Rock News:Black Sabbath's guitarist Tony Iommi once...read more

Rock News:Black Sabbath’s guitarist Tony Iommi once…read more

Legendary guitarist Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, the band often credited with pioneering heavy metal, recently shared a humorous and unexpected story from his touring days. Known for his hauntingly powerful riffs and electrifying solos, Iommi described a moment during a live performance when one of his trademark solos was interrupted—not by technical difficulties or unruly fans, but by a local taxi company’s dispatch orders bleeding through his amplifier.

“We were in the middle of this massive show, and I was completely immersed in my solo,” Iommi recalled in an interview with Classic Rock magazine. “All of a sudden, I start hearing these random voices coming out of my amp. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but it turned out to be a taxi dispatch giving out directions to their drivers. It was one of the strangest and funniest things that’s ever happened to me onstage.”

The incident, which took place in the early years of Black Sabbath’s touring career, left the band and the audience momentarily perplexed. The problem stemmed from radio interference, a relatively common issue during the 1970s when musical gear lacked modern shielding to block out stray signals from radio transmitters.

Iommi’s amp essentially became a loudspeaker for the cab company, broadcasting instructions like, “Driver 27, pick up at High Street,” and “Dispatch to car 15—customer waiting at the station.” The surreal moment broke the intensity of the show, leaving the band scrambling to figure out what was happening.

“I remember looking over at Ozzy, and he was absolutely baffled. Geezer was laughing his head off. The audience, bless them, thought it was part of the act at first,” Iommi said. “We even joked about dedicating the next song to all the cab drivers working late.”

Rather than derailing the concert, the mishap only added to the charm of the performance. Iommi quickly adjusted and finished the solo, but the moment remains a memorable highlight in the guitarist’s career.

Radio interference like this was a well-known issue for musicians during the era. Guitar amps, especially those with single-coil pickups or older electronics, were notorious for picking up stray radio frequencies. In urban areas where taxi companies or police departments operated on analog radio bands, it wasn’t uncommon for signals to seep into nearby equipment.

“It wasn’t something you could predict,” Iommi explained. “Back then, you just had to deal with these odd technical issues. Looking back, it’s all part of the fun and chaos of playing live music in those days.”

Fans of Black Sabbath might find it ironic that the foreboding, doom-laden sound of heavy metal—a genre synonymous with rebellion and raw power—was temporarily interrupted by the mundane chatter of taxi orders. However, it also underscores the unpredictable and often chaotic reality of live performances, especially before the advent of modern equipment.

For Iommi, the incident remains a fondly remembered anecdote from his decades-long career. “It’s one of those things you laugh about later,” he said. “At the time, I thought, ‘Why me?’ But now, it’s just another funny story to add to the wild journey we’ve been on with Sabbath.”

The story has since become part of the band’s colorful history, serving as a reminder that, no matter how grand or intense the show, real life sometimes has a way of sneaking in—whether it’s through a faulty amp or the frequency of a hardworking cab company.