The disastrous end of Black Sabbath’s “Eternal flame” tour

The long-time bassist Jo Burt In conversation with Guitar World he talked about, among other topics, his time on tour with the Black Sabbath.

When asked about the difficulties of touring with Sabbath, referring to the tour in support of the album “Eternal Idol” in the second part of the ’80s, Burt reported the camaraderie present between the band members and the crew, but did not fail to recall the abrupt and troubled end of that tour.

This is the story based on Burt’s memories: “Traveling was absolutely enjoyable. Me and drummer Terry Chimes had met when he was with the Clash and I was with Tom Robinson. Tony Martin was also a newbie, so I imagine there was a bit of nervousness on the tour bus. Geoff Nicholls was a funny guy and very friendly. After years of playing off stage, he didn’t have an ego; he was a very present friend on the trips. Tony had that classic sense of humor typical of Burt Birmingham, which suited Geoff well, so all in all it was quite comfortable, four star hotels included.”

However, the tour’s conclusion turned out to be much less pleasant. Burt explains this when the tour manager abruptly interrupted him. “I only felt distressed when tour manager Richard Cole dragged me off the bus, still in my sleeping bag, and said, ‘Hurry up! Let’s all go home.’ Sabbath; they are simply no longer contacted.”

Jo Burt he was the bassist of Black Sabbath during their tour “Eternal Idol” in 1987-1988. He never recorded with the band and left after the tour concluded. That tour was organized with minimal preparation time. Burt arrived directly at rehearsals, where he had to quickly adapt to the band’s demanding instrumentation.

The sudden halt to the tour left scars on Burt’s experience with the band. In addition to the personal disappointment of being unceremoniously woken up and sent home, the financial mismanagement that led to the seizure of the equipment revealed the chaotic nature of touring at the time. The lighting and sound company’s decision to seize equipment due to unpaid invoices was common practice but was devastating. It affected both the crew and the musicians.