In a recent conversation with Chuck Armstrong of Loudwire Nights, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson reflected on his awareness of Black Sabbath during the early years of both bands in the 1970s. While not necessarily a devoted fan, he acknowledged their presence and influence.
“Oh, for sure. I mean, those were very early days. We were playing high schools and eventually clubs and things like that. I don’t know if I was really a fan of Black Sabbath, but I did get a couple records back then and I enjoyed listening to them. I respected Tony‘s guitar playing.”
The conversation also touched on what could have been a special collaboration. Lee and Lifeson were invited to be part of Black Sabbath‘s final concert, set for July in Birmingham, UK. However, despite initially agreeing to participate, they had to withdraw due to other commitments.
“That whole thing that they’re doing this summer, Geddy and I were asked to be a part of it, and we had agreed to do it, but other things came up, and sadly we had to back out of it, ’cause it would have been a lot of fun. And we enjoy playing with other people, and it gets Geddy and me together to do stuff, and all of that.”
Though their paths didn’t cross often, Lifeson recognized some parallels in the two bands’ early struggles and trajectories: “There was an interesting parallel for their beginnings and our beginnings. Yeah, I [was] aware of Black Sabbath, but nothing more than that, really.”
The upcoming farewell performance, titled Back to the Beginning, marks the end of an era for Black Sabbath. Fans clearly haven’t lost interest in the heavy metal pioneers — tickets for the July 5 show at Villa Park sold out in under 10 minutes.
