1978 Van Halen opening for Black Sabbath

[LanierP]

I can only imagine that this didn't last very long. I've always heard about VH knocking Sabbaths dick in the dirt during this, but this is proof. Eddie is one fire. I'm sure the crowd dumbfounded to what they are seeing before there very eyes. Wish there was video of this show man. This is jaw dropping just to listen to.
https://youtu.be/xQn2TmSzClA

 

[Zer0th]

I caught the 'Never Say Die' tour a month later in London. Jaws were either on the floor or mouthing WTF?

Some of my favourite gigs have been those where an unknown support band announced themselves as 'special'... in the difficult context of a audience that mostly couldn't care less.

I, and maybe twelve others [everyone else was at the bar], saw U2 as a late-replacement support at a Rory Gallagher gig in 1980. It was pretty obvious to this Gallagher-fan they'd likely make a mark.

 

[hammered]

In Sabbaths defense I`ve got some of their bootlegs from 78 and they were still bringing it but even in their youth they were never a band with the high energy of VH

 

[psychodave]

I can only imagine that this didn't last very long. I've always heard about VH knocking Sabbaths dick in the dirt during this, but this is proof. Eddie is one fire. I'm sure the crowd dumbfounded to what they are seeing before there very eyes. Wish there was video of this show man. This is jaw dropping just to listen to.
https://youtu.be/xQn2TmSzClA

Dang. Eddie was on fire (no pun intended ) So clear, clean and fast.

 

[thenine]

Man that was cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LanierP]

Holy shit! To actually be there man. Had I been born about 15 years earlier, I may have had the chance. My equivalent was seeing Metallica open for Ozzy in mid eighties during the ultimate sin tour. Metallica left everyone dumbfounded. Raw, loud and heavy. Worcester Centrum.

 

[Zer0th]

I woz 'ere...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tuuRT-65J4

 

[romanianreaper]

A lot of people don't realize how close of friends Tony Iommi and Eddie VH are. They became friends on that tour and are still friends all these years later.

 

[Beyond Black]

A lot of people don't realize how close of friends Tony Iommi and Eddie VH are. They became friends on that tour and are still friends all these years later.

If you can't beat em, join em.

 

[hammered]

A lot of people don't realize how close of friends Tony Iommi and Eddie VH are. They became friends on that tour and are still friends all these years later.

If you can't beat em, join em.

Tony answers to no one

 

[Fragglerick]

My equivalent was seeing Metallica open for Ozzy in mid eighties during the ultimate sin tour. Metallica left everyone dumbfounded. Raw, loud and heavy. Worcester Centrum.

I was at that show!!! Metallica tore it up!!

 

[Beyond Black]

A lot of people don't realize how close of friends Tony Iommi and Eddie VH are. They became friends on that tour and are still friends all these years later.

If you can't beat em, join em.

Tony answers to no one

No he does not. He is the Father of all things heavy....

 

[romanianreaper]

I saw Cinderella open for AC/DC on their "Long Cold Winter" tour and although they didn't blow AC/DC off the stage, I think everyone was amazed at how great they sounded and how they didn't fit the typical hair band mold. I didn't see the tour, but people said Guns and Roses did the same to Aerosmith every night.

 

[hammered]

I saw Cinderella open for AC/DC on their "Long Cold Winter" tour and although they didn't blow AC/DC off the stage, I think everyone was amazed at how great they sounded and how they didn't fit the typical hair band mold. I didn't see the tour, but people said Guns and Roses did the same to Aerosmith every night.

I saw GNR open for the Cult in 87 and they were amazing. I also saw them twice open for Aerosmith in 88 and they weren`t nearly as good as the year earlier . Aerosmith was newly sober was a few years away from the Crying/Crazy/Amazing period and they left GNR in the dust

 

[ElectricVoodoo]

My equivalent was seeing Metallica open for Ozzy in mid eighties during the ultimate sin tour. Metallica left everyone dumbfounded. Raw, loud and heavy. Worcester Centrum.

I was at that show!!! Metallica tore it up!!

Agree fully! They were great. I saw that tour also here in NY. Metallica imo, blew him away, and it was probably the only time ever that I went to a concert and experienced that.

These 4 guys ( Cliff days MOP tour ) come out in their jeans and t shirts, with wicked tone and riffs.. only to be followed by a glitter robe wearing Ozzy. He really had no chance against them imo.

I don't even know if it had been the BATM tour, if he would've had a chance. A far cry from Randy's days with him.

Anyway.. that was a special show to see for sure. Wish I would've grabbed a metallica tour shirt that night.

 

[LanierP]

My equivalent was seeing Metallica open for Ozzy in mid eighties during the ultimate sin tour. Metallica left everyone dumbfounded. Raw, loud and heavy. Worcester Centrum.

I was at that show!!! Metallica tore it up!!

Agree fully! They were great. I saw that tour also here in NY. Metallica imo, blew him away, and it was probably the only time ever that I went to a concert and experienced that.

These 4 guys ( Cliff days MOP tour ) come out in their jeans and t shirts, with wicked tone and riffs.. only to be followed by a glitter robe wearing Ozzy. He really had no chance against them imo.

I don't even know if it had been the BATM tour, if he would've had a chance. A far cry from Randy's days with him.

Anyway.. that was a special show to see for sure. Wish I would've grabbed a metallica tour shirt that night.

So true. If memory serves, it was early 86' and the 'Killer of Giants' Tour. I just remember Metallica playing new tunes from their freshly released MOP album, and 'Disposable Heros' making the whole damn Worcester Centrum vibrate and heave with the riffs. Unreal. Burton bass solo was amazing. Then Ozzy in the glitter suit was such a clash to the vibe. I remember Jake E Lee fell into the crowd during the solo of 'I don't know'. He stuck his guitar neck out over the front row and someone grabbed it and pulled him right off the stage. You could hear everyone's hands grabbing the guitar neck. Sounded a bit like Bucketheads 4 finger nub technique. Body guards broke up the mayhem and lifted him back up on stage. He was given his Charvel back and tried to start back into the riff, but his shit was totally out of tune. He threw his guitar clear across the stage and nearly blew out everyone's ears with the resulting 'Kranggggggggg'!!!!! An unforgettable night. Wonder if the guy who posted that he was also at this show remembers that???
Those were the good Ol days.

 

[hammered]

My equivalent was seeing Metallica open for Ozzy in mid eighties during the ultimate sin tour. Metallica left everyone dumbfounded. Raw, loud and heavy. Worcester Centrum.

I was at that show!!! Metallica tore it up!!

Agree fully! They were great. I saw that tour also here in NY. Metallica imo, blew him away, and it was probably the only time ever that I went to a concert and experienced that.

These 4 guys ( Cliff days MOP tour ) come out in their jeans and t shirts, with wicked tone and riffs.. only to be followed by a glitter robe wearing Ozzy. He really had no chance against them imo.

I don't even know if it had been the BATM tour, if he would've had a chance. A far cry from Randy's days with him.

Anyway.. that was a special show to see for sure. Wish I would've grabbed a metallica tour shirt that night.

So true. If memory serves, it was early 86' and the 'Killer of Giants' Tour. I just remember Metallica playing new tunes from their freshly released MOP album, and 'Disposable Heros' making the whole damn Worcester Centrum vibrate and heave with the riffs. Unreal. Burton bass solo was amazing. Then Ozzy in the glitter suit was such a clash to the vibe. I remember Jake E Lee fell into the crowd during the solo of 'I don't know'. He stuck his guitar neck out over the front row and someone grabbed it and pulled him right off the stage. You could hear everyone's hands grabbing the guitar neck. Sounded a bit like Bucketheads 4 finger nub technique. Body guards broke up the mayhem and lifted him back up on stage. He was given his Charvel back and tried to start back into the riff, but his shit was totally out of tune. He threw his guitar clear across the stage and nearly blew out everyone's ears with the resulting 'Kranggggggggg'!!!!! An unforgettable night. Wonder if the guy who posted that he was also at this show remembers that???
Those were the good Ol days.

On the subject of Ozzys '86 Ultimate Sin tour he canceled a Sacramento show then later made it up. Metallica wasn`t advertised as being the opener , no one was for that matter. It didn`t really bother me cause I`d already seen the show in SF a few months earlier. Who did open the show was Blue Oyster Cult , man talk about a killer surprise. A lot of people were chanting Metallica but I had already seen Metallica 3x by then and never had seen BOC and they really put on a good show for the people there that were interested

 

[bonedarrell]

I saw the BS/VH tour in OKC. VH couldn't be stopped. It was a religious experience!!

 

[John 14:6]

The first concert I ever went to was Van Halen in July of 78 at the San Diego Sports Arena. They were just incredible back then.

 

[skoora]

This is a great telling of some VH and meeting Diamond Dave from Henry Rollins...