Foo Fighters don’t need any help selling out stadiums around the globe these days, but on Thursday in Birmingham, UK the band got some local support from Geezer Butler. The legendary Black Sabbath bassist/lyricist joined the alt-rock powerhouse for a cover of “Paranoid” at Villa Park in the working-class canal town that birthed Sabbath.
Midway through the Foos’ 24-song main set, frontman Dave Grohl introduced Butler to the stage. Dissatisfied by the crowd’s reaction or perhaps his own tepid introduction, Grohl repeated his intro with the gusto deserving of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, “Let me just say it one more time, Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath!” With Butler properly welcomed to the stage, guitarist Chris Shiflett kicked off the iconic opening intro riff to “Paranoid” from Sabbath’s 1970 album of the same name. As Shifflett and Pat Smear held down six-string duties, Grohl was free to go full Ozzy Osborne as he recreated the heavy metal legend’s iconic stage mannerisms, from hanging onto the microphone stand to intermittently shouting “Let me see your f–ing hands!”
“Some cities have hometown heroes, some cities have hometown f–ing heroes,” Grohl remarked as Butler left the stage.
Related: Watch Queen’s Brian May & Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi Jam On “Paranoid” [Video]
Members of Foo Fighters previously performed “Paranoid” with Butler at the L.A. edition of the band’s tribute concerts for their late drummer Taylor Hawkins. At The Kia Forum in September 2022, Butler made a surprise appearance to perform Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and “Supernaut” with the Foos, Lars Ulrich (Metallica), and Sebastian Bach (Skid Row). Butler’s appearance on Thursday comes two years after and two miles away from where Ozzy Osbourne and Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi reunited for “Paranoid” at the closing of the Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium. Since then, Ozzy has announced his retirement from the road, then announced a set at the inaugural Power Trip festival, only to cancel the set and continuously drop hints and hopeful optimism about an eventual return to the stage if only for a farewell to his fans.
Watch Foo Fighters perform “Paranoid” with Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler in Birmingham. Foo Fighters have a few more European dates left on the calendar before returning stateside for a summer stadium tour. Butler meanwhile is out promoting his new memoir, Into the Void: From Birth to Black Sabbath—And Beyond.
Foo Fighters, Geezer Butler — “Paranoid” (Black Sabbath) — 6/27/24
[Video: Alex Wheatley]
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