November 30, 1999 11:55

KEEP WARM THIS WINTER - BURN BIBLES! Black Sabbath Tickets

Plus tales of his days as a Bible burner...

Black Sabbath play their penultimate UK show on Sunday December 5 at the London WC1 Astoria (their last ever shows are at the Birmingham NEC on December 21 and 22).

One of Ozzy Osbourne's first post-Sabbath projects is a team-up with Primus to record a version of 'Nativity In Black' for a second Sabbath tribute album - 'Nativity In Black II' - set for release next year. Also on the album are Megadeth, Pantera and Monster Magnet. Ozzy joins Paul Weller in the select pantheon of rock figures who actually appear on their own tribute albums.

Ozzy has been talking to NME about the band's heyday, when their Satanic imagery started to attract fans dressed in black robes in the post-Manson hippy days.

"We did a gig one time in Memphis and it was an outside gig. When people get onstage, I usually try and escort them off because most of them are out of their fucking nuts anyway. And all of a sudden one of the roadies comes running over and whacks this one guy with a fucking mic stand. I'm like' What the fuck did you do that for?'. He goes 'look! He's got a fucking dagger in his hand and he's going to stick it in Tony(Iommi)'s chest. I was like 'Hit the cunt again'."

As well as the obvious sex and drugs, Ozzy's other on-the-road activity was burning Gideon Bibles.

"One of the old roadies has still got a letter saying 'Mr Osbourne. This Bible burning has to stop'. I used to do it all the time. Go in the room, see the Gideon Bible, say 'Fuck this'."

There's more tales of Sabbath, success and sexcess in NME next week, on sale across the UK on Wednesday December 8.

Get tickets for Black sabbath through the nme.com Virgin Cola Ticketshop - click here[/url]

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