Zakk Sabbath
Tannahill’s Tavern
Fort Worth, TX
Photos and article by Artur Brakhman
For a lot of people, Friday 13th is an unlucky, superstitious day. Not for me. I consider number 13 to be a lucky number, and on this Friday, December 13th I had a lot of fun. Getting to the venue was a bit challenging due to weather and location. But I had plenty of time and was mentally preparing for a night of classic rock and metal. Once I got to the venue, the line to get in was long and went around the corner at the end of the block. Once inside, the venue was slowly getting filled up. By the time the opening band hit the stage, the venue was packed.
First on stage were The Iron Maidens, an all-female tribute band to Iron Maiden. The band kicked off the show with “Aces High”, and the crowd went wild. The lead vocalist was dressed in a leather jacket, aviator helmet and goggles, channeling Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden during his live performance. Next, was a song that’s close to my heart, and I always play on repeat – “Wasted Years”. While the band was playing the song, an Eddie figure, resembling the artwork from Iron Maiden’s “Somewhere in Time” album, got on stage and the crowd exploded with excitement. The classic setlist continued with “The Trooper”, throughout which the lead vocalist waved a Union Flag while wearing a red coat uniform resembling the British troops during the Crimean War of 1800s.
The short, yet energetic set continued with “Flash”, followed by “Number of the Beast” and closed with “Run to the Hills”, which everyone in the audience loved and sang their hearts out to. The stage props and costumes made the opening set fun and memorable. The whole band was fun to watch having a blast on stage while they interacted with the audience and played everyone’s favorite Iron Maiden classics. The band definitely set the mood for the rest of the night.
Iron Maidens Setlist:
Aces High (Iron Maiden cover)
Wasted Years (Iron Maiden cover)
Trooper (Iron Maiden cover)
Flash (Iron Maiden cover)
Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden cover)
Run to the Hills (Iron Maiden cover)
Next on stage were Zoso, a tribute band to the almighty Led Zepplin. The band came out swinging with “Good times, bad times” and the crowd loved it. The lead singer was channeling Robert Plan, mimicking his moves and stance on stage all throughout the set. The drummer had big, powerful shoes of John Bonham to fill, and he did a great job, the drums sounded thundering and loud! The band played Zepplin classics that included “The Rover”, “Immigrant Song”, “Black Dog” and “Over the Hills and Far Away”. The people in the audience seemed like they were in a trance, moving to the rhythm of every song, slowly rewinding the clock back to the 1970s.
Zoso Setlist:
Good Times Bad Times (Led Zeppelin cover)
The Rover (Led Zeppelin cover)
Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin cover)
The Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover)
What is and What Should Never Be (Led Zeppelin cover)
Bring it on Home (Led Zeppelin cover)
Black Dog (Led Zeppelin cover)
Over the Hills and Far Away (Led Zeppelin cover)
Good Times Bad Times (Led Zeppelin cover)
The Rover (Led Zeppelin cover)
Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin cover)
Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover)
What is and What Should Never Be (Led Zeppelin cover)
Bring it on Home (Led Zeppelin cover)
Black Dog (Led Zeppelin cover)
Over the Hills and Far Away (Led Zeppelin cover)
The headliners of the night were Zakk Sabbath, Zakk Wylde’s definitive, powerful and full of overdriven guitar, tribute to The Godfathers of Metal – Black Sabbath. I met Zakk a few years ago during his Guitar Center signing tour. He’s a cool, down-to-earth kind of a guy. He’s also one of the biggest Black Sabbath fans in the world, has personal connections to the band, and a special bond with the Prince of Darkness himself – Ozzy Osbourne. The set was kicked off with “Supernaut” and the crowd headbanging ensued. Zakk got on stage wearing, what looked like, a Birmingham tartan kilt, most likely as a homage to Ozzy who hails from Birmingham, England. The band played such Black Sabbath classics as “Symptom of the Universe”, “Tomorrow’s Dream” and “Fairies Wear Boots” among others. After which, Zakk got on top of his platform, waited about a minute and raised his arms a few times while looking at each section of the general admission floor. The crowd of each section happily obliged by raising their arms and fists in the air as well, and the band kicked off “Into the Void” followed by “Children of the Grave” during which a bunch of balloons were tossed into the crowd. “Lord of the World” was next on the list, and the crowd was yelling “Hey” while raising their fists between verses, once again following Zakk’s directions. The final songs of the night were “N.I.B.” and “War Pigs”. “N.I.B.” started off with a cool bass solo from John DeServio, then during each chorus, Zakk got on his platform and acted like a choir conductor while everyone in the crowd was singing their hearts out! “War Pigs” ended the set and the night but not without a stroll from Zakk, all the way to the soundboard at the back of the venue! The screaming and yelling from the crowd were deafening. Once Zakk got back on stage, for the last time the whole venue sang in unison. It was an incredible night, full of classic rock and metal, performed by talented musicians who are fans themselves, who enjoy playing their favorite songs that were written long ago by phenomenal bands.
Zakk Sabbath setlist:
Supernaut (Black Sabbath cover)
Snowblind (Black Sabbath cover)
Symptom of the Universe (Black Sabbath cover)
Under the Sun (Black Sabbath cover)
Tomorrow’s Dream (Black Sabbath cover)
Wicked World (Black Sabbath cover)
Fairies Wear Boots (Black Sabbath cover)
Into the Void (Black Sabbath cover)
Children of the Grave (Black Sabbath cover)
Lord of the World (Black Sabbath cover)
Hand O’ Doom (Black Sabbath cover)
Wall of Sleep (Black Sabbath cover)
N.I.B. (Black Sabbath cover)
War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)