Tony Iommi Discusses Black Sabbath's Final Tour Dates

Doubling down on the notion of the recently announced "The End" tour actually being Black Sabbath's final live trek and not just another marketing gimmick, Tony Iommi discussed why the band is finally hanging up its hat after so many years in a new interview with Birmingam Mail. Excerpts from the interview follow:

“I can’t actually do this anymore,” admits the guitar hero. “My body won’t take it much more.”

Iommi, who battled lymphoma, has tests in two weeks’ time to ensure the cancer has not returned.

“I don’t want that creeping back again,” he says. “And all the travelling involved in Sabbath tours increasingly takes its toll. That’s why we’re going out on one last tour, to say our farewells. And then it very definitely is the end. We won’t be doing it again.”

Gigs have been confirmed across the US, Australia and New Zealand, sparking dismay that no UK shows were announced. That, says Iommi, is premature.

“There will be UK dates,” he pledges. “And, of course, we’ll be playing Birmingham. This is where it all began for us; this is where family and friends live; this is where our longest-standing fans are. It would be unimaginable for the Sabbath farewell tour not to include Birmingham. But you’ll have to bear with us. The logistics are still being worked out. Even we don’t know all the dates yet.”

Read the full article at Birmingham Mail.