Geezer Butler: My life will be very empty without Black Sabbath

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Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler describes band’s end as “bittersweet” as final US shows loom

Geezer Butler
Bittersweet: Butler (Image credit: Getty)

Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler says his life will be “very empty” when the band retires next year.

Their final US shows take place this week as their The End world tour moves towards its closing shows in their home city of Birmingham, UK, in February.

Butler tells Austin360: “Since we started we have been largely misunderstood by the media. Our fans knew what we were about – they weren’t looking for things that weren’t there in our music.

“We were reflecting the darkness in life, but offering ways to overcome it, largely through love and peace.”

But he reflects that time has healed those wounds: “It comes from longevity. The shock of the new wears off pretty quickly and hate turns to acceptance.

“After all, Elvis was seen by some as a kind of demon when he started, playing the ‘devil’s music.’ You can’t get much more mainstream than him now.”

Asked what Black Sabbath’s legacy will be, Butler says: “It will be bittersweet. It’s been a great achievement lasting so long and still being relevant.

“It’s something to be proud of – but my life will be very empty without the band. I hope our music will be around for a very long time after we’ve gone.”

Signing off, he says of signature track Black Sabbath: “The riff is very dark and brooding, but the lyrics are warning against the darkness.”

Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler: My Life Story

Black Sabbath The End tour remaining dates 2016⁄2017

Nov 10: Houston Toyota Center, TX
Nov 12: San Antonio AT&T Center, TX
Nov 16: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Nov 19: Santiago Estadio Nacional, Chile
Nov 24: Cordoba En El Orfeo Superdomo, Argentina
Nov 26: Buenos Aires Estadio Velez, Argentina
Nov 30: Curitiba Pedrerira Paulo Leminski, Brazil
Dec 02: Rio Praca Da Apoteose, Brazil
Dec 04: Sao Paulo Estadio Do Morumbi, Brazil
Jan 20: Dublin 3 Arena, Ireland
Jan 22: Manchester Arena, UK
Jan 24: Glasgow SSE Hydro, UK
Jan 26: Leeds First Direct Arena, UK
Jan 29: London O2, UK
Jan 31: London O2, UK
Feb 02: Birmingham Genting Arena, UK
Feb 04: Birmingham Genting Arena, UK

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Martin Kielty
Freelance Online News Contributor

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.