The reunited Black Sabbath are set to perform their first gig tonight at the O2 Academy in their hometown of Birmingham, England. With so many eyes focused on the band right now, bassist Geezer Butler released a statement on their website that lowered expectations but reminded the audience of the reason for the gig.

Hello readers,

Well, rehearsals are finally finished, and now for the nervous part, playing our home town gig. Since it is a warm up show, there will probably be a few glitches , but remember it’s all in a good cause, since we’ll be donating to the “Help For Heroes” charity, a fantastic charity that helps our troops who have been wounded in recent wars. No matter what your feelings about the wars are, these men and women willingly dedicate their lives for our defence and freedom. I hope the people who are making profits by re-selling the tickets to real fans find it in their hearts to do the right thing and donate at least some of their gains to the charity.

Here is the link.

Thanks for caring.

Geezer

However, original drummer Bill Ward will not be a part of the reunion. He was unable to come to terms with the band over financial compensation. He will be replaced by Tommy Clufetos, Ozzy Osbourne‘s current drummer.

Black Sabbath has also announced a merchandising deal with Bravado, which will hold contests with retailers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany for fans to create their own designs. The winners will have their merchandise sold exclusively in those outlets.

 

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