The original Sabbath lineup announced last November that they would reunite for a tour and their first album since 1978's Never Say Die! Less than two months later, guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma, prompting Sabbath to cancel the vast majority of their summer tour. Weeks later, Bill Ward announced via a Facebook that he would not participate in the group's reunion until he was presented with a "signable contract." The group vowed to carry on without him and had recently announced a headlining gig at Lollapalooza, as well as a warm-up show in Birmingham this Saturday.
In his new letter, Ward says that the group asked him to play drums
on three songs during their set at the Download Festival in June, an
offer that he refused. On May 9th, Ward says, Sabbath asked him to play
this Saturday's gig for free without any guarantee that he'd get to
perform at the other shows, which he ultimately turned down.
Here is the complete text of Ward's letter:
Dear Sabbath Fans and Fellow Musicians,
I sincerely regret to inform you that after a final effort to
participate in the upcoming Sabbath shows a failure to agree has
continued. At this time I have to inform you that I won't be playing
with Black Sabbath at the Birmingham gig dated May 19th, 2012, nor will I
be playing at Download on June 10th, 2012. Further, I will not be
playing at Lollapalooza on August 3, 2012.
It is with a very sad heart that I bring you this news. I am
sincerely passionate in my desire to play with the band, and I'm very,
very sorry that it's fallen to this. This statement is even more
painstaking to write, as I was particularly excited to play alongside
Tony Iommi after the recent treatments he underwent. I wanted that to
become a reality.
To express my thoughts about you, the Sabbath fans, I'm going to
speak to you all through an experience my brother James had recently.
My brother Jimmy lives in the U.K. When speaking with him a couple of
days ago, he told me that an acquaintance had stopped him on the street
and confronted him, "is your brother playing Birmingham? What's going
on? I waited in line with my son and paid x amount for the concert
tickets."
The man's son is a young drummer. He's going to see Sabbath,
and he wants to see Bill Ward play drums. Upon hearing this news, I
felt horrible. I couldn't help feeling some resentment towards the
failure to reach an agreement, the failure to remember where we came
from, the failure to be as brothers, as we once were. To be clear, I'm
not blaming the other guys or finding any faults with them. I would
think it can't be easy for them either, but this situation is just
really sad. It's sad that it's come to this. "This" will surely leave a
mark and be unwelcome to the memory. Hopefully "this" will heal and
pass in time.
My heart sank when Jimmy told me about this young boy. I know
this boy is going to be disappointed, and I don't know how to amend it,
other than to put my arms around the boy and tell him I love him.
Sabbath fans have a voice and a face, to me you're human, you have
families and despair. You have ferocity and emotions and graciousness,
and at this moment as far as I'm concerned you are also that young boy
in England. I don't know how to amend my part in these failings other
than to put my arms around you and say I love you and let you know I'm
very, very sorry.
Throughout this process, which began over a year ago, I have had
to stand up for myself time and time again. I have had to stand up for
myself and in doing so realize my actions indirectly, although
unintentionally, are upsetting and hurting a lot of you. I know in my
heart I couldn't have done these concerts by agreeing the terms
suggested. I made a solemn vow after the last European and Ozzfest
concerts that I would never again enter into what was, in my opinion, a
totally unsatisfactory contract. I have to stand for something, and as
painful as it is, I'm doing it.
Earlier in April 2012, I'd been asked to participate "minimally"
in the Download festival. I believe I'd been offered no more than
three songs to play while another drummer presumably played the rest of
the show with Black Sabbath. I was not willing to participate in that
offer. I was not prepared to watch another drummer play a Sabbath set,
while I was to play only three songs.
I found out about the Birmingham gig on Monday, April 30 through
the Internet ad. I was taken aback somewhat by the date, and the fact
it was Birmingham. Knowing the "signable" contract negotiations were at
best in shreds, I was upset by the idea that the band was going to play
Birmingham and play it assumedly without me. I had no prior knowledge
of the date and location, and I felt totally excluded. We contacted the
representative for Black Sabbath to see if something could be worked
out. In the meantime my drum crew and I, along with our US endorsers,
finished all the necessary planning for a swift departure to the UK.
There wasn't a whole lot to complete; we'd all been on standby more or
less since mid-January 2012. The remaining work in the UK was confirmed
done by our European and UK endorsers and we were good to go by Friday,
May 4 2012. There were two stress points: firstly, getting an agreement
in place, and secondly, getting to England in a timely manner. Jetlag
time was taken into account as well as drum practice, a drum practice
room in the heart of Birmingham, accommodation, and travel arrangements
were all in place to meet with any band rehearsals that may have
transpired before the Birmingham show. So far everything that had been
arranged was on my dime, but we didn't move ahead without a realistic
confirmation.
Communications between the representative and my lawyer
continued through the weekend of May 5 finalizing on Wednesday, May 9.
The offer we received on May 9 was, "come to the UK, play for free and
see how the first show goes." I was tempted. Playing for free would
not have been a problem for me, but "seeing how the first show goes"
left an element of risk which could have affected Download. My ideal
thought was to play in full the Birmingham show, in full Download, and
in full Lollapalooza.
I had notified the representative that May 10 was my cutoff day
in order to have good lead-in time for England. On the night of May 9 I
asked for a brief letter to be sent to the representative asking to
find out if we were at an end. On the morning of Thursday, May 10, I
received a reply in the affirmative. After consulting with my advisors
and crew a decision was made to let go and stop.
I can't prioritize the Sabbath fans making one show more
important than the other. I can't do that. All of you are important.
It's all the gigs or none at all. I can't come to Birmingham and "see
what happens" knowing there is a risk of not being able to play Download
or Lollapalooza. Again, for me, it's all or nothing. I had to say
"no" to Birmingham on the principle of wanting to play all the shows.
Saying no to Birmingham is very difficult for me. My family grew up in
Birmingham. Black Sabbath grew up in Birmingham. It's still my
hometown and I resent having to arrive at such a difficult choice.
Although the statement was made that, "the door is always open"
for me, as explained above, walking through that door is not always as
easy as it sounds. There are many complicated issues and unseen and
unspoken agendas on hand. I can assure you, my criteria for a
"signable" contract is based in mindful principles, respectability, and
acknowledgement of my history within the band.
I hold no malice or resentment towards the other band members. I
love them; I'm tolerant of them; I'm frustrated with them, as they may
be with me. My fight has never been with them. I'll love them forever.
In my opinion, nobody wins this time; the band doesn't win; the fans
for an original lineup don't win. Nobody wins, nobody. Even the ones
who thought they did. I didn't want to make this decision, but I have to
be honest and transparent. This is the statement I didn't want to
write; it's the last thing I wanted to do. But, I have written it, and
now it can go into the universe.
Since Spring of 2011, I've waited patiently and hopefully for a
signable contract, you know the rest. I stand for the boy in the U.K.,
for the coming drum student, for all the drummers, who write their parts
out and get stiffed on the publishing, I stand with the Sabbath fans
chanting "Bill Ward" and asking "why?" and I stand with Tony and Geezer
and Ozzy.
On a final note, even though I'm at an end with the upcoming
announced concerts, I will remain with an open mind and a position of
willingness to negotiate "signable" terms with Sabbath's representatives
in the future.
Stay strong.
Stay safe.
With all my heart and strength, I love you,
Bill Ward
