Tony to appear at Paisley's Spree Festival

TICKETS ON SALE!

Rock music legend Tony Iommi has been added to the bill for Paisley’s Spree Festival – where he will give music fans the inside story of his career as one of heavy metal’s most influential figures.

The Black Sabbath guitarist will appear at Paisley Town Hall on Friday 12 October for the show – called ‘Tony Iommi in conversation with Phil Alexander: A Life in Music’

The Spree festival is one of the highlights of Paisley’s annual cultural calendar and takes place in various venues from 12 to 20 October.
A Spree festival spokesperson said: “When we think of guitarist Tony Iommi we think of heavy rock and of his innovative dark riffs. We think of the beginning of heavy metal.

“This show will give us a fascinating insight into the life and career of a man whose influence on the history of popular music cannot be overstated – a key innovator and a true rock star in every sense.”

Black Sabbath have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide since forming in Birmingham in 1968. Their most recent album hit number one US and the UK, and 1.6 million people saw the band perform during their last world tour.

Besides releasing three solo albums, Tony has been inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, wrote a New York Times bestselling autobiography, has received two Grammy Awards and Birmingham’s Broad Street added his star.

Evening host Phil Alexander has been an editor, broadcaster, presenter and producer. As editor of Kerrang! he transformed the magazine into a multi-platform brand by launching the Kerrang! branded TV, radio, website and awards. He later became editor-in-chief for MOJO, and Global Creative Director of Kerrang! Magazine and Rock Music Media.

The Spree festival is run by Renfrewshire Council. Other big-name acts coming to Paisley for this year’s Spree include Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Orb, ex-Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flur, Gang of Four and Big Minds (made up of members of Big Country and Simple Minds).

Ticket for all shows (including Tony Iommi in conversation with Phil Alexander) are on sale now via thespree.co.uk 

Also, just in one week - Tony is going to appear at Whitley Bay Film Festival - don't miss this event, and buy tickets if you haven't got them yet!

Whitley Bay film festival program looks super amazing - 18 August has Led Zeppelin' s Celebration Day, and the next night of 19 August has Black Sabbath 's The End, plus appearance of Lord Iommi himself. REMINDER !!! Get your tickets and don't miss this fantastic opportunity!
Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath's acclaimed lead guitarist, will be the guest at a screening of Black Sabbath’s landmark documentary ‘The End Of The End’. Selling over 100 million records worldwide, the Black Sabbath guitarist has forged his place in music history as the "Master of Metal.

Black Sabbath The End of the End,' (2017) captured the very last gig for the three original members on February 4th 2016 at the Genting arena in their home city. This was the band's farewell to one of the most dedicated fan bases of all time. Of course it may be the end collectively, but for Tony and the other members, it certainly is not, as this special guest appearance proves. The movie's celebrated director Dick Carruthers will also be a guest.

Without cinema there would be no Black Sabbath. The band took their name from Mario Bava's horror trilogy of the same name. They were intrigued by the fact that people actually paid to be frightened - as would their audience!.

Black Sabbath, whose eponymous album hit an unsuspecting world in 1970, were literally founded in the foundry of the world : Birmingham. Four working class heroes created the genre of Heavy Metal, a dizzying industrial meld of the blues, jazz, occult, comic books, ecology and post war inner city zeitgeist. Never the music critics' darlings, Sabbath, like their creation "Iron Man", crushed all opposition for nearly five decades. They would be vindicated by influencing younger cult bands and even producing a number one album"13" when those same journalists had consigned them to history.

Tony Iommi, as the lead guitarist of Black Sabbath, is one of the world's greatest guitarists. Like the motto of his native city he has moved "Forward," uncompromisingly against all odds. A youthful industrial accident to his hand did not prevent, in fact it probably accentuated, his unique Wagnerian riffs that generated millions of sales and many awards for Black Sabbath. In 2016 Tony defied the greatest odds of all in the form of blood cancer to helm an 81 date world tour entitled "The End."

This was the band's farewell to one of the most dedicated fan bases of all time. Of course it may be the end collectively, but for Tony and the other members, it certainly is not, as this special guest appearance proves. "Black Sabbath The End of the End," (2017) captured the very last gig for the three original members on February 4th 2016 at the Genting arena in their home city. With director Dick Carruthers at the helm, you witness the band on extraordinary form for the ultimate homecoming. Backed by Tony and Geezer Butler's power riffs, Ozzy Osbourne opens his bejewelled arms to party with an audience of all ages."The End of the End" is more than a concert film, there is a band interview, exclusive studio performances, all pervaded by an honesty of a band contemplating the present through their past-plus that unmistakable Brummie humour.

Iommi.com, 10 August 2018