The ’80s were no doubt a creative and unique time for horror films, with the vampire sub-genre being one that really hit its stride by the midway to end points of the decade. Over the course of it, fans had their choice of more tongue-in-cheek affairs such as Once Bitten (1985), My Best Friend’s a Vampire (1987), and Vampire’s Kiss (1988), to more straight-forward, well-known and polished classics like The Lost Boys (1987) and Near Dark (also 1987).
But one has always stood out above the rest (yes even more so than the beloved Lost Boys mentioned above), 1985’s Fright Night. Released on August 2 of that year, newcomer Director Tom Holland blended horror and comedy so seamlessly one easily gets lost within its own world.
William Ragsdale plays Charley, who, after figuring out that his neighbor Jerry (Chris Sarandon) is indeed a creature of the night, does all he can in vain to convince his best friend (Stephen Geoffreys) and girl (Amanda Bearse) of his findings. When they don’t “bite,” he enlists the help of a somewhat passed-his-prime horror show host in the form of Peter Vincent (played brilliantly by the late Roddy McDowall in a tribute to both Vincent Price and Peter Cushing).
From then on, the fun truly begins, leading to a surprisingly atmospheric, good vs. evil film where the young heroes are fighting for their lives while their cries for help to parents and/or authorities just land on deaf ears. What begins as a battle of wits comes down to a classic life-or-death battle in the finale.
A sequel, simply titled Fright Night Part 2, emerged three years later in 1988, and an eventual glossly remake came out in 2011, but neither were able to fully capture the magic of the original. I can still remember discovering it for the first time on TV late at night as a kid, and knowing I was watching something truly unique (everything down to the poster artwork to even the music just felt perfectly placed). As the old saying goes, “They don’t make ’em like they used to.” If you give Fright Night a visit again anytime soon, you’re sure to see why.
Nearly a decade ago now, I was able to catch Jack Russell’s Great White in Daytona (with fellow ’80s acts FireHouse and Bobby Blotzer’s Ratt) back in late 2016. It was an exceptionally fun October night that I now hold even more dearly in my memories since Russell’s passing last year.
So when I heard that the current lineup of Great White would be heading to the Hard Rock Live Orlando (with direct support from Slaughter), I knew I had to finally catch the original version of the band live after all these years (you may also recall my recent interview with founding guitarist Mark Kendall last month where we also spoke about the show).
I’m happy to report that this latest incarnation of the band – which has seen its share of frontmen come and go since Russell’s tenure and leading up to current lead singer Brett Carlisle – are indeed doing the band’s legacy justice (despite being a tad on the “safe” side while live now).
After indulging (just a tad) at the next door Hard Rock Cafe with the family/usual suspects (the wife Brooke and son Jacob, each photographers), we were in the venue with ample time to catch openers Slaughter, who were surprisingly one of the few bands still left from their era that I had yet to see live.
The band came out with guns a-blazin’, opening with the fiery “Mad About You,” and it was instantly clear it was worth the wait all these years for Slaughter. Two more tracks from the band’s 1990 debut album followed in the form of “Burnin’ Bridges” and “Spend My Life” before “Unknown Destination” took things in another direction.
Slaughter bassist Dana Strum (left) and vocalist Mark Slaughter gave it everything they had this past Saturday night at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando. (Photo by Brooke Striewski)
“Eye to Eye,” “Days Gone By,” and “Real Love” all followed before the lighters (or more accurately these days, cell phones) came out for the timeless power ballad “Fly to the Angels.” This of course paved way for their epic anthem “Up All Night,” which had the crowd pumping their fists to the very last note. But the guys still had a little life left in them, and jammed out to a section of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” before they fully wrapped things up
And finally, Great White hit the stage just after 9:30pm. Opening with the modest “Desert Moon” (honestly not one of my favorites from them) before things getting kicked up a notch via “Lady Red Light” and “Stick It” (The latter of which much more up my alley and one of my personal favorites. Also to note, I heard a much older fan beside me shout “You were just a baby!” during its introduction, and I’m still not sure if she was referring to me, or possibly Carlisle on stage).
Things slowed down yet again for the more blues-ly numbers “Rollin’ Stoned” and “House of Broken Love,” as well as the first power ballad of their set, “The Angel Song.” “Mista Bone,” “Gonna Getcha,” and “Big Goodbye” each kept the momentum going.
Great White frontman Brett Carlisle (left) in the moment with guitarist/co-founder Mark Kendall at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL this past Saturday, 8-23-25. (Photo by Brooke Striewski)
Before we knew it, the night was already winding down as the band launched into one of their most well-known tender tracks, “Save Your Love.” And at last, one of the greatest ’80s hard rock/glam/hair metal anthems of all time, “Rock Me,” followed before the band called it a day with their signature Ian Hunter cover, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.”
Leading up to the show, I saw some negative online comments, criticizing the band for still going without “most” of their original members. Not only is it impossible to do when at least two of your said original members have since passed away, but as I explained to my son, whatever the current version of the band may be, these groups are still keeping the music itself alive as best as they can, and I’ll still take what I can get over nothing at all (just look at the recent major loss to the music world with Ozzy Osbourne, for example), and I’ve got nothing bad to say about the current versions of neither Great White, nor Slaughter.
Back in late 2018, Rewind It Magazine were commissioned to cover a Pretty Boy Floyd show in Daytona Beach, FL (with Nova Rex on the same bill). Unfortunately by the time we had made it, PBF were already on their last song of the night, and we had effectively missed the majority of their set, although some mingling with members of the band still did ensue afterwards (there’s still several photos from this night out there on all of our socials).
Nearly seven full years later, Pretty Boy Floyd were making their way back to our neck of the woods again (thanks in part to those at Lazer Focused Talent Agency for inviting them to come to town), and I knew we had to finally be there to get the full effect of their set this time around. And after some back-and-forth online conversing with frontman Steve Summers, plans were in place once again for Rewind It to review their show in Sanford, FL on Friday, August 15.
The moment my always-reliable wife/photographer Brooke and I arrived to the venue, I had reservations whether or not I would be able to actually make it to the end of the night (those of you die-hard Rewind It readers out there may actually recall I had recent surgery to my left ankle that I’m still recovering from). Thankfully, a member from the crew that night recognized my dilemma and graciously located a chair for me to use for the evening (thanks again, Mark).
Local act Magi were the first to take stage, and I was instantly intrigued by their throwback ’70s look (including an open-chested shirt adorned by their frontman a la Robert Plant) and sound. Songs like “Sun and Moon” and a cover of Cream’s “White Room” were all spot-on, and you could tell the chemistry of this group came together organically.
Sunset Rebellion were up next, and definitely matched the energy (though not necessarily the sound) of the previous group. The band fused more modern rock genres like alternative metal and post-grunge, and their lead singer was all over the stage for tracks like “Godzilla” (Blue Oyster Cult cover) and “Rebellion.”
And at last, ’80s rockers Pretty Boy Floyd hit the stage just after ten o’clock, and it was clear that everyone in that room was in for nothing but a good time from then on. Opening with “Your Mama Won’t Know” from their 1989 debut album was the perfect segue to tracks like “Toast of the Town” (their first Motley Crue cover of the night) and the anthem “Leather Boys with Electric Toyz.”
“Wild Angels,” “Live Wire” (another Crue classic) and “48 Hours” all followed, and were equally entertaining as the banter in between songs from frontman Summers (which was downright hilarious on more than one occasion). Somewhat newer number “Good Girl Gone Bad” followed before “Rock and Roll Outlaws,” “The Last Kiss,” and “Saturday Nite” kept the party going.
“Public Enemy #1” (the third and final Motley Crue cover of the night) followed before things slowed down a bit for the classic power ballad “I Wanna Be With You.” “Love Sick” was squeezed in before the band ended the night on a high note with their answer to KISS, “Rock and Roll (Is Gonna Set the Night on Fire)” brought the house down.
No sooner than the band exited stage were all four members – Summers, bassist DieTrich Thrall (also of Lords of Acid), and newcomers Matt Muckle (drums, also of German hard rock act Kingdom Come) and guitar shredder Jake Curtis Allard (the mind behind Midnight Maniac) all stuck around to hang with their fans/newfound friends (yours truly included) and pose for pics/sign any and all merch for them.
Pretty Boy Floyd frontman Steve Summers (left) with the author Jesse Striewski after Friday’s show at the West End Trading Co. in Sanford, FL on 8-15-25 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).
Often times it’s easy to find plenty of naysayers – usually just know-it-all online keyboard warriors who have never really done anything of much significance themselves – who like to put down or write-off bands like Pretty Boy Floyd. But these guys are still out there keeping the flame alive and giving every ounce of energy they’ve got, night in and night out (tonight they’ll also be playing Piper’s Pub in Pompano Beach before they eventually venture over to Texas).
Their shows are still full of plenty of vigor and enthusiasm (and as fun as can be), and with so many of the old guard now either retiring or worse, I’m glad to still have bands like Pretty Boy Floyd (as well as Great White and Slaughter, who Rewind It will also be covering next weekend in Orlando) around to provide a great night out like they did this past Friday. The moment I hear the band are coming to town again, I’ll likely be the first in line for it.
The first thing my teenaged son said to me upon realizing I was reading the new memoir via Blink-182 bassist/vocalist/co-founder Mark Hoppus (with Dan Ozzi) was, “But, you’re not really a fan.” While it’s true I’m far from a die-hard when it comes to Blink’s brand of pop punk (though I’ll still take them over Green Day any day of the week), I’m still able to find value in nearly any music-related autobiography, especially ones that offer such fascinating insight.
Beginning with his upbringing in the Mojave Deseret that included a tumultuous divorce of his parents, it eventually leads up to the formation of Blink-182 shortly after his move to San Diego to attend college.
Each monumental moment, from meeting and writing with band co-founder Tom DeLonge, touring in a van in the early days, firing original drummer Scott Raynor (who I legitimately hope he mends ties with again someday) and eventually finding Travis Barker, rising to the highest heights only to have them stripped away on more than one occasion, and ultimately battling cancer, it’s all covered here.
As someone who also once played bass and gigged around in a van with a punk band (albeit on a much smaller scale), it’s as easy to find to find common ground with Hoppus as it is breezing through his memoir.
After laying dormant for over three decades, The Naked Gun has finally been resurrected with Liam Neeson in place of the late legend Leslie Neilsen. It’s not easy to bring back something once held with such regard though, and that’s surely proven here.
Nesson plays Frank Drebin, Jr., the son of Neilsen’s original character. He meets the beautiful bombshell Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson) after her brother is suspiciously murdered, and a rather uninteresting plot to uncover some shady corporate cover-up (headed by Danny Huston) ensues.
The two leads do work together well, resulting in some humorous moments (the montage with the snowman played to the tune of Starship’s “Nothing Gonna Stop Us” was rather amusing), and there’s even a couple of cameos from series regulars like Priscilla Presley and “Weird Al” Yankovic (blink and you might miss the former). But the laugh-out-loud jokes are way to widespread, and viewers were already given a quarter of the film via trailers prior to ever even stepping foot in a theater.
The original Naked Gun film series was comic gold, and it speaks volumes that the producers of this film did not even reach out to either of the Zucker brothers behind it for this one. But I can remember going to see Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult when it came out in 1994 (I think even on opening night if memory serves correct) and thinking “this isn’t that good in comparison to the first two films.” I got that very same feeling again while watching this one.
The original Happy Gilmore was Adam Sandler in his prime; I can remember sitting there in the theater laughing with friends in 1996, just one year after he began his domination of modern comedy with 1995’s Billy Madison. It was harmless enough fun that we relished in back in those days.
Happy Gilmore 2 is definitely…a different story. It starts off innocently enough, with Happy (Sandler) washed up and at rock bottom. With the help of his (mostly grown) kids (one of which is played by one of Sandlers’ real-life children to appear in the film, Sunny Sandler), he reaches sobriety and returns to professional golf while battling a new competitive league called Maxi Golf.
The premise/setup alone is fine, but the execution is muddled with far too many crude, over-the-top jokes that often fall flat. The nostalgia and throwback references are definitely there, as are many familiar faces (Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, and Ben Stiller all return from the first film, among others), and the supporting roles and cameos are far too many to even mention (though real-life pro golfer John Daly is perfect in an extreme version of his self, and modern WWE legend Becky Lynch is always pleasing on the eyes no matter what she may be in).
Whereas the first Happy Gilmore was ripe with quick one-liners and had it’s own unique, quaint charm, this belated sequel tries to cram in as much absurdity as it can within its two hour runtime and hopes you overlook all of its many flaws (much like another recent Sandler vehicle, Hubie Halloween). Again, the concept is there, but the heart of it mostly falls through the cracks; a little less would’ve likely gone a lot further this time around.
This week has without a doubt been one of the most trying in the world of entertainment in recent memory, especially for all of us who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s such as myself.
First, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who we watched grow up before our eyes as Theo Huxtable on TheCosby Show from 1984-92, passed away after a tragic drowning in the beginning of the week way too soon at just the age of 54.
Before that loss could even be fully processed, one of the original architects and godfathers of heavy metal music itself, the iconic Ozzy Osbourne, succumbed to his battle with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 76.
And now, the unmistakable giant that was Hulk Hogan, who almost single-handily shaped the WWE – and sports entertainment as a whole – as we know it today, passed away yesterday at the age of 71. His presence was seemingly everywhere at the time when the country (and the world itself) was a much more simpler, unified place.
Hulk Hogan was born Terry Bollea in Augusta, GA on August 11, 1953, but grew up mainly in the southwest coast of Florida. It’s there that he began working and bodybuilding at gyms, as well as playing the bass guitar in local bands as a teenager.
After a year of training under Hiro Matsuda, Hogan made his wrestling debut for the CWF promotion against Brian Blair in Ft. Myers, FL on August 10, 1977. He quickly made his way through other promotions such as the CWA and NWA, the latter of which he would win his first championship of his career with on December 1, 1979.
Hogan made his debut with the WWF (now the WWE) around this time as well after Vince McMahon, Sr. saw something special in him. He made his debut with the company on November 17, 1979, and would stay with them until 1981, when he was dropped for the filming of Rocky III, eventually released in 1982.
He kept busy working, initially as a heel for Verne Gagne in the AWA and in the NJPW prior to returning to the WWF at Vince McMahon, Jr.’s insistence. He made his official return on December 27, 1983, and after defeating The Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden on January 23, 1984, Hulkamania was officially born.
By March 31, 1985, Hogan was headlining the inaugural Wrestlemania alongside Mr. T (who Hogan had also appeared on The A-Team with) where the two defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper. Further Wrestlemanias and championships would continue, as well as rivalries with Piper, Andre the Giant, and The Ultimate Warrior, and alliances with the likes of “Macho Man” Randy Savage. There were even cross-promotions with MTV that propelled them all to further stardom.
It was somewhere among all of this pop culture phenomenon that a kid from New Jersey started becoming a megafan, and I’m told was doing “The Hulk” (a sort of “grr” sound with a combo flex move) at a very young age. I can remember going to sleepovers and even Cub Scout meetings where Hulk Hogan action figures and even Wrestling Buddies (basically pillows shaped like your favorite wrestlers) were everywhere.
I wasn’t there when Hogan hit the big screen with his first starring role in 1989’s No Holds Barred (though I should by all means still have a copy of it on VHS somewhere), but I was there in the theater when he made a cameo in 1990’s Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and for 1991’s Suburban Commando (quite possibly the first movie I went to see after relocating from New Jersey to Florida, to).
In the ’90s, Hogan of course went to the WCW and formed the nWo stable with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, turning heel once again. His fame grew over the course of the decade or so with shows like 1993’s Thunder in Paradise, and the reality series Hogan Knows Best in 2005 (the same year he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame).
By the time I made it to my first WWE match in 2022 (ironically at the Ocean Center in Daytona where Hogan had turned heel all of those years prior in 1996) and covered both Raw and SmackDown for Rewind It Magazine in Orlando the following year, Hogan was of course far from the mat. But his presence was no doubt felt at each and everyone of these events.
Tributes again poured out far and wide yesterday as they had for the previously-mentioned celebrities, but the ugliness and downright hatred that was present this time around reached new lows. Hogan was far from perfect, and made mistakes over the course of his lifetime (many of which he had since apologized for), but show me someone who hasn’t, or any human being who is absolutely “perfect” for that matter, especially by the standards of these spiteful, degenerate keyboard warriors of the world right now.
But I think the situation was best summed up last evening by a tweet via the Reverend Damien Thaddeus Jones; “Hulk Hogan was not a perfect person and neither are you. Hulk Hogan is a global icon, unlike you. Hulk Hogan surrendered to Christ and will be in Heaven. Many of you are judging him for one mistake. He will be remembered for all of his positive impacts on millions.”
Ozzy Osbourne. So few names in history have been as universally recognized or needed as little to no introduction as he has. Even just the word “Ozzy” alone is enough to invoke an array of memories and emotions for nearly any functional adult that’s been paying attention for the past five plus decades (including those who aren’t even necessarily “fans”).
Not even three weeks ago I was researching and writing about Ozzy’s life in preparation for his final, “Back to the Beginning” show both as a solo artist, and as a member of the pioneering heavy metal act Black Sabbath that he had co-founded alongside Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward so many years ago back in 1968. Like so many others, I watched with my family as Ozzy and company said their farewells on stage from Birmingham, England. And like so many others, I mourned at the news of his passing yesterday, just seventeen days after that monumental final show.
I considered the fact that writing about both Ozzy and Sabbath again so closely after the last time might run the risk of some redundancy, but how could I not do a full tribute for such a deserving figure? That being said, I decided I would not get too detailed here, and would try to focus more on conveying what Ozzy has meant to me personally, rather than give a straight history lesson on his life alone.
As previously stated, Osbourne began his musical journey in the late 1960’s as a member of Black Sabbath, who are largely considered to this day to be the forefathers of heavy metal music. The band released their first self-titled album in 1970, and Osbourne stayed with them throughout the rest of the decade before his erratic behavior brought on by drugs and alcohol saw him dismissed from the band shortly after 1978’s Never Say Die! album.
A comeback of epic proportions ensued in the following decade when, with the aid of new manager (and future wife) Sharon and a hotshot new guitarist by the name of Randy Rhoads helped get Ozzy in shape for a solo career that started with 1980’s Blizzard of Oz record.
A string of albums, including 1981’s Diary of a Madman (the final before Rhoads’ untimely death in a plane accident), 1983’s Bark at the Moon, 1986’s The Ultimate Sin, and 1988’s No Rest FortheWicked (the latter of which the first to feature longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde) cemented Osbourne’s role as the “Prince of Darkness.”
By 1991’s No More Tears LP, I was beginning to really start to appreciate Ozzy’s music, just as it seemed as though he might be ready to retire from it. Thankfully for me though that was not the case, and just two years after the release of 1995’s Ozzmosis album I would be seeing him on stage for the first time, both as a solo artist, and as a member of the reunited Black Sabbath (sans Bill Ward on drums) at the 1997 Ozzfest. It was an epic experience I only wish I had soaked in a little longer.
Around this same time, I had also started playing the bass guitar and even started my first garage band, ironically with two of my fellow friends/classmates that I had attended said Ozzfest with in the ’90s. I would practice that bass for hours, likely driving my family insane (my poor parents were the ones who even gifted me the instrument in the first place) as I learned many an Ozzy or Sabbath song, some for band practices, some just for fun (I was dumbfounded the first time I ever made my way through “Crazy Train” from start to finish, which to the best of my memory was the first song I ever learned to play in its entirety).
Several years later, I would see Ozzy and Sabbath on stage once again, this time for the 2004 Ozzfest, and this time with the entire original lineup together at last, including Bill Ward. I remember driving all the way from essentially Orlando to Tampa directly after getting off of work (something that would likely not be possible for me nowadays) to make the show, and sitting on the lawn by my lonesome (my girlfriend at the time and her friends all left early for whatever reason) before someone graciously handed me an upgraded ticket about eleven rows back from the stage. From there, the party truly began, and even Ozzy’s wife, Sharon, was there to introduce the band at the height of the Osbournes’ newfound reality TV show fame, too.
I had a chance to go to one more Ozzfest in 2007, but at the time I was still a relatively new father, and it just wasn’t the feasible thing to do just then (no doubt something I now regret to some degree in hindsight).
But by 2010, something equally as exciting as watching your heroes live happened. I had worked my way into music journalism as a freelancer by that point, and was given the chance to interview original Sabbath drummer and longtime bandmate to Ozzy, Bill Ward. I could not believe my luck as I actually spoke to this living legend on the phone as he recounted many of his historic memories with me that day (I would have a similar experience a few years later in 2018 when I also interviewed former Ozzy bassist Phil Soussan for Rewind It Magazine).
By 2023, my own son was old enough to not only start appreciating many of these moments, but also start taking part in some of them, too. First by seeing the reunited Pantera with said Ozzy axeman Zakk Wylde in place of the late Dimebag Darrell (who ironically was also there at that ’97 Ozzfest as an opening band so many years prior), but also meet one of Osbourne’s own offspring, Jack Osbourne, that same summer as well (see photo below).
The author (second from right) with (from left to right) Brooke Striewski (wife), Jack Osbourne, and Jacob Striewski (son) at Spookala on 6-10-23.
When the devastating news of Osbourne’s passing first began making waves yesterday afternoon, I knew the impact would be like none other before it. Every musician or artist of any kind that I follow were each posting their own unique tributes to this person that affected so many lives, and even friends and family were reaching out to me as though I had lost someone close to me (which in a way we all had). The only response that made any sense to me at the time was to simply gather all of my Ozzy and Sabbath records, CD’s, tapes, and concert ticket stubs and put them all together as a shrine of sorts (see photo below).
Various Ozzy Osbourne-related items from the author’s personal collection.
I found it appalling that there was also somehow still a sub-sect of people out there posting negative comments online about Osbourne, calling him “problematic” among other ignorant things. One such person even went as far as saying he had “never done anything good” during his time here, but based off of the $190 million Osbourne’s final concert raised alone for Parkinson’s and other charities, I’d say that’s a fairly false observation (and it has got to be exhausting to be that way).
As I’m sure he was to so many others, Ozzy was like that second dad – or at the very least that unhinged uncle your parents don’t want you spending too much time around (I’ve often related my own father, whose date of birth is only separated from Ozzy’s by a mere ten days, to him). In an even stranger turn of events, Ozzy not only left this world in the same manner as my late uncle Joe, but also on the same anniversary of my late cousin Scott Striewski, who was a born rocker through and through, that passed away on July 22, 1998.
The influence Ozzy Osbourne had on both music and the world itself is immeasurable, and the lasting impact he’s had and will continue to have for generations to come, is indescribable. He was a legend we loved while he was here with us, and a beloved icon that will now forever remain in each of our hearts until the end of time. Goodbye, Ozzy.
When it comes to elite rock/metal guitarists, there’s typically a select few that come to mind for most, whether it be Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Joe Perry, or the late, great, Eddie Van Halen. But for my money Great White lead guitarist Mark Kendall has always deserved a spot at the table nearby these greats, and the band he co-founded more than four decades ago now has been fairly underrated in many of the annals of rock history (at least in my opinion).
So when I had the chance to speak to Kendall from his home via phone this past Tuesday, July 15 ahead of Great White’s upcoming Orlando date at the Hard Rock Live on Saturday, August 23 (which Rewind It Magazine will also be there to cover), I was both completely prepared for it, and elated.
I was glad to hear that I was the first interview of the day for him as we each settled in for our morning (or in my case in the time zone I’m in, early afternoon) cups of coffees. One of the first things I asked was when the last time the band had hit the central, FL market, to which he replied, “I’m not really sure. I know we played some shows in Ft. Lauderdale, FL last year, but as far as Orlando itself I don’t think we’ve been there for awhile, so we’re pretty excited to be returning.”
He continued; “We used to play the Spring Break programs with MTV and at one point were kind of like the back up band playing on the beach, so a lot of memories there in that sense. Just Florida in general has always been a great experience with the best fans for us.”
Flyer for upcoming Great White/Slaughter show at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on Saturday, August 23.
Great White have been more or less knocking out shows across the U.S. since the start of 2025 with various bands (namely current tour mates Slaughter), so I was curious what some of the highlights have been on the tour so far. He informed me; “We played kind of a small area called Elko, NV recently and the fans were just crazy, and it was really a good show! Since we don’t tour like we did back in the day on a bus where we’re gone from home and touring for like a year and a half, we’ll just go out and play maybe one or two shows then go back home, so there’s a lot more flying involved now. But the fun part about it though is getting to play with a lot of bands we never played with before back in the day that we respect like Styx and REO Speedwagon. So we’re meeting these guys that we knew from afar but never really knew personally, so that’s kind of fun.”
Kendall furthered his point; “And we basically grew up with our fans, so it’s fun to see fans from back then still rocking, and the new generations that come along with them, too. A lot of times like with our parents, the music was so far removed from what we were listening to as teenagers that we couldn’t really relate to their music. But with the parents of today that our introducing their kids to our stuff and the like, I think most of them realize ‘Hey, these guys rock pretty hard!'”
I was wondering how far back the band’s history with said tour mates Slaughter went, and he told me; “We have a lot of history with Slaughter! For one thing they’re on the same agency as us. We never toured with them per se, but I’ve known Mark (Slaughter, vocalist) since he was about nineteen when he was with Vinnie Vincent (in the Vinnie Vincent Invasion), so we’re pretty good friends. When we play together we always have a great night, and I think we give the fans their money’s worth.”
With a catalog that spans thirteen full studio albums, I was curious as to what songs he looked forward to playing the most each night, as well as any tracks from the vault he might possibly like to unearth someday. He told me; “Well, I like what they call the ‘deep cuts,’ you know songs that weren’t really on the radio maybe as much as some of the others (or at all). One thing I also like is when we maybe extend jams because we don’t really know what’s going to happen with those, so you know that makes it kind of exciting. Of course I still like playing “Rock Me” because it creates a lot of memories for me.”
He continued his thoughts further; “When you finish an album and the record company comes down to the studio, you kind of look at them to see how they’re reacting, and I remember them getting real excited when they first heard that song (“Rock Me”). It was our first really big hit, and it was our third album! Before that we had to grind it out, and went out and toured with Judas Priest, Whitesnake, and Europe for our first album. And when we came home, the record company wasn’t that excited, so they dropped us off the label! So now we have no record deal, no money, and we had just toured for almost a year and now we’ve got to start over? I mean how tough is this business?” (Laughs)
Kenndall explained some more; “So then we made our second record on our own by borrowing money and got a hit on a L.A. radio station, which was enough to get the attention of Capitol Records. They ended up coming down to see the band play, and now we’ve got our second opportunity, so now we’ve got to get it right! To get a second chance is a miracle, but we didn’t think a third chance was going to happen, so to come out with our third album and a song that excited a big label like Capitol like that was truly a wonderful situation. So we got our first big hit and sold a million records! (Laughs) And we’ve played that song a lot now, but it’s always for a different audience, and it’s always a nice feeling with all of those memories attached to it.”
He wrapped up his thoughts by saying; “This year we’ve pulled out some songs that we maybe haven’t played in twenty-five years. We’re playing “Stick It” in the set now, which is from our very first album. And even though it didn’t do too well at the time, we gained a fanbase, so it wasn’t a waste of time or like we were going out on those early tours totally cold. But believe it or not, when we change just two or three songs in the set list, it gives the set a whole new look just by doing that. We try to grab something from as many albums as we can, but we can easily get thirteen or fourteen songs in with a ninety minute set.”
While most people were busy tossing their VHS collections as soon as they went out of style, I continued to expand my own with anything and everything ‘old school’ I could find. One such film was 1987’s Maid to Order with the baby-faced Ally Sheedy, which also featured a brief appearance from Great White at a party scene as a backing band called the Loaded Blanks (which I honestly did not catch on to until maybe a few years back). So of course I had to pick Kendall’s brain a little on what that experience was like, and he filled me in; “It was a medium that we weren’t really used to (movie-making), so that was a lot of fun to be a part of. We played the backing band for the maid played by Merry Clayton, who’s actually a kick-ass singer!”
He continued; “We learned a few things along the way, and there were these guys on the crew who kept sneaking this little frog somewhere in every scene, but not telling the director! So you can watch the movie and be like, ‘Look there’s that frog!’ (Laughs) And the extras that played our roadies in our scenes were crazy! We would go out to the garage and be snipping on a bottle of whiskey with them after we had just got done talking with Ally Sheedy in the kitchen (Laughs), so it was a lot of fun.”
He continued; “And back then we were also in the Joe Piscopo special for HBO where we played the backing band while he played Frank Sinatra. And I came jumping threw the air while playing the solo and he said ‘Marvelous and wonderful guitar!’ (Laughs) So it was just a blast.”
Back in 2019, I was also able to speak with former Great White singer, the late Jack Russell for Rewind It Magazine, and I asked him a similar question at the time as one from earlier regarding what songs really affected him while performing live the most, to which he answered the power ballad “Save Your Love” was a very emotional/spiritual experience for him. I asked Mark if he felt somewhat similar while performing it, to which he stated; “For me it’s a great memory because I was working with a guy named Stephen who was in the band briefly on guitar and keyboards before Michael Lardie joined. We wrote that song and it was almost all Stephen’s music, and I kind of changed it around to be an acoustic song, but we didn’t use it until later. And Stephen passed away a few years ago, so that’s kind of a fond memory for me.”
He went on; “That’s cool that it was emotional for Jack. For me, it wasn’t a huge hit, but when we played arenas, every Bic lighter was going (Laughs). So with our fans that like our band, it was a hit to them. I don’t know if I’m as emotionally attached to it as Jack was – maybe the song meant something to him with a girlfriend or a wife or somebody in his life perhaps. But it was a nice song, and every band had their own ballad of sorts back in the day.”
Regarding Jack Russell, who left us nearly a year ago now last August, Kendall elaborated with hindsight; “We were the best of friends and did everything together. He had gotten into some trouble maybe three or four months after I first met him, so I had to start a band (Dante Fox) from scratch and even had a chick singer at first until he was able to get out, and then we took him over the singer we had and things kind of developed from there.”
He continued further; “A lot of the memories from when we first met, being at his parents house with these huge dreams – we were doing interviews like you and I are doing right now with cassette players acting like we had made it. (Laughs) We used to pretend like we were playing the Forum, and then we ended up actually playing it. All the stuff we dreamed about we really believed it. And it all happened, so that’s pretty surreal.”
Kendall ended his thoughts by saying; “We were very close. I don’t think we ever had a single argument our entire careers, but it’s just unfortunate that addiction is what separated us. It wasn’t anything personal, and I still loved him to death. But when we separated, I just wanted him to get well and come back to be the best, most kick-ass Jack Russell possible. And although it didn’t really happen that way, that does not take away decades of us touring the world, and all of the shared memories we had together. I’m not going to let addiction take that away from me, because those were just awesome years, man.”
There’s a reason why I chose the specific, early ’70s backstage photo of Black Sabbath above that I did to be the starting point for this article; it was the first image of the heavy metal originators that I can recall ever seeing, adorning the walls of my bedroom throughout most of my high school years and beyond.
Sabbath were indeed the starting point for many a new fan of rock music, and I was no exception. As a young bass player, I spent countless hours cutting my teeth to Geezer Butler’s bass lines, especially from the first two albums, Black Sabbath and Paranoid (each released in 1970), which were my own introductions to the metal legends (I can’t honestly remember which one was first exactly, though I’m fairly certain I obtained each within a short period of time of one another).
The roots of Black Sabbath as we all know now can be traced back to Birmangham, England in 1968, when guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward enlisted wild card frontman Ozzy Osbourne on vocals. The foursome went through several name changes – first going by The Polka Tulk Blues Band and then Earth before wisely settling on Black Sabbath after the Boris Karlof film of the same name, by 1969.
After relentlessly working the regional club circuit, the band released their aforementioned debut effort in 1970, quickly followed by Paranoid, each laying the groundwork to what we now call heavy metal, with respective classics such as “Black Sabbath,” “N.I.B.,” “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and of course, “Paranoid” contained on each.
1971’s Master of Reality found the band further perfecting their sound with the likes of “Sweet Leaf,” “Children of the Grave,” and “Into the Void,” while the production of 1972’s Vol. 4 was fueled by drug-induced studio time (see, “Snowblind”), though saw the band at their lighter side with “Changes” (a track Osbourne would later duet on with his daughter, Kelly, many years after in 2003).
It can be argued the band peaked by 1973’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath album, which contained such gems and heavy-hitters as “A National Acrobat,” “Sabbra Cadabra,” and its unforgettable title track.
By 1975’s Sabatoge album, cracks at the seems were becoming more and more noticeable, punctuated further by 1976’s experimental Technical Ecstasy album, an effort Butler would later describe in a 2001 interview as “The beginning of the end, really.”
By 1978’s Never Say Die! album, the ongoing substance abuse and management/legal issues had finally taken their tolls, culminating with Dave Walker of Fleetwood Mac/Savoy Brown briefly taking over for Osbourne before his eventual return to finish the album/tour (most notable for having then-up-and-comers Van Halen as openers outshining their own headliners). Regardless, Osbourne would be out before the turn of the new decade.
By 1980 Sabbath were primed for a comeback with former Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio in Osbourne’s place for the Heaven and Hell album, while Ozzy was being brought back to life for a solo career via manager and future wife, Sharon. The resulting album Blizzard of Oz, featuring guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoades (R.I.P.), quickly became one of metal’s greatest albums of all time.
While Ozzy continued to grow his solo career with more hit records in the form of 1981’s Diary ofa Madman and 1983’s Bark at the Moon, Sabbath struggled and declined after one more album with Dio (1981’s Mob Rules), which marked a succession of singers and lineups throughout the 1980s and early ’90s that included the likes of Ian Gillan, Glen Hughes, and Tony Martin (just to name a few) at the forefront, while Iommi remained the only consistent original member throughout each and every one of these incarnations.
A brief comeback with Dio and drummer Vinny Appice would produce the admirable Dehumaninzer album in 1992, but that lineup again fizzled out again before it ever really got started. After a couple more mediocre efforts with Tony Martin on vocals (1994’s CrossPurposes and 1995’s Forbidden), Iommi likely finally saw the writing on the wall and came to his senses.
Then in 1997, the unthinkable happened – Iommi reunited with Osbourne and Butler for a partial reunion (Ward was not physically up to the task at that moment in time, so the band enlisted Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin instead) to co-headline the ’97 Ozzfest alongside of Ozzy’s solo band.
I was a freshmen in high school at the time, and even then I knew how monumental of an event this was. So it was surreal to find myself there with my friends and bandmates at the West Palm Beach, FL show that Memorial Day for only my second concert ever (I had caught AC/DC at the same venue the year prior).
A live album, fittingly titled Reunion, was released the following year in 1998 as the band continued to tour into the 2000’s and rebuild their fanbase. By 2004, I found myself at another Ozzfest, this time in Tampa, FL (with Judas Priest and Slayer in direct support, each with their own reunions of sorts), and this time the entire original lineup of Iommi/Butler/Osbourne/Ward intact.
Ticket stubs from the two Ozzfests the author attended in 1997 and 2004, respectively, with noticeable damage to the former stub from smoke/incense.
The 2004 show particularly stands out as one of the better concerts I’ve seen in my lifetime. I had met my girlfriend at the time there with some of her friends, who decided to leave the show – and effectively me – early before Sabbath’s set.
As I sat by my lonesome on the lawn watching the show, a worker for the venue – who must’ve sensed my despair – very generously handed me an upgraded ticket stub closer to the stage in the seated area (I was convinced whoever this person was, had to have been sent there by the rock Gods). It felt somewhat like the ending scene of Detroit Rock City, where the group of teens finally make it to the KISS show after everything they had been through.
But I digress; I got to the closer seat, which was positioned right next to a couple who were having the time of their lives, and welcomed me with open arms to the party. I was in awe watching the legends before me on the stage with my newfound friends that night, way closer than I had ever imagined I would be (I might’ve even got a little misty-eyed at some point, most likely during “Snowblind”).
Yet I can’t say for sure if that was my favorite personal Sabbath moment, or if it was the next one. In 2010, I was still going to school for Journalism and rapidly growing my portfolio as a freelancer in music-related writing. I had already done a couple major interviews when the chance to interview Bill Ward – who was actually writing a monthly column in the very same national magazine that I was contributing to at the time – presented itself to me.
I couldn’t believe it as I sat there on the phone beside myself with one of the originators of heavy metal. There were so many things I couldn’t wait to pick his brain about (and even more that I wish I had in hindsight), and it still remains one of the friendliest, most easy-going interviews I’ve done to this day.
Partial excerpt from the author’s 2010 interview with original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward for Hails and Horns Magazine.
So I was a little more than disappointed to see the band would be putting out a final album (2013’s 13) and embarking on a “final” tour that each did not feel right without Ward included. Like many, I watched clips of the band performing their last show in Birmingham, England from afar on February 4, 2017, but felt just a tad cheated (and no offense to drummer Tommy Clufetos, who did his best with the given situation).
So when it was announced last year that the band would finally be doing it properly, with all four original members in tow once again, I was more than happy to hear it.
Official flyer for the bands final show in Birmingham, England today, Saturday, July 5.
As we soon watch the band take their final bows together today, I know my mind will be racing with my own memories of them as previously mentioned. I know I’m not just saying goodbye to a group of strangers, but rather some of the guys who actually helped mold and shape me into the man I am today, while also saying goodbye to yet another era, and another part of myself, now long gone.
Together again; the original Black Sabbath (left to right, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward) reunited ahead of their final show in Birmingham, England on Saturday, July 5, 2025 (Photo by Ross Halfin).
To Tony, Geezer, Ozzy, and Bill…thank you for everything gentlemen.
