Black Sabbath Rock 2012 Download Festival With Headlining Performance

Black Sabbath closed out the 2012 Download Festival last night in the United Kingdom, for what was the second of only three shows the band has scheduled this year. By all accounts, the show was incredible, as evidenced in fan-filmed footage that has been surfacing online.

The headlining spot by Black Sabbath began with a video tribute to metal’s master of the riff, Tony Iommi. As the hundreds of thousands of fans anxiously awaited their heroes to take the stage, a compilation of Iommi’s most celebrated riffs played for the fans as it took the audience on a sonic journey throughout Iommi’s many masterpieces such as ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Sweet Leaf’ and ‘Black Sabbath,’ the latter of which served as the band’s set opener.

Sabbath assaulted fans with the instantly recognizable classics ‘Paranoid’ and ‘War Pigs,’ as well as hardcore fan favorites, ‘Wheels of Confusion’ and ‘Behind the Wall of Sleep.’ During the mesmerizing set, frontman Ozzy Osbourne took a moment to salute Tony Iommi, who is currently battling lymphoma. “The guy on the stage I’ve known for most of my life, and he’s ones of the strongest guys I know,” says Ozzy. “Let’s hear it for Mr. Tony Iommi.”

The iconic Sabbath guitarist has been writing for the band’s upcoming record while enduring chemotherapy treatments. Although the six-string strummer does struggle with exhaustion and nausea, Iommi has found the strength to have already written 15 songs for the record.

Check out fan-filmed footage of the Iommi riffs tribute and part of ‘Black Sabbath’ from the 2012 Download Festival, as well as the full set list, below:

Black Sabbath at 2012 Download Festival

Black Sabbath’s Download Setlist:

‘Black Sabbath’

‘The Wizzard’

‘Behind The Wall Of Sleep’

‘NIB’

‘Into The Void’

‘Under The Sun’

‘Snowblind’

‘War Pigs’

‘Electric Funeral’

‘Wheels of Confusion’

‘Sweet Leaf’

‘Symptom Of The Universe’

‘Iron Man’

‘Fairies Wear Boots’

‘Tomorrows Dream’

‘Dirty Women’

‘Children of the Grave’

‘Paranoid’