Bev Bevan Diaries : Sabbath meet James Bond in 1983
This blog is taken from my diary of 1983, exactly 25 years ago, when I was on tour in America with Black Sabbath.
The line-up of the Sabs at tht time was Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass, Ian Gillan on vocals, Geoff Nicholls on keyboards and myself on drums.
Thursday November 10th.
Drove to Rochester airport and boarded the 16.40 flight to Detroit. Usual fleet of limos waiting there for us and soon checking into the excellent "Ponchotrain" Hotel. Had lovely dinner there of scallops and lamb chops.
Along with Tony and Geoff went to the Joe Louis Stadium to watch live screening of the Marvin Hagler v Roberto Duran World title fight (Hagler winning a unanimous points decision).
Friday November 11th
Slept in late and awoke to find a covering of snow. Soundcheck in the afternoon. This show has been sold out for a month and we had a wild and noisy crowd of 20,000. Opening act on virtually all of this tour is Quiet Riot.
Saturday November 12th
Boarded a "US Air", rather small and inadequate looking plane, for flight to Cleveland. Our tour manager, Harry Mohan, who hates flying , was terrified but got little sympathy from the band.
Checked into "Stouffers" hotel. No time for a soundcheck. Another sold out show to crowd of around 10,000.
I fixed up complimentary tickets for Louis "Hooked on Classics" Clark and his friends and family and they came backstage afterwards. Midlander Louis now living here in Cleveland.
Sunday November 13th
Omelette lunch. Phoned home, as I do everyday. A late "United" flight to Saginaw and limos to the "Sheraton". Dinner at the hotel restaurant along with Geezer and (manager) David (Arden). Nice relaxing night.
Monday November 14th
Noisy hotel and woken a few times. Off to the gig, the Civic Centre, for a soundcheck and had a kickabout with some of the road crew. Sold out show to crowd of about 7,000. Our usual double encore of "Smoke on the water" and "Paranoid".
Tuesday November 15th
Flight to Chicago, then 90 mile drive to Rockford and checked into nice "Clock Tower Inn". On to the gig, the Metro Centre, where we discovered that Quiet Riot's album "Metal Health" had gone to the top of the US album charts.
We sent over congratulatory bottles of champagne to Kevin, Carlos, Frankie and Rudi. Another sold out concert to about 9,000.
Wednesday November 16th
No dinner last night and woke up feeling very hungry so had big steak and eggs breakfast. Took a 175 mile, four hour drive in the limos to Green Bay and checked into the "Ramada Inn". A few sound problems on stage, but still went down a storm at the Brown County Arena, which holds about 6,000.
Thursday November 17th
Left Green Bay, which was no wrench, and got a late flight to Chicago on "Republican" Airways. Checked into the sumptuous "Ritz Carlton".
Roger Moore was also staying there!
He had a very embarrassing and most un-James Bond like moment when he lost one of his shoes in the lift doors - with us lot whistling the James Bond theme as he did so!
He remained very cool though and barely raised an eyebrow.
We did an in store appearance at "Flip Side" Records" in downtown Chicago, with hundreds of Sabbath fans there. I left with about 20 freebie albums.
Great Japanese dinner at "Beni- Hanas". Back to the hotel bar and Roger Moore also in there having a nightcap.
Friday November 18th
Did some Xmas shopping, including around 150 dollars worth of Christmas cards. Chicago my favourite American city to shop in. Drum check at the gig, the Pavilion.
Great show on the night, one of the best of the whole tour so far and I played well. Sold out 10,000 wild crowd.
Saturday November 19th
Long sleep. 140 mile, three hour drive in limos to Madison. I travelled with Ian, who is great company.
Some good-natured football rivalry within the band now, with Ian supporting QPR, Geezer an Aston Villa fan and me a follower of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Checked into the "Sheraton" and straight to the gig for a drum check and backstage sandwich. A package awaiting me back at the hotel - a food parcel from home - Cadbury's Whole Nut, McVities chocolate digestives and PG Tips tea bags!
Luxury!
Another sell out show, at the Dane County Coliseum and most enjoyable. Nice takeaway Chinese meal backstage afterwards.
Sunday November 20th
Slept late. Sunday brunch and the hotel restaurant full of overweight Americans shovelling enormous amounts of food on to their plates from the help yourself buffet tables.
On to the airport and a "Northwest" flight to Minneapolis and checked into the "Registry" hotel. Sound check at the Met Centre, which was right across the road from the hotel.
Tony played us a couple of great new guitar riffs (how does he keep coming up with them?) Another good performance all round and very late to bed.
Monday November 21st
Nice first class flight on "Western" airlines to Salt Lake City and checked into the "Marriott". Watched Monday night football in the bar.
Bad news came in that the road crew and all the trucks all snowed in somewhere on some mountain road so tomorrow's gig has to be cancelled. Bummer.
Tuesday November 22nd
Awoke to a festive scene - a snow covered Salt Lake City. Checked out in a hurry to board a flight to Los Angeles to avoid getting snowed in here.
Nice first class flight up front on a Jumbo and soon at the familiar and splendid "Westwood Marquis". Saw "Dead Zone" at a nearby cinema then back to the hotel, where I ended up drinking a bottle of Chablis in my room, watching TV until the early hours.
Wednesday November 23rd
Cab to the "Jet" offices and watched the finished videos of "Trashed" and "Zero The Hero" that we filmed some weeks back. On then to Don Arden's incredible house in Beverly Hills.
Back to Westwood, which is a lovely area and dinner at "Paul Bhallas", one of the very few good Indian restaurants in the whole of the USA
I'm missing those great Indian restaurants back home and in fact beginning to get really homesick, especially with my birthday coming up in two days time.
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Bev Bevan - Musician and radio presenter
The bit about the "overweight Americans" can also be said about the British these days...
You are the Samuel Pepys of rock and roll, Bev.
"dneal said:
The bit about the "overweight Americans" can also be said about the British these days..."
Yes, but still more pertinent to Americans. Open up your eyes!
Another big thank you to Bev for sharing these great daries! Simply awesome!
Born Again is my fave Sabbath album and tour hands down. Keep em coming!
The Americans are better off overweight than irrelevant Brits with bad teeth, stinky breath, crappy cricket, boring football and ass bumbershoots.
The Americans are better off overweight than irrelevant Brits with bad teeth, stinky breath, crappy cricket, boring football and ass bumbershoots.
It's hilarious how Americans can not deal with criticism. Ask any traveller what was one of the things they noticed about the US and it's the widespread obesity. The US has a real problem and is failing to address it.
Supersize me baby.
Brits don't eat they just drink - ALOT, I would too if I had to eat their crappy food and lay their trolly women.
Mark, it sounds like you have personal experiance with an ass bumbershoot. Pork Pie or die.
This fat American thanks you once again for your stories, they are very enjoyable to read. I have always called US Air, "US Scare" so I know of the horror you must have suffered. I think we Americans and British need to stop this needless teasing and realize the real enemy are the Belgians.
Interesting to hear the details of that tour! It has been made out to have been such a "disaster", but it sounds like pretty smooth sailing. I loved the Born Again album. I was living near Dubuque, IA at the time and wanted desperately to catch the show in Madison WI, yet could not make it.
I think it is funny some people got offended at the fat Americans comment. For those who are so dumb they did not know this: Americans are the most overweight people on the planet, proportionately. You could say "proportionately disproportionate". Get it? Maybe? Ha.
Cheers!
-Jefferson
Enough with the fat Americans. Let's hear more of the ass bumpershoots. Get on with it then. Please get me off this island (quiet desperation)
Right. My spot of tea has blimey ruined my biscuits. Ass bumpershoots are standard issue for our boys. Remember fat is for prosperity. Carry on then. Fear! I mean Cheers!
Leave it to the Americans to put out the best Sabbath work - Dio/Appice rule. I don't think the Americans are fat, just plumpy. Ass bumpershoots are the Brits best kept secret. Do they help with Joe Siegler's cyst. Only time will tell. Tally ho and fish and chips.
Thanks for making me feel old Bev!I can bareley remember 1983! Will you be around for Tony's star on Sunday? Should be you soon!
Bath chairs at the ready......... Zimmer frames set to stun... off we go!
Enjoyed the diary, although I, too, took offense to Bev's comments about overweight Americans. If I remember right, Bev is no string bean, even back in 1983.
Love the part on the Chicago show. I was there but unfortunately missed the Sabbath set due to the acid kicking in during the intermission. Kind of a blur after that , although I do remember Iommi starting the show walking out alone playing the riff to Children of the Grave. Very interesting stuff!!
Well, thank you for sharing! I'm not so sure what was more relevant or important to me: A Sabbath-album without Ozz but with a singer who cant tell screaming from singing or the monotonous lifestyle of a second class drummer on tour back in the eighties. But never mind! Some American stupids may buy it anyway.
Happy cash-in.
Americans indeed are overweight. My point is you can see the obesity now spreading to the UK and Europe. To "Open Metal Mind" and "Mark", Open up YOUR eyes! (said the world at the door)
Bev, your diaries are really special, not many people who have done what you have would have kept them. Imagine what you would have written if blogs had existed then - an online, on the move, diary, what a buzzz! Just loving hearing about your adventures in a past that I had no part in, always a pleasure! MH
I was loving the diaries till I found out Bev's a w*lves fan. Disaster.
What a great diary.This gives us all a peek into what life is like for an iconic drummer of modern rock.
Bev thanks for this excellent read!And to the follower of the real sabbath..until you have had the long and illustrious career that Bev has had I suggest you just sit down and shut up!I lump you in with the obese americans.
Keep up the great site Bev!