The extraordinary story behind Tony Iommi meeting a mystery fan at the Black Sabbath bench on Westside has finally been told. And what a story!
The flamboyantly dressed fan seen in the picture above was not named at the time we reported the encounter at the end of January, but any eagle-eyed viewers might have recognised him as Carlos Acosta, the director of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
And today the news behind the meeting has been told: Acosta and Iommi had been working on secret plans for a new ballet performance to be soundtracked by the music of Black Sabbath.
Black Sabbath – The Ballet has been reported on today by almost every media you could think of, with the BBC, The Guardian, the Daily Mail and heavy metal music site Brave Words being just a few examples of coverage.
Mike Olley, general manager of Westside BID, was on Broad Street when Iommi met Acosta on the afternoon of Thursday 26 January, which is why the BID’s website and social media then carried the ‘mystery fan’ story and postings.
Mr Olley said: “They met to finalise matters around the ballet and Black Sabbath deal, and Mr Acosta wanted to go see the bench with Tony.
“We kept mum about the story behind the meeting, not even mentioning the name of Mr Acosta as we respected what was then the secrecy around the project.
“But we were delighted that the bench was used as a break in in the pair’s discussions and as a focus for a little bit of fun!”
Black Sabbath – The Ballet will premiere in Birmingham this September and will feature eight of the band’s tracks plus new music inspired by them.
Following a week’s run at the Birmingham Hippodrome from 23 to the 30 September 2023, the full-length three-act ballet will then tour to Plymouth’s Theatre Royal and Sadler’s Wells in London.
Talking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Iommi explained that he hopes the “rags to riches” tale will attract “both our fans and ballet fans”.
He said: “I’d never imagined pairing Black Sabbath with ballet but it’s got a nice ring to it! I’m looking forward to seeing how this all develops.
“Black Sabbath have always been innovators and never been predictable, and it doesn’t come any more unpredictable than this! I’ve met with Carlos several times and his enthusiasm is infectious.
“We both come from poor working class backgrounds. The band came out of this hardship. They represented so many people.”
Iommi said that while he “can appreciate” ballet as an art form, he has never actually been to a ballet … yet. He added: “I went down to see the rehearsal and they were dancing around me, it was fascinating. I think it’s really adventurous to do this. It’s hoping to attract both our fans and ballet fans.”
The eight Black Sabbath tracks from the show include Paranoid, War Pigs, Orchid and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and the music will be re-orchestrated for the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.
Acosta told the BBC he had been a big fan of the band since a friend introduced him to their music around the year 2000.
And the idea of a Black Sabbath ballet has been on Acosta’s mind since he first arrived in Birmingham at the start of 2020, just before the pandemic hit.
Acosta said: “Black Sabbath is probably Birmingham’s biggest export, the most famous – and infamous – cultural entity to ever emerge from the city, so I was naturally drawn to the idea of a collaboration between what most people might think are the most unlikely of partners.
“The band’s enthusiasm for the project is a huge endorsement. They are putting their trust in us to deliver something completely new and original, and that’s quite a responsibility but one that we are beyond excited to take on.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, former ballet star Acosta said he felt Black Sabbath’s song War Pigs still has particular resonance.
He added: “War Pigs is so relevant today, how sometimes politicians and governments hide behind words. And all the wars happening at the moment … it’s timeless.”
ENDS
