Live: Black Sabbath @ BST

by | Jul 5, 2014

Black Sabbath at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Black Sabbath at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

“This is a rock and roll song,’ croaks Motorhead’s frontman Lemmy. ‘You like rock and roll, don’t you?” It’s one question that hardly needs asking, with today’s British Summer Time day festival themed entirely to appeal to a heavy rock audience. Still, always good to check the crowd are on the same page – though, frankly, who’s going to argue with Lemmy? Motorhead steam through their set in the baking mid-afternoon sun, bringing in the always anticipated Ace Of Spades as the penultimate song.

Motorhead at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Motorhead at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Faith No More take a characteristically untypical approach to rock stage design by flooding the place with flowers and appearing dressed as priests. It’s the maverick nature of the band and their flawlessly powerful delivery that makes their ongoing reunion shows both enthralling and surprising. Epic, Caffeine and Midlife Crisis are just some of the highlights. Extremes of whispering, screaming and crooning highlight both singer Mike Patton’s impressive vocal range and the band’s striking diversity and daring.

Faith No More at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Faith No More at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Soundgarden’s frontman Chris Cornell strides on stage ahead of the band to explain that they’ll be playing their pivotal 1994 album Superunknown in full. A tangible wave of delight ripples through the crowd. The group deliver the goods and bring on Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready for even more guitar power on one track. With their backdrop simultaneously showing black and white multiple, split screen footage from the show, we watch as if the band inhabit a corridor of dark mirrors – much like a trip through their music. By the time they, rather appropriately, play 4th Of July, a chill wind has whipped up and the sky has begun to darken.

Soundgarden at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Soundgarden at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

The elements seem to be preparing the audience for the legends that are Black Sabbath. The headliners take to the stage and open with War Pigs and Into The Void. Ozzy Osbourne’s rock legend status and their influence on the bands that preceded them on tonight’s bill bring this heavy rock marathon to a fitting and celebratory conclusion.

Black Sabbath at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

Black Sabbath at BST in Hyde Park, London, on 4 July 2014 (Imelda Michalczyk)

 

British Summer Time – Motorhead, Faith No More, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath.
Hyde Park, 4 July 2014
Words and photos by Imelda Michalczyk

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000NsbfIM6_KDs” g_name=”Black-Sabbath-BST” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

Sabrina Carpenter (Press)

Sabrina Carpenter Unveils Full Star-Packed Line-Up For Sold-Out BST Hyde Park 2025 Shows

American Express presents BST Hyde Park has announced the full supporting line-up for pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter’s sold-out headline debut on Saturday 5th July, as well as her follow-up performance on Sunday 6th July. The eagerly anticipated shows mark a major milestone in Carpenter’s meteoric rise, as she joins a coveted roster of BST Hyde Park headliners for 2025.

Taylor Swift @ Wembley Stadium (Kalpesh Patel)

Taylor Swift Triumphs: Pop Icon Buys Back Rights To Her Original Master Recordings

In a landmark move sending shockwaves through the music industry, Taylor Swift has officially bought back the rights to her original master recordings, marking a triumphant and deeply personal victory in her years-long battle for artistic ownership. The deal closes a turbulent chapter that has fuelled global conversations around creative control, artist rights, and the power dynamics of the modern music business.

Santana (Press)

Carlos Santana Teams Up With Grupo Frontera For Norteño-Rock Fusion ‘Me Retiro’ — Ahead Of UK Tour Dates

Rock legend Carlos Santana has surprised fans yet again—this time by merging his iconic guitar-driven rock sound with...
Blink-182 @ Reading Festival 2024 (Nick Allan)

Reading Festival 2025 Preview: Glitter, Guitars & Glorious Chaos Incoming

Hold on to your bucket hats – Reading Festival 2025 is about to blow the roof off Richfield Avenue from August...

Iggy Pop’s Raw Power Hits Ally Pally

There’s some shows you just can’t miss in good conscience. Iggy Pop, the godfather of punk, last hit the UK for Dog Day Afternoon with Blondie two years ago, and he’s back for a short run of dates. When other punks from the same era are slowing down, settling into nostalgic anniversary shows or stately home summer shows, Pop is sticking to what he knows best: his iconic back catalogue, spread out across a full band, tied together with hypnotic charisma.

Chesney Hawkes (Press)

Chesney Hawkes Announces 2026 ‘Smash It To Pieces’ UK Headline Tour Following A Triumphant Year

Chesney Hawkes, once dubbed the quintessential British pop prince of the early ‘90s, has proved he’s more than just The One And Only. With a creative fire that burns brighter than ever, Hawkes is celebrating a year of musical and personal triumphs as he announces his 2026 Smash It To Pieces UK headline tour — a bold new chapter in a career that continues to evolve far beyond its nostalgic beginnings.

James Morrison (Tom Oxley)

James Morrison Announces Long-Awaited New Album ‘Fight Another Day’, UK Headline Tour This September

BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter James Morrison returns this autumn with his most personal, soul-stirring work to date. His sixth studio album, Fight Another Day, lands on 3rd October 2025, marking his first full-length release in six years — and with it comes a UK headline tour this September, including dates in Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

Calva Louise (Henry Calvert)

Calva Louise Walk The Edge Of The Abyss With Cinematic New Single ‘Impeccable’

If the edge of reality had a soundtrack, Calva Louise just wrote it. With new single Impeccable, the genre-fluid...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing