Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

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Pete
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by Pete »

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news ... -one-show/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Sabbath Cancel All Bar One Show

Black Sabbath have now cancelled all but one of their planned European dates. So which one remains? Read on…

The band will still headline the Download Festival on Sunday, June 10. But all the rest of the European shows will now be played under the name of Ozzy & Friends. Ozzy will be joined by bassist Geezer Butler and guitarist Zakk Wylde.

The reason for this decision is Tony Iommi’s ongoing battle against lymphoma, although it’s being stressed that he continues to make good progress.
In the meantime, Bill Ward has clarified his current position with Sabbath with the following statement:

“As my statement of February 2, 2012 indicated, I have not declined to participate in the Sabbath album and tour. At the earliest opportunity, I am prepared to go to the UK and record, and later tour with the band.
“Last week, we sent further communication to the attorney handling the negotiations to try to reach an agreement. At this time we are waiting to hear back. I remain hopeful for a ’signable’ contract and a positive outcome.
“I want to thank everyone who has voiced and posted their opinions, thoughts, support and love through all media, including the newly constructed sites. I applaud your worldwide reaction in support of the original band. And speaking for myself, your intent and truth will always be respected.
“While believing in your freedom for expression, keep in mind that Tony, Ozzy and Geezer are still my lifetime friends, and I cannot support comments with an objectifying or derogatory theme toward them or their various representatives.
“Many thanks to all of you. You are truly phenomenal.”

Find out more at http://www.blacksabbath.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Sour Mash
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by Sour Mash »

Car Crash
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Pete
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by Pete »

Sour Mash wrote:Car Crash
Agreed. Should wait until Tony is recovered & there is a 'signable' contract in front of Bill, split equally four ways. Then & only then should they reform.

Get well soon Tony.
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Pete
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

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http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news ... k-sabbath/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bill Ward confirms he’s out of Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath have forgotten where they came from, says drummer Bill Ward, as he confirms he won’t participate in their reunion.

He reveals the band wanted him to play a “minimal” part in their Download festival headline slot – while another unnamed musician played the rest of the set.

And he adds the band asked him to appear at their homecoming gig in Birmingham for free.

Ward says he’s heartbroken that people who hoped to see the original lineup on stage in the coming months will be robbed of the experience.

Black Sabbath last year confirmed a new album was in the works which would be the first to feature Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Ward since 1979. The plan included a full world tour.

Later, guitarist Iommi’s cancer battle reduced the live itinerary to just three shows. But in the meantime, Ward told fans he hadn’t been able to cut a “signable” deal with his bandmates.

Now, after months of insisting his bags were packed and he was ready to play, he’s confirmed it won’t happen – and commiserates with followers who were hoping to see the band together on stage one last time.

Ward says: “I sincerely regret to inform you that after a final effort to participate in the upcoming shows, a failure to agree has continued. I won’t be playing at the Birmingham gig on May 19th, nor the Download festival. I will not be playing at Lollapalooza.

“I am passionate in my desire to play with the band and I’m very, very sorry. I was particularly excited to play alongside Tony after the recent treatments he underwent. I wanted that to become a reality.”

Ward says he felt duty-bound to confirm his absence after his brother was stopped in the street by a fan who demanded to know if the drummer would be part of at the Birmingham concert.

“The man’s son is a young drummer,” says the iconic sticksman. “He’s going to see Black Sabbath and he wants to see Bill Ward play drums. Upon hearing this news I felt horrible.

“I couldn’t help feeling some resentment towards the failure to reach an agreement, the failure to remember where we came from – the failure to be brothers, as we once were.”

He insists he levels no blame at his former bandmates, but he had to stand up for his own beliefs, saying: “It can’t be easy for them either. This situation is just really sad.”

But he reports: “In April I’d been asked to participate ‘minimally’ in the Download festival. I believe I’d been offered no more than three songs, while another drummer played the rest of the show with Black Sabbath.

“I was not willing to participate. I was not prepared to watch another drummer play a Sabbath set while I was to play only three songs.”

Discussing the band’s homecoming show he says: “The offer we received on May 9 was: ‘Come to the UK, play for free and see how the first show goes.’ I was tempted – playing for free would not have been a problem. But ‘seeing how the first show goes’ left an element of risk which could have affected Download.

“On the night of May 9 I asked for a letter to be sent to the representative, asking if we were at an end. On the morning of May 10 I received a reply in the affirmative. A decision was made to let go and stop.

“Saying ‘no’ to Birmingham is very difficult for me. My family grew up in Birmingham. Black Sabbath grew up in Birmingham.

“I can’t prioritise the Sabbath fans, making one show more important than the other. All of you are important – it’s all the gigs or none at all. I can’t come to Birmingham and ‘see what happens’ knowing there is a risk of not being able to play Download or Lollapalooza.”

Ward’s message to his audience is: “I don’t know how to amend my part in these failings other than to put my arms around you and say, ‘I love you,’ and let you know I’m very, very sorry.”

In a separate page on his website he thanks Osbourne, Butler and Iommi along with a number of his friends and family, including brother James, to whom he says: “We tried.”

Black Sabbath’s world tour has been replaced by an Ozzy Osbourne and Friends trek. The band are continuing work on the new album with producer Rick Rubin.
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Bay
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by Bay »

But he reports: “In April I’d been asked to participate ‘minimally’ in the Download festival. I believe I’d been offered no more than three songs, while another drummer played the rest of the show with Black Sabbath.
That doesn't sound like a money issue to me, it sounds like Sabbath don't think Bill is healthy enough to play a full show and they still want him to be there. Styx do a similar thing with their bassist who has health issues
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by Father Jack »

We do the same with Ash, though thats more mental issues than anything else. :lol: :lol:
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Pete
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

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http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news ... o-history/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Black Sabbath wipe Bill Ward from photo history
Black Sabbath have updated their website to remove drummer Bill Ward from every photo on their homepage and gallery section.

The move comes after Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler confirmed he’d been replaced for their upcoming reunion shows, after he failed to reach a contractual agreement with the band.

They’ll appear in their home town of Birmingham tomorrow night as a warm-up show for the Download Festival at Donington next month, but haven’t confirmed who’ll be behind the kit.

Ward revealed earlier this week that he’d tried but failed to cut a deal he regarded as “signable”. Last night Sabbath said: “We have decided not to comment. There are two sides to every story.”

But fans were quick to react in fury after the website change, which mirrors Van Halen’s 2007 attempt to airbrush bassist Michael Anthony from their history.

One person put “Black Sabbath’s integrity” on eBay, with a starting price of £1.

Tony Conley of Facebook page 1,000,000 Black Sabbath Fans say Yes to Bill Ward, commented: “That is simply one of the most dastardly, chickenshit things I have ever seen done in my 40-some years of watching rock and roll. Definitely the manoeuvre with the least class, and disrespect.

“Bill’s statements have been filled with love and respect. Black Sabbath’s responses have been shallow and cold.

“Two sides to every story? Then tell yours, Black Sabbath, and stop hiding. If Bill can’t hack it – say so. If he wants more than his share financially – say so. If there is a reasonable explanation for this shameful display, please help us to understand what it is. Currently, you look shameful and sad. That is not how we wish to feel about you.

“Your fans deserve better, Bill deserves better, and you deserve better.”

The band’s official biography retains a quote from singer Ozzy Osbourne: “In my opinion, there’s only ever been one Black Sabbath, and that’s Iommi, Osbourne, Butler and Ward.” That’s reinforced in the official discography, which only includes albums featuring Osbourne.

Five years ago Van Halen replaced Anthony’s image on their back-catalogue covers with those of his replacement, guitarist Eddie’s son Wolfgang. In the band video game Wolfgang was seen performing tracks that had been written and released long before he was born. They later backed down after a massive fan backlash.

Earlier today Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler reported: “Rehearsals are finally finished, and now for the nervous part, playing our home town gig. Remember it’s all in a good cause, since we’ll be donating to the Help For Heroes charity. 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.”
I wonder who's idea this was... :roll:
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tallfruit
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by tallfruit »

it cant just be that sabbath think bill isnt healthy enough if that was the case whats the point of the bullshit they have on the website at the mo , take a look they have cut bill out of every picture its pathetic http://www.blacksabbath.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Bay
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by Bay »

Yeah, as usual it all comes down to money. Here's what Geezer said about it
I feel sad to see the Sabbath reunion becoming a bit of a soap opera on the internet. It has been a very tough year for us as a band, having announced our reunion plans, only for Tony to be diagnosed with lymphoma, leaving us no choice but to postpone the proposed Sabbath tour, and then for Bill to go public on his site about an un-signable contract. None of us knew how Tony was going to respond to his intensive chemo therapy, and radiotherapy. Ozzy and myself flew to England to be with Tony, and on his “good” days, we’d meet at his home studio and put ideas together for the upcoming album, all sitting down together, no drummer involved, just 3 of us quietly putting together ideas. We thought that when we had enough songs together for a full band rehearsal, we’d move back to L.A and put the whole thing together with Bill. Unfortunately, to our surprise, Bill issued a statement on his site saying he’d been offered an un-signable contract. He hadn’t told any one of us he was having contractual problems, and frankly those things are worked out between our representatives, and never between the four of us let alone in public. We had the idea of keeping just one show in this year, hoping that Tony would be well enough for that show, and that things with Bill would be sorted. As you may expect, a one off show at Donnington Festival (Download) costs an absolute fortune to stage, involving over 50 people, transport, air fares, hotels, meals, agents, promotors, accountants, lawyers etc, so none of us, expected to make much money from it- it was a one off Sabbath show for the fans, before we go into recording the new album. Apparently, this wasn’t acceptable to Bill’s representatives, they wanted an amount that was so unrealistic that it seemed to have been a joke. So we resigned ourselves to doing Download without Bill, hoping he’d change his mind and at least make a guest appearance. We started rehearsals a few weeks ago with Tommy Cluefetos, the drummer who will be on the Ozzy and Friends Tour. Brilliant drummer and good bloke. It was decided we’d better do a warm up show, to break the ice since we haven’t played together live. The O2 Academy was available in Birmingham, where we were rehearsing, so we decided on that, and to make a donation to Help For Heroes Charity, since we’d be ironing out any glitches we may have. Then Bill put out a further statement saying he’d been ready to play the Birmingham show , but he was expected to have to do it “for free”- well, I think that’s basically how you raise money from gigs for charity – you play them “for free”.
All I am saying is that there are two sides to everything. I do hope to play with Bill again some day. For whatever reason; it wasn’t meant to be this time. Bill’s made his decision, and I have to respect that. Hopefully this painful year will be worth the wait for the new Sabbath album and end in joy and happiness for all.
Stay frosty,
Geezer
The Birmingham gig was just amazing, Bill Ward was a fool to not be part of that. One of the greatest gigs i have ever attended
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Bay
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by Bay »

tallfruit wrote:it cant just be that sabbath think bill isnt healthy enough if that was the case whats the point of the bullshit they have on the website at the mo , take a look they have cut bill out of every picture its pathetic http://www.blacksabbath.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
That's entirely down to Bill Ward's dumb greedy lawyers
"At the request of Bill Ward, through his attorney, so as to not give the public the wrong impression about his involvement in the current Black Sabbath lineup, we have temporarily removed Bill Ward's images from the main pages of the blacksabbath.com official website. In accordance with Bill Ward's attorney's request, we are doing so for the duration of the forthcoming shows."
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crad
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by crad »

New Sabbath Drummer Named
Tommy Clufetos..
http://loudwire.com/black-sabbath-offic ... bill-ward/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Sour Mash
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by Sour Mash »

tallfruit wrote:it cant just be that sabbath think bill isnt healthy enough if that was the case whats the point of the bullshit they have on the website at the mo , take a look they have cut bill out of every picture its pathetic http://www.blacksabbath.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
with respect mate...Read it properly...Bills Lawyers instructed all his images were removed temporarily sos not to give the impression hes involved with the current Sabbath
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tallfruit
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by tallfruit »

my fault never read it correctly, still gutted i missed the show last night though a couple of friends went and they said it was amazing
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by nicksmithworld »

Band politics aside it was one of the best shows I have ever seen, everyone was up for it, the atmosphere was electric..- it was awesome! :D :D :D
feel free to feel offended, cyber-bullied, put out, outside of the clique, side-lined, marginalised or just generally have the piss taken out of. However it's a JOKE!-Nick's Mirth World!
crad
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Re: Statement from Bill Ward re Sabbath reunion

Post by crad »

Here's a review of the brum show
With video
http://loudwire.com/black-sabbath-mark- ... town-show/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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