Like any metal fan — or really, almost any rock fan who came of age in the ’70s and ’80s — I’ve seen Black Sabbath a few times. And in a few configurations. I’ve seen them with Ozzy Osbourne. I’ve seen them with Ronnie James Dio. I’ve seen them with Bill Ward. I’ve seen them with Vinny Appice. (In fact, I saw their last gig with Ward in Minneapolis before he infamously left the band in the middle of the Black and Blue Tour with Blue Öyster Cult in 1980. And I met Ozzy backstage on his first solo Canadian tour with Randy Rhoads — but those are stories for another day and another post.) One time I definitely did not see Sabbath: On this swing through Western Canada on their Mob Rules Tour with Dio in the spring of 1982. If you look at the Wikipedia page devoted to the trek, it lists a crossed-out Winnipeg Arena show scheduled for the day after the Regina gig, but I don’t remember any mention of a show at the time, or any tickets going on sale. And clearly, a Winnipeg show was off the table by the time these posters were printed. So I guess the story behind that is lost to the ages. Unlike this poster, which I snagged back in the day — and which you can snag from me. Email me if you’re interested. UPDATE: This poster has been sold.
