Brummie blues

Blues Muse 1. How Birmingham blues gave birth to heavy metal.

Last night, my son saw the original Black Sabbath perform thunderously live in Melbourne, Australia, (all except drummer Bill Ward). Took me back to when I saw Black Sabbath, back in Warwickshire (UK) in1968 or 1969, before they got huge. 

I remember Ozzie being a superb comedic front man, cracking jokes with the audience and Tony's amazing riffs. 

Even so, after quaffing about ten pints of beer, I fell asleep against one of the speakers.The beat from Geezer and Bill's thudding bass and drums punched right through me, giving me tinnitus I have to this day.

I was managing Black Sabbath’s support act, a great blues band from Rugby (think Spiritualized) called West Bank Avenue, who seemed the equal of Sabbath and were received just as warmly by the crowd. While West Bank Avenue never recorded and disappeared, Black Sabbath went from strength to strength pioneering their brand of hardcore Birmingham blues that gave us heavy metal. Such is the fickleness of rock, eh?

What is it with the water in Birmingham? John Bonham and Robert Plant came from there too.

I see Sabbath’s Melbourne show featured Mick Taylor. Was that the same Mick Taylor who used to play with the Stones and before that, Leicester band, Family, or was it another Mick Taylor?

Paul Merry's interview re: Bob Marley