Sabbath played their last ever Australian show in Brisbane.

IF, LIKE me, your most recent memory of Ozzy Osbourne was of the frail, addled, crotchety patriarch of The Osbournes reality TV fame, it appears someone has delivered a “save shot” to his heart.

The Osbourne on display at last night’s Black Sabbath show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre was a much more lucid and animated character, if still showing the wear of his 67 years.

“How are you doing? How are we doing?” Osbourne repeatedly asked the audience.

“This is the last time we’re ever gonna play in Australia, and I just wanted to say thank you for my life.”

Yes, this was the end of The End tour — their last Australian show ever — and one of the biggest and wildest crowds to be seen at the entertainment centre was there to send them out in style.

The End tour is Black Sabbath’s last lap around the globe. Pic: Ross Halfin

As MC Prince of Darkness whipped the audience into a frenzy, there was aggressive moshing, frequent plumes of suspicious smoke, flying items of clothing, bare-breasted female fans and a continual procession of unruly patrons being escorted from the premises.

But while Osbourne and fellow originals Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi were feted by the crowd like the rock royalty they were, it was their much younger counterpart on the skins who arguably stole the show. Thirty-six-year-old Tommy Clufetos, sitting in for the estranged Bill Ward, pounded out a drum solo that was the longest, hardest and most mind-blowing you’re likely to hear anywhere.

Thanks for a great night Brisbane! Fan photo from Joe - thank you. pic.twitter.com/grWq951GZf

— Geezer Butler (@GZRMusic) April 25, 2016

The classic hits were cranked out with military precision - Into the Void, Snowblind, War Pigs (particularly poignant on Anzac Day), Hand of Doom, Dirty Women and Children of the Grave. A brief flashback video accompanied Rat Salad.

It was back to basics in more ways than one: not only a reminder of how much noise a four-piece of this calibre can still make in this age of overblown ensembles, but it all took place on a spartan stage where the amp stacks did the talking. The only special effects to be seen were the psychedelic filters applied to the video screens above.

At one point Osbourne lobbed bottled water into the crowd, but he soon graduated to bucketfuls that he tipped into the moshpit maelstrom.

@nativityinwhite @Chrisexcess Tommy Iommi last night, Brisbane, Australia. Black Sabbath's last ever Australian show pic.twitter.com/py8RTH5VDV

— Mickey Dee (@WhiplashUnited) April 26, 2016

Unsurprisingly the band’s signature hit Paranoid was saved for last. Before launching into the single-song encore, Osbourne implored: “If we do one more song we have to go absolutely f—ing crazy.”

Go crazy they did, as Brisbane said good night, sweet Prince of Darkness.

Setlist (via setlist.fm): Black Sabbath, Fairies Wear Boots, After Forever, Into the Void, Snowblind, War Pigs, Behind the Wall of Sleep, N.I.B., Hand of Doom, Rat Salad (with drum solo), Iron Man, Dirty Women, Children of the Grave. Encore: Paranoid.

Ozzy Osbourne soaks in the crowd’s adulation on The End tour. Pic: Ross Halfin