- Music
- 26 Jan 16
The band say they asked Ward to be involved; the drummer denies he was contacted
Black Sabbath and long-time drummer Bill Ward have become embroiled in a war of words over the band's final show, scheduled for September.
Bassist Geezer Butler had claimed Ward was offered the opportunity to drum at the metal giants' last gig, but Ward has denied this actually happened.
"I never received an offer to play the final show of 'The End' tour with Black Sabbath," he said. "When the tour was confirmed, my management reached out to the Black Sabbath management to inquire as to whether or not they would like to discuss my participation in the tour. We were told there was no interest."
Ward has not been part of the reunited line-up in recent years - which is subject to signifiant agreement in and of itself. The drummer claims it stems from a contract dispute, while frontman Ozzy Osbourne says it was down to health and weight issues that would cause problems on a lengthy tour.
The End tour began earlier this month, and is set to cover North America, Australia and Europe, before a final US run concludes with a swansong in Phoenix, Arizona on September 21.