Geezer Butler has dashed hopes of Black Sabbath playing one-off shows in the future.
The legendary metal band’s bassist and lyricist says the chances of him playing anymore gigs with his bandmates, frontman Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi, are very slim, especially as singer Osbourne – who will headline Download Festival this June – is on his last solo tour.
Speaking on Full Metal Jackie’s radio show, he admitted: "[It’s] not very likely at all. I think Ozzy is going out on his farewell tour, so that will be him touring for the next two or three years. So I don’t think there will be any chance of doing any one-offs or anything like that – which I’m fine with. We went out on a high, and it’s best not to drag it out."
However, there is hope that the ‘War Pigs’ hitmakers could make new music, possibly another studio LP, if Iommi has anything to do with.
The ‘Paranoid’ rockers wrapped their ‘The End’ tour with their last-ever hometown show in Birmingham last May, with a two-hour concert at the NEC Arena, and the 68-year-old musician was even keen to do the odd gig in the future.
He said previously: "I’m going to miss playing on stage because that has been my whole life, the band and playing on stage. I like [playing on stage] and I’m sure it’s not going to end like that; I’m sure we might do a one-off show somewhere.
"It’s just the touring for me – It’s time to stop roaming the world and be at home for a bit … I’m still going to write and put stuff out."
Quizzed on whether they’ve decided there won’t be a follow-up to 2013’s ’13’ LP, Iommi said: "No, I don’t think we’ve ruled anything out apart from me not wanting to tour anymore on that scale, but who knows, we may do something. We haven’t spoken about it.
"That’s another thing – we haven’t talked about anything, really, that’s to do with what’s going to happen afterwards.
"But I’m sure something can happen somewhere."
Iommi made the decision to give up travelling on the road with the band after being diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in 2013.
Geezer Butler dashes hopes of Black Sabbath gigs
