Forging metal to Birmingham ballet: marking Black Sabbath’s campus anniversary

From unearthing fascinating hidden stories of staff, students, alumni, and research to hosting engaging events and exhibitions, the University of Birmingham has certainly had a lot to celebrate in its 125^th anniversary year, which also marks a musical milestone on campus.

Black Sabbath’s first known gig at the University of Birmingham roared into life 55 years ago on 29 November. This year has been all about Sabbath and the impact of its Birmingham-born members’ genre defining music - culminating in July’s ‘Back to the Beginning concert’, followed by the heartbreaking news of the death of lead singer Ozzy Osbourne.

Earlier this year, the University hosted a special event as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science and our 125 anniversary celebrations. Forging Metal: Black Sabbath and Birmingham saw academics and special guests Carlos Acosta CBE, Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, join forces for the night to explore the uncharted parts of the band’s legacy.

The free event sold out within minutes of tickets becoming available. Audience members heard from Dr David Gange, Associate Professor in History, who spoke about Sabbath’s influence on global environmental activism within metal music. Dr Finola Kerrigan, Professor of Marketing, examined how Black Sabbath - the Ballet has shaped Birmingham’s identity, whilst Dr Kamran Khan, Associate Professor in Language, Social Justice and Education unpacked how the members of Sabbath faced discrimination in both music industry and media because of their Brummie accents.

Professor Paul Jackson, Director of Research for the College of Social Sciences, then hosted an ‘in conversation’ with Carlos and Tony, talking about the creation of Black Sabbath - the Ballet. The trio explored how the production brings heavy metal and ballet together seamlessly and the importance of championing the city’s musical legacy. The talk touched upon how Tony fell in love with the medium of ballet through working on the production and produced some wonderful anecdotes from Black Sabbath’s incredible career.

Tony Iommi said: “I had a fantastic time discussing Black Sabbath’s legacy with Carlos Acosta and Professor Paul Jackson. Having played at the University of Birmingham on 29 November 1970, it was an honour to be back almost 55 years later to the day. With special thanks to Dr David Gange, Professor Finola Kerrigan and Dr Kamran Khan for sharing their fascinating insights, using their research to explore the band’s impact on Birmingham’s identity, perceptions of the Brummie accent, and environmental activism worldwide.”

Carlos Acosta CBE, who also receive an honorary degree from the University this year, said: “It’s always an honour to visit the University of Birmingham, and especially when there’s an opportunity to explore this great City’s remarkable contribution to the world. That’s exactly what we did at that event!

“I had a great time chatting with Black Sabbath’s legendary co-founder and guitarist, Tony Iommi, and Professor Paul Jackson brilliantly opened up lively and often humorous discussion about how Black Sabbath – the Ballet came about in celebration of Black Sabbath’s unique legacy as the originators of ‘heavy metal’, of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s standing as one of the world’s great ballet companies and how we both came together in a unique fusion that continues to capture the world’s attention.”

The event was a tremendous success which brought new visitors to campus to engage with social science research. It was a delight to welcome Carlos Acosta back after receiving his honorary degree, and to have Tony Iommi on a University of Birmingham stage again, 55 years after the band’s first campus concert.

Black Sabbath and the Birmingham Royal Ballet both have an incredible legacy rooted in the city – spotlighting its cultural significance in both music and dance. As England’s first civic university, the University constantly hosts public events - engaging people of the city and further afield with our research. Discover what’s on at the University of Birmingham.